Dante’s Inferno – Examining the Hit Video Game Title

Released just a few weeks ago, the Dante’s Inferno video game has caused quite a stir in the gaming community. The theme, which is very loosely based on the title poem, has been met with scorn by some, with certain countries even refusing to publicize it. However, this kind of notoriety is usually a good thing, as it gets the public interested in what might be causing such outrage.

The story follows Dante as he travels through the various circles of Hell on a quest to rescue his beloved Beatrice. But as he travels deeper into Hell, darker secrets are revealed and the truth about his search comes to light. Dante must fight his way through the use of Death’s scythe, which he took from the specter that defeated him in single combat!

Now, let’s get this straight first: Dante’s Inferno has been accused of being a rip-off of the God of War series, to the point where the combat system is supposedly almost identical. Well this really depends on your point of view. God of War certainly didn’t start the hack and slash genre, it just makes it better, and therefore all subsequent games will be compared to it. If a game can come close to emulating God of War, surely that’s a good thing?

And Dante’s Inferno video game is undoubtedly its own teacher. The combat system is actually an intricate tree of possibilities as you employ Dante’s two attack methods; his scythe and his holy cross. These weapons can be leveled up as you progress through Hell. Dante will encounter lost souls in both combat and non-combat situations, and the player can choose to punish or acquit them. This will level up either weapon correspondingly.

Hell itself has been very well designed, and there are definitely echoes of EA’s previous horror offering: Dead Space. The landscape is littered with writhing convicts, impaled prisoners, and rivers of blood, while the different circles will offer their own take on things. Traveling through Lust will reveal mutated phallic symbols and darkly alluring enemies, while Greed will show unfortunates encased in gold.

Dante’s Inferno has had a rough ride at the hands of all God of War fans, but it’s definitely a great game in its own right. Sure, there are a couple of drawbacks: the game is too short and some of the environments start to look familiar, but these complaints are canceled out with a powerful combat system and imaginative boss battles and visuals. The Dante’s Inferno video game must be credited as a great effort from EA, and I urge you to give it a try.