One Hell of a Good Time- Dante’s Inferno Review

For some, this will not exonerate Dante’s Inferno; after all, the game’s unapologetically apes Kratos exploits. From the lethal combos initiated by varied sequences of light and heavy attack buttons, nimble evades activated by a press of the right stick, and sporadic crate pushing,  Dante’s inspiration is undeniable. Forgoing the game based on a meticulous similitude would be a grave mistake for any fan of the action genre. Twenty minutes in, most gamers will be too absorbed by the constant onslaught of Hell’s minions to care about any similarities.

The impetus of Dante’s descent into the fiery underworld is the abduction of his lover’s soul. Players will trek through ten stages- Alighieri’s nine circles of Hell, along with two introductory levels, in an attempt to rescue the beloved Beatrice from the Devil’s clutches. Although the game’s preliminary realms are imaginative and generally seamless, complications diminish the potential of later levels. Dante’s combat is constantly engaging, but platforming and environment navigation intermittently led to an immediate demise. Irregularly, the game will asks players to press a specific button or fall to their death. These two mechanics stand in sharp contrast to the remainder of the game’s skillful refinement.

Arguably, the title’s forte is its intense combat, which is vigorous enough to elicit a controller-clenching grip from players. At Dante’s disposal are two main weapons: a boney scythe for melee attacks, and Beatrice’s Cross, which is used for ranged attacks, but can also complement the sickle for devastating amounts of damage. Both weapons feel gratifyingly formidable, as they shred opponents apart with hyperbolic potency. Weaker enemies can be grabbed and either punished or absolved with a press of button. Each divine decision grants the gamer with either unholy or holy experience which can be used to unlock new moves from two branching skill trees. Additionally, players can collect relics to supplement their offensive output, or even regenerate their magic supply.

The developers of Dante’s Inferno wisely choose to have the title move at a sinuous sixty frame per second refresh rate, allowing the protagonist to dart around the screen with silky finesse. With the exception of game’s detailed cutscenes, which display at 30 fps, the title stays astonishingly fluid and refuses to waver even when handfuls of enemies or gigantic bosses are on-screen. More importantly, the game never pauses for momentum depleting loads, all the data is streamed while the game is being played. Despite these resource straining elements, Dante’s Inferno recreation of Hell is consistently staggering – from walls composed of writhing bodies, bloody rivers, and the radiant gold auras that permeates the Greed stage. Few games offer environments as unsettling as Dante’s grisly and often perverse landscapes- the visual and aural artists are to be commended.