Dante’s Inferno
Developed by Visceral
Published by EA
First thing I’m going to say is yes. Dante’s Inferno is the answer to God of War. Its gruesome, gory, dark, loaded with violence and has a nice amount of nudity. To any parents reading this review, if you are trying to shelter your child from the human anatomy or opposing religious beliefs then this game is not for you. For the rest of us that have been waiting patiently for an action packed game with a great story, this is the answer.
Just so you know I have only played the demo for this game, but it has done its job. The story is centered around Dante, a Templar Knight serving under The Bishop, who has been at war for 3 years. He is killed in battle but defies death so that he can return home to his love, Beatrice. He journeys to his place of residence only to find it in shambles and everyone murdered including his beloved. Just as Dante engages the soul of Beatrice in conversation, the dark forces come to claim her soul, and this is where your journey begins. I left out some nice details in the opening because I want you to play this game.
The game is dark and hellish. Visceral put a lot of time and detail in creating Dante’s Inferno and it shows. The smoke and fire trails have you gasping for air while the menacing stares from Hell’s minions will invoke anger and fear with in you. The sound track puts me in the mind of being in the middle of a holy war while the apocalypse is unfolding. The dark choir/orchestral feel adds to the ambiance. My suggestion is to play this game with all the lights off and volume turned up. The voice acting, though limited in the demo, sounds gorgeous. You can hear the stress and pain in their voices.
Ok, the game play is awesome. It consist of magic and melee attacks. Your magic attacks, also called heavenly, and your melee attacks, also called hell, can be upgraded and customized via a skill tree. As you destroy enemies you collect souls. Once you have enough souls you can purchase a different upgrade from your skill tree. Skill trees are awesome! I have been in battles with up to 9 enemies of varied size on the screen. The controls are smooth and once you’ve gotten used to the timing, I don’t see it being difficult to kill every enemy on the screen without being touched. That’s if your playing it on normal. 
Dante’s Inferno also gives you the option to punish or absolve an enemy. The difference I can see right now is that one is bloody demise and the other bathes them in a light from your cross. The only question I have about that is “What are the repercussions of choosing to punish versus absolve?” I guess you have to play to find out.
