Review: Dante's Inferno

[Nemu]

Great review, I'm sold.
I've finally decided to buy an XBox (for the sole reason of getting FFXIII and it's cheaper than a PS3) and this was one of the only other games I've considered buying--and, actually, it's because I've read The Divine Comedy (a few times).

Not really been a console player for about 5 years, now, and not really interested in getting back into the games like I had before, but I still want this game.

 

[Marowit]

I've never played the God of War games, and to be honest, the setting of Dante's Inferno appeals more to me than ancient greece. So, I may actually pick up the PS3 divine addition once I get through AvP.

Good review, and I'm glad you actually spoke about the game, and didn't just compare it to God of War for the entire review....like almost every other review out there for the game...

 

[Telperion]

I'm really enjoying the game: I got it as soon as the game came out. Don't want or care about GoW 3, so there's no reason to wait around for another game like this one.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

No problems with the review but I thought you had an unspoken rule against using the words "compelling" and "cinematic" in your reviews.
Just saying.

 

[Delock]

So, God of War with moral choice. Wow, I'm already kinda disapointed! Can't wait to rent it to see if I'm right or not.

The moral choice is really just a talent tree thing. Press one button to get 'holy' and another to get 'unholy'. The game did very little to integrate that into the story, which I'm actually thankful for because it would have been extremely hokey. It's best not to think of it as a moral choice system and more as Scythe Abilities and Cross Abilities. As the review says, getting both is pretty crucial, and being choosy about which you get on each side can be critical if you aren't careful to get all the souls you can, or are playing on one of the harder difficulties.

Ok, that means my biggest doubt about the game has gone away.

As for the whole "It's like one of the best Hack and Slash games around! That means it is crap!" arguement...

... Wait, doesn't that make it good? If you take the good elements from a good game and put it in your own, have a different story, and add some more stuff, sure you don't get points for originality, but shouldn't the game itself be good on its own?

If you ignore every other game and focus on whether it's good or not, it looks like it's just fine. Why then does the fact that there is another good game like it mean that this is a horrible thing? Doesn't that mean you get two good games in the market for fans of the genre?

*Edit*

Actually, thinking about it, I'd actually have to say then that Dante's Inferno might do something better than God of War: the main character.

Let's face it, Kratos is basically a sociopath who has the philosophy that nothing is every his fault (how many of you can actually think of this guy as a family man?). His quest is about revenge, not for his family, but because HE was wronged. He unlearns his lessons from the first game, such as don't attack people in the dark when you can't tell if they're really someone you hate or a friend, the god of war is not exempt from punishment if they decide to rampage, the gods always have a stab you in the back clause in any seemingly benevolent gift, all his violence didn't give him peace or happiness, and more. And although he has drive and motivation, all he ever seems to do is take orders.

Dante, however, realizes he's a sinner and regrets it, to the point of sewing it on himself. He's fighting the forces of hell to save his love. His quest is of his own decision and he only has a guide, not a master.

 

[Doug]

No problems with the review but I thought you had an unspoken rule against using the words "compelling" and "cinematic" in your reviews.
Just saying.

Didn't you know? In reviewer hell, those are the only 2 words available....

 

[DeadAccountMoveAlong]

I really like the idea of the game, but at twelve hours is it really worth buying?
I understand twelve hours might be appropriate for the games feel, and since they seemed to run out of ideas it was for the best, but do I want to shell out sixty dollars for a game I'm only getting twelve hours out of?

 

[Stabby Joe]

Finally a review that doesn't just go on and on about GoW. I mean it's not like GoW s a bad game.

If you like the genre then it's most definitely worth playing. The price issue is up to you.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

I'll be honest, when I started reading your review, I thought your were being sarcastic. I guess I shouldn't be too prejudiced about a game I haven't played (or will play for that matter), just because I find the liberties the designers took with the source material to be absolutely pathetic. Still, it's a good review. I'm glad you are able to overlook the butchering of Dante's Comedy and have fun with the game, but I'm afraid I could never do that.

 

[AngelOfBlueRoses]

So, God of War with moral choice. Wow, I'm already kinda disapointed! Can't wait to rent it to see if I'm right or not.

The moral choice is really just a talent tree thing. Press one button to get 'holy' and another to get 'unholy'. The game did very little to integrate that into the story, which I'm actually thankful for because it would have been extremely hokey. It's best not to think of it as a moral choice system and more as Scythe Abilities and Cross Abilities. As the review says, getting both is pretty crucial, and being choosy about which you get on each side can be critical if you aren't careful to get all the souls you can, or are playing on one of the harder difficulties.

Ok, that means my biggest doubt about the game has gone away.

As for the whole "It's like one of the best Hack and Slash games around! That means it is crap!" arguement...

