Some people say they would travel to the ends of the Earth for those they love. Not Dante — he fights through all nine circles of hell for his lover.
Dante’s Inferno (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PSP) is loosely based on the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. The title was developed by Visceral Games (Dead Space: Extraction) and published by Electronic Arts (Mass Effect 2).
For the purposes of the game, the 14th-century poet is instead a soldier during the Crusades. Before leaving for war, Dante promises his lover, Beatrice, he will not take part in any “pleasures of the flesh” until he returns to marry her. When Dante returns, Beatrice is gone — stolen by Lucifer as punishment for the sins he promised he would not commit. Dante chases Beatrice’s soul through hell to fight Lucifer and save her.
Dante’s story is told through a mixture of 3-D cut scenes and animated shorts. The animated, cartoonish look, distinct in its originality, is able to carry across satire and grotesque details of the Crusades and Dante’s childhood more effectively than expected.
It’s obvious Visceral Games’ developers took a lot of inspiration from The Divine Comedy to create their hell in Dante’s Inferno. Hell is detailed and extremely disturbing: Lava seeps through cracks in tile, arms and legs reach out of crevices in the walls while moans and screams pierce the air — it is all enough to make a player wince.
Each of the nine circles of hell is unique. For example, “Gluttony” incorporates intestines and teeth into its level design, while rivers of blood surround “Violence.” The circles also have their own unique enemies, such as seductresses in “Lust” and unbaptized babies in “Limbo.” The circles of hell are painstakingly crafted with attention to detail, and the intricate level design is the best part of the game. As the game progresses, players will want to see what the next level of hell looks and feels like.
That being said, as fascinating as it is to see hell, it would be even better if we could see the main character. The camera in Dante’s Inferno is sufficient at best and wonky at worst. In a game that requires jumping, swinging, fighting and climbing, the camera needs to work. Missing jumps and falling to your death is common, and sometimes players control Dante from odd angles such as from across a room or in front of his body.
Players who travel through hell in Dante’s Inferno may have a sense of déjà vu if they traveled through the underworld in 2005’s God of War or played Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. One man, waves and waves of enemies, brutal attack combinations and bloodshed fill this game. Dante’s Inferno may not be a copy of God of War, but players will certainly recognize its influence.
Dante can choose two ways to fight: unholy or holy. By punishing the souls of hell’s demons, players can earn new attacks and powers for Death’s scythe, a weapon Dante acquires early on that is used for vicious melee attacks. By absolving the souls of their sins, Dante can power up his magic cross, a gift from Beatrice that projects divine energy.
Fighting is fun, which is a good thing because you sure do it a lot. Attacks are over the top and mastering combinations is satisfying. A variety of enemies to absolve and punish keeps combat fresh, and boss battles are massive in scale and spectacle.
The puzzles are less fulfilling. The action is the best part of the gameplay, and the puzzles suffer from the aforementioned confusing camera angles. They are often complicated head-scratchers because the players are never underestimated, but the puzzles hold them back from experiencing more of the scenery and combat — the two best parts of the game.
It is extremely difficult to judge Dante’s Inferno‘s story. The video game adaptation takes some liberties with the source material to provide action. Dante’s pursuit of love gives him a reason to be there, but it is otherwise rather one-dimensional.
We learn about Dante’s sins and the sins of those close to him, but we never grow to care about him deeply. He has one quest, and each circle takes him one step closer to Beatrice.
At its core, Dante’s Inferno is a love story. Players will go forth to see the next circle of hell, but the story behind it all is simple. The poem is great fodder for environments but not for a deep story for an interactive medium. However, learning Dante’s sins does make him a more relatable character.
The game is not particularly long, but players are rewarded with alternate costumes and modes of play after beating the story. In addition, EA plans on supporting the title with downloadable content, such as a prequel level, through April.
Dante’s Inferno is certainly an ambitious undertaking by Visceral Games and EA, and where it’s great, it shines. However, the game is also quite flawed, which makes it less enjoyable. As one of the first video games based solely on a work of literature, Dante’s Inferno marks an important milestone. Action diehards will appreciate the combat, and everyone should appreciate the scenery. But as a whole, Dante’s Inferno could use some improvement to reach its full potential.
afreedman@umdbk.com
RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5
