Dante's Inferno Xbox 360

Released on 05/02/2010

• Dante's Inferno Review

  Time to feel the heat

  Dante’s Inferno is an adaptation of the 14th-century poem, The Divine Comedy, by Dante Aligheri. Focusing on Dante’s journey through Hell, Dante’s Inferno is at this moment the only book-to-game adaptation that I can think of. Going by past film-to-game adaptations my hopes weren’t particularly high but the opening sequence convinced me to stick at it.

  Into the Inferno

  Dante’s Inferno has two cut-scene styles, the first is uses the in game engine to show current events, the second is an animated cut-scene visualises Dante’s past. This combination works surprisingly well and you’ll always know what you’re watching.

  In Dante’s Inferno you’ll see Hell envisioned as more than just fire and brimstone, developer Visceral Games has crafted together a world that at times can be just as terrifying as it is breathtaking in the horrors that it will show you.

  Visceral Games has crafted together a world that at times can be just as terrifying as it is breathtaking

  To save the one you love

  The basic plot for Dante’s Inferno is Dante’s beloved Beatrice has been killed and her soul has been dragged into Hell. Without hesitation, Dante sets off to save Beatrice a journey that will take him into the nine circles of Hell. But that isn’t the whole story, to find that out you’ll need to play this yourself.

  Despite the mysterious story that is uncovered slowly as you progress, Dante’s Inferno at its core is a Hack’n’slash, and a damn good one at that! The combat is fast and furious, but not as fast as Bayonetta, which for me was a bit too fast. The combat is fantastic; you can pelt your enemies with light and heavy attacks using Death’s Scythe, as well as long-range attacks using Beatrice’s Cross. As you progress through the Inferno can unlock new attacks and abilities, such as a more powerful blast from Beatrice’s Cross or even stronger attacks that take the combat into the air.

  what kind of mind interpreted The Divine Comedy?

  But you don’t just have to destroy the demons you fight; you can also choose punish the damned or absolve them of their sins. Punishing souls of the damned leads you down an unholy path which unlocks unholy moves and abilities. Absolving your foes makes you more Holy and thus unlocks Holy moves, so choose carefully when finishing your enemies.

  Each circle of Hell has a very distinct feel and look, so Dante’s Inferno never looks bland or samey. But this begs the question; what kind of mind interpreted The Divine Comedy? Some of the sights you’ll see are truly horrific! You’ll see waterfalls with bodies of the damned tumbling down instead of water, souls trapped in the walls struggling to get out and ropes made of human body parts. And those are when you’re just about to enter Hell itself…

  All hope abandon, ye who enter here!

  Another chilling area of Dante’s Inferno is the sound. Constant Screaming and shrieking will accompany you through most of Dante’s Inferno as those damned beg for forgiveness or just scream in the hell they have created for themselves.

  The enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are tiny and some are immense. But don’t be fooled by size, even the smallest enemies can cause problems. The Unbaptised Babies are the freakiest enemies I’ve encountered so far! You’ll hear them crying before you see them, with their arms removed and mini scythes in their place, these quick little babies have spider-like movements and travel in packs of four or five.

  Other enemies you’ll face are souls of the damned, which are the easiest enemies you’ll face in the Inferno. The fallen angels are a bit bigger than Dante and offer a good challenge especially when confronted by three or four of them, but with well-timed and aimed attacks you’ll soon be absolving or punishing them.

