Dante’s Inferno Divine Edition

10 Review to this product

• 

  Sammycat
  February 10th, 2010 on 12:30 am

  Rating

  Make no mistake, this game is pure guilty pleasure, hack and slash, dim the lights and camp out on the couch, eye candy goodness. It’s LOOSELY based on the poem and isn’t about to change your life in any profound way, unless you really love graphics and design work I guess. They basically use the structure of Hell that Dante established and build their own descent from there. The thing about their design that I am absolutely beside myself about is that they had Wayne Barlowe doing the concept. The man is amazing and has basically built his career out of conceptualizing Hell and you can find his books of Hell re-imagined on Amazon as well, which I highly recommend if you’re a Dante (the actual poet) fanatic like myself.

  His work here is amazing and the graphics are astounding. My only complaint, really, is that you can’t actually angle the camera yourself. Which tends to become a bit of a nuisance at best when you’re trying to admire the terrific landscape and at worst when you’re trying to fight and your enemy moves out of sight. Having the camera adjust itself can really become a thorn in your side at times, but overall, it’s an issue I’m willing to overlook in light of all I enjoy about the game. As they’ve stated multiple times on their production videos, they use a pretty high framerate (believe it’s 60 fps) and it definitely shows. The flow is fantastically smooth and seamless. The animated clips are a bit on the cheese side, but the CGI cutsceens are pretty high quality. They also don’t make the mistake, like a lot of current games do, of overburdening the game with these cutsceens. For me, they can become a major hindrance to the game’s flow very quickly, as I like to play my games, not watch a glorified cartoon. Luckily, Dante does not suffer from this in the least.

  The graphics and sound in this game are truly impressive, however. Honestly, the attention to detail is simply fantastic. The walls made of trapped sinners, Minos shouting out verdicts in the background as you approach, the screams of sinners, a man calls out for Ulysses in the bowels of Charon’s boat, the detailed backgrounds such as a giant skull spitting out the corpses of the damned at the start. It’s simply on a massive, grand scale and if you’ve ever read Dante and lived to see his Hell brought to the big screen… you will NOT be disappointed playing this video game. From the second I heard they had Barlowe I knew they were interested in the details and the audio and visuals couldn’t be more captivating. The soundtrack, which is included with the PS3 version, is really quite great as well. Sets the moods perfectly and makes the whole experience engrossing and just a lot of fun… which is what games are supposed to be.

  Gameplay / Controls are easy to learn and have a pretty good configuration. You upgrade your Scythe and Holy Cross talent trees to learn new combos and I’m very pleased with the ease of picking up these new combinations. Again, some games can really go overboard in this area, to the point where you basically have to pause and look up the combo sequence every time you want to execute it. None of that here and I’m exceedingly glad for it, because once they become too convoluted, it really hinders gameplay, flow and inevitably spoils my fun. Along with your two upgradeable trees, you have Magic talents, the ability to dodge, block and jump. While those might seem like minor options, recently playing Darksiders and having to be perfectly still to block, or else it DASHES you across the room, was a HUGE inconvenience and annoyance to me. As well, being able to jump, as silly as it seems, can break a game if it’s not an option. I hate feeling restricted in my character’s movement and after playing a no-jumping-allowed Demon’s Souls (one of PS3′s BEST games hands down) for more hours than I wish to reveal, it’s nice to have jumping back on the controller.

  Also, having come from playing copious amounts of Demon’s Souls, I think it’s fair to mention this game has pretty frequent save points and when you die, you restart at the beginning of whatever encounter you were on. So, if you’re at the boss and die, you start over at the boss, not back at the save point. I know for some it’s more of a nuisance to be dropped off at the start of the level / last save point after death, so rest assured, you pick up essentially where you left off / failed and get right back to it.

  Last, but not least, this is definitely not for kids. Violence and Nudity are basically the name of the game here, so if you have concerns regarding either of those two things, either don’t bother or rent first.
• 

  taki renzaburo
  February 10th, 2010 on 8:25 am

  Rating

  If you have ever wondered what hell might look like, Dante’s Inferno offers an incredibly vivid and detailed hypothesis. The game is based on the 14th-century Italian poem by Dante Alligheri, but Dante never could have imagined a hell this visually captivating. The walls themselves crawl with the bodies of the damned, other lost souls intermitently rain from the sky burning in torturous flames. In the distance, great columns of souls can be seen marching along monolithic causeways. The air is acrid with smoke and charred flesh, pierced by screams, fitful sparks and motes of ash. Each of the nine circles is here, along with the river Acheron and Limbo, and each setting is distinctive and fiendishly impressive. Through it all Vergil is your guide, just as in the poem, explicating the diabolic machinations of hell’s machinery with insuperable aplomb.

