Dante's Inferno: Overview & Critic Reception

Combat

The combat follows the God of War template: a scythe for combos and finishers, a Holy Cross for ranged attacks and magic drawn from a mana pool. Quick-time events are used to discharge demons from hosts and in boss fights. Souls from defeated enemies and soul fountains pay for new abilities.

Defeated enemies can be absolved or punished. Absolving with the Holy Cross earns Holy experience, and absolving famous damned figures from the poem pays out more souls through a mini-game. Upgrades are divided into Holy and Unholy paths that can be progressed at the same time.

Setting

The game takes the nine circles of Hell from Dante's poem as its levels. Reviews highlighted Lust and Gluttony, and the game also features a ten-stage challenge in the circle of Fraud and a final fight against Lucifer at Lake Cocytus in Treachery. Characters include King Minos, who judges the damned, Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Story

Dante is a Templar knight returning from the Crusades. After Beatrice is murdered and her soul taken to Hell, he descends to rescue her. Lucifer later reveals that he took Beatrice to lure Dante into Hell. Dante absolves himself with the souls he has saved, re-imprisons Lucifer and begins a pilgrimage up Mount Purgatory.

Platforms

PS3, Xbox 360 and PSP. The Xbox 360 version was added to Xbox One backward compatibility in July 2018, so it can be played on Xbox One and Series consoles (disc and digital). We did not find a PS4 or PS5 version.

Summary

If you want a God of War-style game set in the Divine Comedy, this is it; if you are after mechanical originality, the combat will feel familiar.

Pros & Cons