  Dante’s Inferno is, for want of a better word, messed up! The Hell that has been created will give some nightmares, especially as you go deeper and face more twisted and disgusting enemies that lay in wait for Dante on his journey to save Beatrice and redeem himself. The story is deep and shrouded in mystery and the world is macabre and stomach churning. But Dante’s Inferno looks amazing, with combat that other Hack’n’slash titles will envy, this is journey that all gamers should take; even though it takes you to the heart of Hell

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • +Well paced combat
  • +Looks amazing
  • +Mind-bending puzzles
  • +Will have DLC: St Lucia

  

  • -Some circles were much too short
  • -Some puzzles can be a bit too tricky
  • -Really don't like the Unbaptised Babies

  Review by: Tom 'Infernal' Daly
  Version Tested: X360
  Review Published: 02.10.09

  Published: 03/02/2010

• Dante's Inferno

  Burn, baby, burn

  Blood, gore, guts, boobs, fire, brimstone, lost souls, giant bosses and epic battles - Dante's Inferno has got them all, and then some. This is a third-person hack and slasher in the God of War style, and if you just can't wait any longer for Kratos' return it'll pass the time nicely till he gets back.

  The game is based on the 14th century poem of the same name. You play as Dante himself, fightling through the nine circles of Hell in a bid to rescue his beloved Beatrice. The game opens with a battle against none other than Death himself, which should give you an idea of just how serious the bosses get later on. Defeat Death and you're rewarded with his scythe, handy for slicing your way through wave after wave of Hell's most nefarious minions.

  Dante's got talent

  To begin with, the combat system is simple to master - X to jump, square and triangle to perform light and heavy attacks, and circle to use your ranged weapon (which fires holy crosses). But as the game progresses you can collect the souls of defeated enemies and use them to buy new moves, divided into Holy and Unholy categories. You also unlock different paths through the talent tree depending on whether you choose to absolve enemies of their sins or punish them for their bad behaviour.

  Fans of grisly death animations will find plenty to enjoy in Dante's Inferno. Expect lots of severing, slashing, chopping, slicing and an awful lot of blood all over the place. There's also a bit of nudity and some pretty gruesome environmental details, such as wailing sinners impaled on giant spikes. In short, this isn't a game for kids or sensitive types.

  Nor is it a game for anyone looking for something they've never seen before. Dante's Inferno takes its cues from the classics of the hack and slash genre, and when it comes to gameplay there aren't many ideas here we haven't seen before. However, those tried and trusted mechanics have been implemented well, and as a result there's something fundamentally satisfying about blazing a trail through all those demons.

  Get set, go

  There are also some fantastic set pieces to enjoy. Look out for the sections where you control a giant minotaur-type creature, smashing open huge doors and breathing fire onto poor unfortunate enemies at your feet. The boss battles are also a treat, with some seriously tough and impressive-looking foes to take on.

  Along with all the combat there's a bit of exploration to be done, so you can expect to find yourself rapelling down walls, sliding down rails, swinging on ropes and so on. Think Lara meets Lucifer. There are also some puzzles, but these tend to be one of the weaker aspects of the game - most of the time you'll just want to get the switch-pulling and crate-pushing out of the way so you can get back to hacking up demons.

  Brawn versus brains

  In other words, this game is more about battling the three-headed Cerberus than engaging in cerebral thinking. It's not about to challenge you mentally or get you philosophising about what lies beyond this mortal coil - for that, you're better off reading Dante's original poem.

  This is an action-packed, gore-filled romp through a Hell inspired just as much by horror movies as 14th century literature, and all the better for it.

  Most importantly, it's just great fun to fight your way through this fiery playground. An essential purchase for God of War buffs and newcomers to the hack and slash genre alike.

  

  Hot
  + Stunning environments.
  + Super-grisly animations.
  + Satisfying combat system.

  Not
  - Not many new ideas here.
  - Puzzles tend to be uninspired.
  - Levels can get repetitive .

• Dante's Inferno History

  Abandon all hope, ye who enter here...

  Dante's Inferno: the poem explained

  In 1310, an Italian called Dante published an epic poetic story called the Divine Comedy.
  In a nutshell, the Divine Comedy is a 14th century version of a buddy movie that sees Dante and his guardian angel, Virgil, journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
  Dante's Inferno is the first part of this epic poem which brings the medieval vision of Hell vividly to life. In Dante's Inferno, Hell is depicted as nine Circles of suffering located within the Earth. As Dante and Virgil descend through the various levels, they discover all sorts of imaginative tortures (getting progressively worse) associated with each level and the sin that got them there in the first place.