  The gameplay is fluid and satisfying, with Dante boasting an array of combos with either his scythe, stolen from Death himself, or his cross. There are a variety of trinkets to collect – from the 30 pieces of silver received in ramsom by Judas to dozens of relics that Dante can equip to enhance his abilities. You can choose either to redeem or punish vanquished foes, and this will determine whether your scythe or your cross is fortified. The numerous boss fights show off the game’s impressive scale to excellent effect.

  I had very high hopes for this title, but it has far exceeded even those. This game is one of the best I have ever played. If you are at all interested in the subject matter, I strongly recommend it.
• 

  R. A. Miller
  February 11th, 2010 on 1:49 am

  Rating

  You will feel that this game is exceptional if you even remotely appreciate the art form. This game does 4 things very well: soundtrack, graphics, storyline, controls. The people responsible for this game clearly delved completely into turning Hell into a visceral experience and they did a “damned” good job of it!

  Soundtrack: haunting and powerful, orchestra and opera-style vocals provide additional feelings of being trapped in a place of loathing and incredible power for which one should “abandon all hope, ye who enter here”- Charon. Voices beg for their souls at your back (from your surround speakers), King Minos individually judges souls and assigns them to their own level of Hell, main characters taken from the epic poem lament their tragedies, like Pontius Pilate going on and on about his involvement in the condemning of Christ. Honestly, the sound experience is my favorite part of this game. The Divine Edition comes with a soundtrack that you can listen to whenever you want. You will get the full experience only with a full 5.1 or 7.1 surround home entertainment system hooked to your PS3.

  Graphics: so long as you have the proper equipment (LCD HDTV or better) , you will get the full blown experience all in 1080p and 60 frames per second! At no time have I seen this game bog down or otherwise lose framerate. I am blown away by this and I still don’t know how they did it. The experience of Hell on a grand scale is what you get here and it’s loosely based upon Dante Alighieri’s epic poem. Again, the people responsible for this game spared no expense. The monsters are incredibly detailed, Dante himself is beautifully rendered, but I can’t say enough about the environments. At any one time in the background you can see things on an epic scale; Charon in the background warning the damned souls for what they are about to experience, thousands of damned pouring from the gaping maw of giant skulls, and walls built from the tormented souls of the damned. Every single little detail is there and I’ll be playing the game for a very long time just to try and see it all. I’m saying this all without even having finished the first level of Hell, Limbo! I can’t wait to see all 9!

  Storyline: The game is based upon the epic poem, which is available in text form in the Divine Edition of this game. I’ve read this poem a couple of times in the past and know the characters and plot. Being that I am a fan of history and literature, I can appreciate what they have done with the story line here. I strongly suggest reading the original epic poem either before you play the game or as you are playing the game level by level. Doing so will enhance your experience.

  Controls: I have to say that I’m not the biggest fan of action games. I usually play RPG’s, RTS’s, and the occasional military simulator. This game looks very similar to games like God of War and Devil May Cry. The controls are very easy to handle even for a novice. You have your choices as well. You can either just hack and slash through the entire game, or you can slow down a bit and complete tasks like finding relics, and punishing or absolving damned. You gain unholy or holy abilities based upon points you gain from either punishing or absolving damned. The fights with larger monsters are a lot of fun too. I got a particular kick out of slaying the rider of the giant wolf creature, only to gain control of the creature for myself.

  This game got some less than stellar reviews from some online places, but their primary reason was that it was too much like God of War. I ask these people why. Why is it so bad to take a game that was/is so popular and steal elements from it? Does it make it any less fun? For example, do people dislike playing Madden Football because it’s too much like it’s 20 predecessors? Hell no! I don’t care if the controls are like other games that have come before it. Neither of those other games have the incredible art detail that this one does, backed up by a popular story line.

  Lastly, I dare you to play it in a dark room with a full 5.1 surround system and 52″ or bigger 1080p tv!
• 

  Raymond F. Spornhauer
  February 11th, 2010 on 2:21 pm

  Rating

  I dont write reviews much, but this game really is awesome. Definately worth my time for writing a review. The gameplay, graphics, story are all very well put together. Ive seen this game mentioned on many sites up with God of War, but i would like to say that this game really does stand out all on its own. The music and sound effects are excellent and really add to the whole vibe. Ive played this game for just over 6 hours already… And im maybe only half way through. Im definately really glad i bought this game and would totally recommend it to anyone that is even remotely interested.
• 

  Jeremiah Perales
  February 12th, 2010 on 10:46 pm

  Rating

  Do not listen to the negative and average reviews. Bottom line this game is as close as you are going to get to a God of War experience from any other game. To compare the two would not be fair due to the fact every God of War game they release raises the bar. I still think this is good game on its own.

