With an unbelievable marketing campaign that included fake Christian protestors and a contest that turned a gaming convention into a madhouse, Dante's Inferno was … oddly anticipated.
On one hand, some people were concerned how far this game would digress from the literature - which turned out to be pretty far - and on the other hand, some people really didn't care.
Firstly, let it be known that this game is rated "M" for Mature, and although almost everyone reading this is over the age of 17 and can buy it, this is not like Halo, which probably should have been rated "T" for Teen. Dante's Inferno is very violent, provocative and a bit racy at points.
One of the first things the player, as Dante, does, is fight and ultimately kill the Grim Reaper. Death begs Dante to spare his life, but he doesn't and instead kills him violently and takes his scythe. It appears that this game is playing off of the popular God of War series. But with another God of War on the way, this game almost seems superfluous.
As the game progresses, it loses some of its instant appeal. There are many of the exact same enemies attacking, making it seem almost like a chore to survive a demon assault. Then, the player is given the option of absolving the demons of their sins and saving their souls or punishing them into eternal damnation. This is an interesting concept, but the mechanics leave the player with a lot of button mashing for too long while the enemies still attack, albeit in slow motion.
The concept of choosing to be "good" or "evil" is interesting and adds a new element to the game. The process of gaining the points needed to spend on new abilities in the chosen path, however, is monotonous and boring.
Dante's Inferno decided to push the envelope with the setting of Hell to back it up, but for many reasons, the potential of this game was not met.
Game ReviewDante's Inferno☆☆☆
Available for: XBOX 360, PS3, PSP