‘Dante’s Inferno’ offers hellish challenges
Written by Michael Siebenaler | | news@toledofreepress.comBased on Dante Alighieri’s classic 14th century poem “The Divine Comedy,” the fantasy adventure game “Dante’s Inferno” uses a third-person perspective for an intense and artful experience. This game closely resembles another popular button-mashing gore fest and incorporates the Crusades and love interest Beatrice in the storyline.
The title, the mature rating, and the fact that players must conquer the nine circles of Hell (anger, fraud, gluttony, greed, heresy, limbo, lust, treachery and violence) put focus on the content. Developers do not necessarily go for the fear factor as their creative representation of Hell often overshadows gameplay elements. Players know what they are getting and the overall experience reflects that. Heaven or Hell. Good or bad. Punish or absolve.
These choices work into the special experience points and skill tree where players can progress throughout this extensive game.
Timing is everything in the battle. Attacks and counterattacks are very challenging. Players must memorize button controls, especially combinations using the X button, if they want to avoid infinite trial-and-error redos. Players get a break from the button mashing with some challenging puzzles.
The in-game subtitles, haunting musical score and strong visuals strongly enhance the gameplay and cinematic cut scenes. Downloadable add-on content (DLC) and an enhanced Divine edition are also available. The Trials of St. Lucia DLC expands to a two-player co-op mode and a customizable enemy creation mode, which players can share online.
Players can also check out the R-rated “Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic” on DVD and Blu-ray (***1/2, rated M for intense violence, nudity, sexual content, blood and gore; also available on Xbox 360 and PSP).
Tags: Dante's Inferno, PS3, Video games