  Personally I think the graphics are superb and polished to give the effect you are playing through a HUGE environment with HUGE bosses. The huge opponents really add to the experience taking you on a ride full of gore with gobs of blood. Just how I like it!!!

  Not every aspect of the game is perfect. There are noticeable details that could have been improved BUT this does not down play the experience one bit. The action and fluid environments alone keep you on the edge of your seat.

  To sum it up if you don’t like this game you are not a fan of the genre created by the God of War games. This game is not a God of War knock-off it is just the offspring of the game play style created by the God of War franchise. Personally I hope to see more of these style games so we don’t have to wait 3-4 years to get our hands on the next God of War.
  
• 

  Boris M. Kroner
  February 13th, 2010 on 8:09 pm

  Rating

  This game is way underrated by most prominent reviewers. Personally I have enjoyed it tremendously. Not only are the graphics stunning, the bosses imaginative and creepy, but the developers were able to weave Dante’s masterpiece and this game perfectly.

  Must buy imo.
  
• 

  C. Carney
  February 14th, 2010 on 12:53 am

  Rating

  I love games about knights going to hell to rescue the girl. It’s a next gen Ghosts and Gobblins.
• 

  Y. O. Alleyne
  February 28th, 2010 on 12:31 pm

  Rating

  Another reason to buy a PS3 or XBOx 360. Though the gameplay is similar to God of War, it stands on its own in plot and playability. Based on the poem(which was itself a great book) you search hell in search of your lost soul. The bosses are huge, the puzzles are decent, the graphics are very good but the part that’s really cool is that you get to either punish or absolve people in history i.e. Ponitus Pilate. This game is really graphic and should not be played in front of kids i.e. Cleopatra fight. All in all this game is worthy of anyone’s collection of action adventure.
• 

  The Bigmac
  March 14th, 2010 on 11:27 pm

  Rating

  I am a huge fan of history and this game was a delight for me to play. Many people don’t know this but our concept of hell in the western civilization was originally conceived by the mind of an Italian genius in the 14th century, poet Dante Aligeri in “Inferno” (hence the name of the game) which is the first part of his opus “The Divine Comedy” (So it’s safe to say, expect EA to come up with the other 2 parts, Purgatory and Paradise in the next couple of years). And after 7 centuries, visceral games brought Dante Aligeri’s concept of hell to life in a mind blowing way.

  Visuals and Presentation:

  From the triple A graphics and eye candy – incredibly looking cut scenes (the game is visually gorgeous) to the almost alive walls made of bodies crying in agony to the incredible work they did with the animation, this game in simply a work of art.

  Gameplay:

  It’s been accused of being a GOW clone (and it clearly is). However you are presented with the very original option of being able to decide the fate of the damned – you can either absolve them with your cross or damn them with your scythe. The gameplay is quick and fun, and using the cross attacks was definitely my favorite part. The animation when you use it is simply spectacular and feels amazing.

  Sound:

  If you have a 7.1 system like I do hooked up to your PS3 via HDMI you will be treated to a feast for your ears while playing this game. The acting and voice-work was also stellar.

  Conclusion:

  Minor quirks aside (some annoying menus and a couple of frustrating puzzle sections) For a history buff like me, playing this game was an absolute blast and if you decide to give it a try, you will be treated to an art masterpiece in the form of a videogame like you’ve never seen before.
• 

  Stephen L. Sherman
  March 21st, 2010 on 6:57 am

  Rating

  If you are a God of War fan then this is a game for you. And for us older fans for the most part the repeating 0 need not to be as fast as the 0 in God of War.
  
  You speend 99% of the game desending into hell and most of the save points are well spaced.
  
  I enjoyed the game and replaying it on a harder level, so far there are just more creatures to kill.
  
  For 360 owners this will give you a feeling of what the God of War series is like.

  Enjoy

1 Trackback or Pingback for this entry

• Gad-tech.com
  June 2nd, 2010 on 1:00 am

  Sony VAIO W Series Billabong Netbook…

  Sony has decided to launch the Sony VAIO W series Billabong netbook in the United States. This special edition netbook is currently available for pre-order $499.99 each. The Sony VAIO W Series Billabong Netbook comes jam packed with a 1.83GHz Intel Ato…