Dante's Inferno

A lot of people, including yours truly, have been waiting with baited breath for this game to tear it's way from the pages of the Mr. Alighieri's masterwork. So have we been dealt a heavenly hand or does this interpretation deserve a place in the lowest circle of the abyss? read on...

THE HEAVENLY:
*- The controls are as tight as my bosses wallet and as responsive as they come, no complaints on this front whatsoever.
*- The pure seething imagination injected into the interpretation of each of hells circle is mind boggling - Lust is as X-rated as you'd expect and The Forest of the Suicides is just stunningly awesome - don't even get me started on The City of Dis, just stunning.
*- The denizens of the pit are equally impressive and terrifying, Cerberus, Charon - just...WOW!
*- Leaving you to judge famous characters from antiquity, both literary and historical, based on a small amount of information and the characters pleas for help adds a nice touch of depth to the proceedings and I got to torture or bless some of my favourite cads and characters from some of the worlds greatest books and historical tales not just Dante's gem.
*- If you're looking for action you'll get it in bucket loads, interspersed with very slight puzzles this is an action game through and through and as an action game fan I have been blessed between this, Bayonetta and Darksiders in the last month.
*- Graphically there are some really experimental effects and things you won't have seen in many/any other titles but you'll be hoping to see them built upon in future games.
*- riding behemoth hell beasts and blasting your way through hordes of demons will get your blood pumping for sure.
*- The sound work is stunning and disturbing in equal gorgeous measures. The cries of the damned ring out in deep swathes of pain and sorrow and the subtle use of music gives way perfectly to huge crescendos of apocalyptic choir blasts in moments of peril.
*- The game as some nice nods to and chunks of the book throughout and as someone who has both read and adores Dante's epic trilogy I was mostly pleased with what they kept in. Also I would like to note to all the reviewers out there who are complaining about ramped up gore and sexual content "just for the sake of it" I'd say: read the books before you try to wax intellectual about what the game should and shouldn't have in it, Dante's tale isn't exactly subdued and can be just as nasty as anything the game launches at you.
*- The CG cutscenes are...well just wait and see, holy moley these guys can graphic!

THE HELLISH:
*- This game is short, trust me if you love the source material and want to see what the next layer of hell will offer you will burn through this in a day, even on hard it's short, very short, but there again it is very sweet!
*- Having said before that I like what they kept in from the book I also think they could have stuck closer to the source material without boring a lot of the more brain-dead gamers out there (not that there many of them - we're usually a pretty bright bunch) . Also more information pertaining to the historical and literary characters in the game would have been good for people who don't know who they are and the biography of Dante's life does little to honour their source and inspiration. Guess you'll have to read a good translation with notes if you want to know more (I suggest the penguin version translated by Musa).
*- On the note of extras - the art gallery is atrocious, tiny images of the great work that went into the environs and inhabitants that just sit there making you squint and wish for more.
*- Some effects are a little overused.
*- You don't get to explore a lot of the circles enough which makes them feel a little like tiny stage productions or ghost train style set ups with little depth, shame.
*- The camera is so irritating in some really crucial platform sections - also who doesn't want to explore hell with their own private camera? Well prepare to be blinkered and constricted from beginning to end.
*- The upgrade system is mostly just `there' - you'll still be killing enemies how you did from the word go, bounce them bad boys of the floor and combo them to heck! The counter attack and the health upgrades are appreciated but that's about it.
*- The DLC that's advertised in the main menu should have been included from the get go as it doesn't exactly look mind-blowing and could have easily been incorporated.
*- The chance for exploration is near zero, there are a few hidden tid-bits but there should have been more.
*- It doesn't anywhere near blow God of War of it's throne.

CONCLUSION:
A good step in the right direction, sure it's short, sure it's linear, sure it's God of War Jnr, but it's a blast and it's full of inspiration and awesome moments that, fair enough, don't fully adhere to the source material (that would have been near impossible) but give you a good ride through a taster of hells circles. Fun, fearsome and well worth a buy for fans but for you curious cats out there: it can be completed in a day or two so go rent it immediately and fill a bite of that month before God of War 3. A great effort none the less.

I bought this game after much anticipation from the trailer, and i have to say i wasn't disappointed. Yes, it is similar to God of War, but brings all the fun combat element of God of war to a horrific Christian horror setting, if you get me. The environments are amazing, and you find yourself looking into the background to see walls built from people, and rivers of boiling blood with people struggling out of it and gaping mouths in the walls with streams of bodies pouring out. The enemy design is very interesting too, although the "minion" type creatures are a little simple, the multi mouthed gluttons, unbaptized babies and scary yet sexy temptresses are very well designed. I can honestly say, it makes Hell seem like a place to avoid if you didnt think that in the first place. All in all, i found it fun to play with brilliant imagery.

Admittedly I was a little hesitant about this game after reading previous reviews, and whilst most of the negative issues people have highlighted are true, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is very good game. The pace is relatively quick and you find yourself stringing together combos in now time, and the story is enough to keep you entertained throughout. The game would take most players between 8-10 hours to complete, which is quite short considering the price but there is plenty of opportunity for replay. What with a number of difficulty levels and lots of collectibles. Yes the game does get a little repetitive and slow about half way through, but the scale of the environments is enough to keep you interested. The imagery can in places be quite disturbing, and at times in poor taste, but not enough to really damage the overall gameplay. A highlight of the game has to be the graphics, with some top notch cut-scenes to rival any modern CGI film. All in all a great addition to any gaming collection.