EA’s nightmarish Dante’s Inferno gives a whole new meaning to the expression “Go to Hell” but does this warped vision of the afterlife possess enough fire and brimstone to make God of War’s Kratos tremble in his sandals? Read our Dante’s Inferno review now and we’ll give you the definitive lowdown.
When the medieval scribe Dante Alighieri penned his famous Divine Comedy way back in the 14th century he intended it to be a reflection of his own moral and religious views. What he probably didn’t anticipate was that his renowned poem would become the inspiration for an interactive adventure featuring burly men, grotesque monsters and lots of heaving bosoms. But then it was Nostradamus who was famed for his prophetic powers, not Alighieri.
To say that EA’s distinctive take on this acclaimed piece of literature certain takes certain liberties with the source material is probably understating it a little; in this gore-filled third person romp, Dante is transformed from studious writer to battle-hardened crusader and is forced to enter the gates of Hell in order to save the immortal soul of his beloved wife.
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Putting aside these rampant historical inconsistencies for a moment, it doesn’t take long to see where Dante’s Inferno really draws its inspiration from – let’s just say that Sony’s God of War development team have good reason to be flattered by this shameless imitation. Storyline and setting aside, this could quite easily pass as one of Kratos’ mythical jaunts through the Underworld.
While he’s not a patch on the aforementioned bald-headed anti-hero, Dante is still capable of unleashing deadly combos and dishing out his own brand of Holy justice. At certain points in Dante’s Inferno you can quite literally banish a tormented soul to Hell for all eternity or act as a merciful saviour and absolve them of their sins.
As our brooding protagonist descends further into the fiery pits of Hades he encounters ever more twisted and depraved enemies. In fact some history’s most famous despots appear as end-of-level guardians and while these encounters adhere slavishly to the tried-and-tested God of War blueprint, their devilish design helps to make them truly memorable. Suffice to say, after your titanic struggle with Cleopatra you’ll never look at a pair of breasts in the same way again.
However, for all of its deliriously unique charms Dante’s Inferno never feels like a wholly original experience; so much that is present here seems shamelessly recycled from other games. It also struggles to hold a candle to the likes of Bayonetta and the aforementioned God of War series, with repetition becoming a major failing in the latter stages of Dante’s quest.
Despite these grumbles Dante’s Inferno is definitely worth investigating if you need something to tide you over until the illustrious Kratos graces us with his third home console outing later this year.