  Nine Circles of Hell

  Crossing the River Acheron into Hell...
  Dante passes through the gate of Hell, which bears an inscription, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here". Before entering Hell completely, Dante and his guide see the souls who did nothing with their lives (good or bad) and who are therefore neither in Hell nor out of it. These wasted souls reside on the shores of the Acheron while pursued by wasps and hornets that continually sting them while maggots and other such insects drink their blood and tears.
  After crossing the river Acheron, Virgil and Dante enter the first Circle of Hell...

  • First Circle (Limbo)
    This is where the unbaptized and virtuous pagans reside. Not exactly sinful, these are the dudes who didn't believe in God or accept Christ and are forced to lament this for all eternity with no hope of ever being accepted into Heaven.
  • Second Circle (Lust)
    Those overcome by sins of the flesh are punished in this Circle. They are the first sinners to be truly punished in Hell; being perpetually battered and beaten about by a violent storm, without ever hope of rest. Sick bags at the ready...
  • Third Circle (Gluttony)
    The gluttons are forced to lie in stinky, vile pits filled with waste and putrid sludge howling like dogs. This symbolizes the rubbish the gluttons made of their lives on earth. They are constantly rained and hailed on, and are forced to consume their own excrement.
  • Fourth Circle (Greed)
    Those who had an insatiable desire to spend, spend, spend; those who hoarded possessions; and those who squandered them are condemned to an eternity of performing useless labour, a reflection of the uselessness of a lifetime of greed. They are forced to push painfully huge weights; their faces pressed into the earth - an eternal reminder they had cared too much about earthly possessions.
  • Fifth Circle (Anger)
    In the slimy swamp-like waters of the fifth circle, the wrathful fight each other on the surface, while the sullen, moody and listless lie gurgling and rotting in their own self-hatred and pity beneath the water.
  • Sixth Circle (Heresy)
    In this circle, heretics are buried in tombs and set on fire.
  • Seventh Circle (Violence)
    This circle houses the violent who are split into three categories (or circles):
  • The outer circle, houses those who were violent against people and property. These people are who are thrown into a river of boiling blood. The more blood they spilled, the more Hellish the river.
  • The middle circle is home to those who committed suicide. Because they threw away their bodies in life, so they are stripped of their bodies in death; transformed into gnarled thorny bushes which are torn at by demons.
  • The inner circle houses blasphemers. Their punishment for violence against God is to reside in a desert of flaming sand with fire raining from the sky.
  • Eighth Circle (Fraud)
    The last two circles of Hell punish sins that involve fraud or treachery. Here:
  • Pimps and seducers march in separate lines in opposite directions, whipped by demons.
  • Flatterers are steeped in human excrement. This is a reflection of all the s**t that came out of their mouths.
  • Those who committed simony (the buying or selling of religious pardons, jobs, or money) are forced to endure the opposite of a baptism, being placed head-first in a hole with flames burning on the soles of their feet.
  • Fortune tellers have their heads twisted around on their bodies backward so they can only see into the past.
  • Corrupt politicians are immersed in a lake of boiling tar, which represents their sticky fingers and dark secrets.
  • Hypocrites are forced to wear gilded lead cloaks which look beautiful on the outside, but are torturous to wear.
  • Thieves are pursued and bitten by snakes and lizards.
  • Fraudulent advisors are covered in flames. They, like their true thoughts in life, cannot be seen.
  • Those guilty of spreading hate, malicious gossip and animosity in life are hacked at by sword-wielding demons that divide parts of their bodies - a fitting punishment for having divided people in life.
  • Counterfeiters, perjurers, and impersonators, who Dante sees as a disease on society, are themselves afflicted with different types of horrific diseases.
  • Ninth Circle (Treachery)
    In the Ninth Circle, various types of traitors are frozen in a lake of ice. Each group of traitors is encased in ice to a different depth, ranging from only the neck and through to complete immersion.
  • Kindred traitors are immersed in the ice up to their faces.
  • Political traitors are immersed in the ice deep enough that they are unable to bend their necks.
  • Traitors to their guests lay face upwards on the ice, which covers them except for half of their faces. As they cry, their tears freeze and seal their eyes shut - they are denied even the comfort of tears.
  • Traitors to their lords and benefactors are completely encapsulated in ice, distorted in all conceivable positions.