... Wait, doesn't that make it good? If you take the good elements from a good game and put it in your own, have a different story, and add some more stuff, sure you don't get points for originality, but shouldn't the game itself be good on its own?

If you ignore every other game and focus on whether it's good or not, it looks like it's just fine. Why then does the fact that there is another good game like it mean that this is a horrible thing? Doesn't that mean you get two good games in the market for fans of the genre?

*Edit*

Actually, thinking about it, I'd actually have to say then that Dante's Inferno might do something better than God of War: the main character.

Let's face it, Kratos is basically a sociopath who has the philosophy that nothing is every his fault (how many of you can actually think of this guy as a family man?). His quest is about revenge, not for his family, but because HE was wronged. He unlearns his lessons from the first game, such as don't attack people in the dark when you can't tell if they're really someone you hate or a friend, the god of war is not exempt from punishment if they decide to rampage, the gods always have a stab you in the back clause in any seemingly benevolent gift, all his violence didn't give him peace or happiness, and more. And although he has drive and motivation, all he ever seems to do is take orders.

Dante, however, realizes he's a sinner and regrets it, to the point of sewing it on himself. He's fighting the forces of hell to save his love. His quest is of his own decision and he only has a guide, not a master.

...Damnit! You ninja'd me! My first ninja ever!

I was making a huge rant about how I actually liked Dante's Inferno more than God of War through things like the atmosphere of the game and the absolving or punishing, but my main point was that Dante as a character is infinitely more like-able as a main character than Kratos is. Dante seeks redemption for not only him, but also for Beatrice and his family. In fact, he doesn't give two shits if he's damned. He doesn't want others to be punished for his sins. That's what keeps him going, unlike Kratos who just seeks revenge for himself. While Revenge and Redemption do sometimes go hand-in-hand, Dante wasn't driven by revenge as Kratos was.

 

[Eldarion]

This sounds A TON better than devil may cry.

And I loved devil may cry.

 

[Pirce]

Playing the game it kept reminding me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I mean what other game feels so much like...

http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01856/media/devil%20may%20cry%203.jpg


Oh, oh yeah right.

 

[Eudaemonian]

Playing the game it kept reminding me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I mean what other game feels so much like...

(Image of DMC3)

Oh, oh yeah right.

Really? Because other than the name it didn't remind me of that game in any way. Despite a similar genre they felt completely different. I realize the urge to be snarky about the Dante thing is strong, but I really don't see any basis for this.

I mean, in a weird way, Dante's Inferno really has more rights to the name via its connection to the original work, tenuous as they may be.

 

[Pirce]

It had nothing to do with the name or the poem. It had to due with the gameplay. The gameplay, like so many others in the genre, simply feels like an off brand version of DMC's. I was really hopping that this game would be a Shinobi, not another God of War.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I played it on my brother's Xbox, and the one thing I took from it is how SERIOUS it takes itself.

I just looked at it and sniggered half the time as it SHOWED HOW SERIOUS IT WAS.

It's fun, but not something I'd pay full price for.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Personally, I think it's better than God of War. Maybe not gameplay-wise, but the story is great. Loved every second of it... Well, except maybe the Malebolge, those levels are really unnecessary and boring.

 

[sunpop]

I was shocked I enjoyed it some with it being such a god of war clone style game. I went as far to say it was actually good, however I wont be buying it just waiting for my friend to beat it so I can borrow it.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

The Malebolge was bulls***, particularly because that's one of the coolest parts of the poem.

I ended up getting irritated with the way they depicted Hell because they kept trying so hard to look like Gustav Dore's drawings but kept missing the essential ingredient: lots of suffering people. I dunno if that's tech limits or design issues, more probably both, but it ended up making Hell feel really empty. Instead of mountains of suffering people you get a couple of statues, the sound of suffering people in the background, and the occasional heap of bodies down in Styx or the River of Boiling Blood (Phlegathon?).

I don't really know what to say to people when they ask about it at this point. Conceptually it's God of War with some clever tweaks. There are moves you can spam but that's hardly new to the genre. Artistically...it's hit or miss. When they stop trying to be Dore and do their own thing, it gets really interesting like in Lust or the Suicide Woods. The way they reorganized Hell is also a bit confusing because they swap out different sins to go in different places.

I dunno...if you like the poem, you'll get a kick out of the game.

 

[RanD00M]

I finished this game last Sunday.And I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
And I was happy with the difficulty of the final boss.He was hard, without being tedious.

 

[pneuma08]

I'm sorry, this game still breaks metaphysics in a way that hurts my brain. He kills death because he doesn't want to die - and that's just the surface. I understand now why my father can't watch Dragon Ball Z (same with regular physics for him).

I may still rent it to see the action, setting, and possibly a decent into madness and/or realization. I cannot see myself buying it, however.