Joshua Causey

Dante's Inferno Review Continued

There isn't a huge number of different enemies, but each of them has a specific behavior which makes it fun to fight large, diverse groups. Boss fights are big, explosive affairs that require just the right amount of skill and strategy without being too basic or repetitive. Aside from combat, there is also a little bit of platforming involved in navigating the Inferno, and it offers a small challenge and a good bit of fun without becoming tedious. There is only one section of the game that manages to bog down what is otherwise terrific pacing throughout, but it is an isolated series of challenges towards the end that actually sticks closer to the source material than the rest of the game, so it's forgivable.

Visually, Dante's Inferno is very good but not quite great. The environments are very well done but some of the character models are a little clunky. Animations are universally good, and the game's frame rate is rock solid. Colors are used to great effect, going from bright and saturated in most areas to gritty & under-saturated during QTE's and other cinematic moments. Some of the cutscenes are pre-rendered clips done with the game's engine, which is an odd choice since doing them this way shows compression artifacts and noise. I have to wonder why they didn't just render them in real-time via scripting. The lighting in the game is also good and achieves moodiness without overdoing fancy HDR or bloom.

Sound-wise, the game is merely adequate. Weapons, explosions and blood-splorch's sound like they should but without any real impact. The game's score suits the atmosphere fine but once you've heard a couple minutes of it, you've heard it all. I would like to have seen them custom-tailor the soundtrack to each of Hell's Circles in the same way they did the architecture. Some of the wails and moans sound anguished while others just sound goofy, so it's hit-or-miss there too.

Technically, Dante's Inferno goes out of its way to be playable. Save points are frequent, as are checkpoints between saves, and health- and mana-refilling fountains are all over the place. Most collectibles are "hidden" logically, and while some puzzles and boss fights will require experimentation, none of them are absurd or irrational. Similarly, the controls are very responsive and combat is tight so that when you die, you can tell what you did wrong instead of it blaming poor game design. There are initially 3 difficulties to select from, and a 4th that unlocks. After completing the story, you gain access to "Resurrection Mode" which is essentially New Game+, letting you restart with your relics and upgraded abilities. You also unlock the "Gates of Hell" Arena which lets you slaughter wave after wave of enemies in a sort-of Time Attack mode.

My one and only real complaint with Dante's Inferno is that, at 6 hours for an average play through, it is brutally short. It will require 2 playthroughs to get everything possible, but that's still $60 for about 10 hours (your second time will likely be a bit shorter). The Gates of Hell mode adds a little bit of replay value but once you've completed it, it would only be for competing with friends or the leaderboard.

Overall, I give Dante's Inferno an 8/10. The action is good, the combat is great, and making your way through Hell for the first time is exactly the reason people buy a gaming console in the first place. It is the type of game that would make an excellent rental, but I wouldn't buy it until the price goes down $15 or $20. There is already some DLC confirmed that will add a new mode and cooperative play, so that may increase the value.

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