  Finally, Dante and his side kick find Satan trapped in the frozen central zone in the Ninth Circle of Hell for committing the ultimate sin (treachery against God).
  Dante and his side kick escape Hell by climbing down Satan's body, passing through the centre of the earth. This is where Dante's Inferno ends and the next part of the Divine Comedy - Purgatory - begins.
  But that's a different story!

• New Release Round Up 5th Feb 2010

  This week big games let you become a hero; defying danger and death (quite literally in one case!), surviving a nuclear wasteland, exploring the galaxy, saving the princess, or even becoming one! Which will you go for?

  Walk tall in Hell

  
  It doesn't get more heroic than striding into Hell and facing the demon underworld, to rescue your beloved. Dante's Inferno is an epic action game based on the infamous 14th century novel The Divine Comedy.

  In Dante's Inferno you fight through nine circles of a violent hell, while wielding a Holy Cross and Death's Scythe for a devastating combination of ranged and melee attacks. The GAME Exclusive Death Edition features exclusive packaging, artwork and bonus in-game content. Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here

  Survive against all odds

  
  Abandon Hope, also, All Ye Who Enter S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat. The irradiated hell of The Zone awaits you in the sequel to the critically-acclaimed first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.

  Call of Pripyat improves the visuals of the original with photorealistic locations and new, horrific enemies enhancing the sense of isolation, fear and danger.

  Leap tall buildings

  
  Heroes aren't all dark and gloomy types. AstroBoy, the iconic Manga hero, flies the skies using his rocket-boosted boots, while blasting President Stone's evil robot army using Finger Lasers, Drill Attacks and, yes, Butt Machine Guns.

  AstroBoy's intuitive combat system fires up the mix of classic platform action and exhilarating flight combat levels. It's a space age blast.

  Confront an epic foe

  
  Game series don't get more epic and heroic than the long-running Japanese role-playing adventures of Final Fantasy. But Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers features a new style of play for the Nintendo Wii.

  Intuitive combat, a host of unusual mini-games and a huge 3D world means The Crystal Bearers is the Final Fantasy epic everyone can play.

  Save the princess

  
  A new twist on heroics also comes to Disney's The Princess and the Frog. When frog prince Naveen kisses Tiana, believing her to be a princess, he accidentally turns her into a frog too.

  The scene is set for magical New Orleans mayhem, where The Princess and the Frog lets you and your friends relive key moments from the Disney animated movie in madcap, mini-game style.

  Delve into dangerous dungeons

  
  For a heroic adventure you can put in your pocket, turn to Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days for the Sony PSP. The award-winning Japanese strategy/roleplaying epic features tense, turn-based strategic showdowns. And new to the Sony PSP: four new story chapters, new tactics, 55 new battle stages and an entirely new playable character to master.

   

  Explore the final frontier

  
  Finally this week, what could be more heroic than captaining your own starship, exploring the final frontiers of space? Star Trek Online: The Gold Edition brings the legendary Star Trek universe to life with a gigantic online universe to explore, teeming with thousands of other players will they become enemies or friends?

  Choose sides, choose your speciality and crew, then explore planet surfaces and engage in spectacular deep space battles. The Gold Edition includes bonus downloadable content, a universe map, t-shirt, and exclusive packaging and artwork.

  • Find out more about Dante's Inferno
  • Find out more about S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat Special Edition
  • Find out more about Astroboy
  • Find out more about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
  • Find out more about Disney's The Princess and the Frog
  • Find out more about Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days
  • Find out more about Star Trek Online: The Gold Edition

  Published: 05/02/2010

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