New EA IP: Dante's Inferno

[oramay]

I just finished this game. If people want an action game with a relatively easy platinum trophy, this is a good choice. I quite enjoy bullying the enemies on easy in this game.

However, some of the enemy designs look a bit comical to me. One or two things look disgusting and comical in equal measure. Disgusting in a way that made me and a friend LOL and swearing at the same time. I suppose that's not the intended effect when they made the game. Dante himself also look strange at times. In the disco outfit, his eyeballs look like they are coming off in some scenes. May be they didn't put enough flesh around the outer side of the eye.

 

[Rolf N]

I've already given up in the greed circle. The game looks great, but the whole part where you play the game just seems poorly done. Encounters are repetitive to a fault, and just not that fun. It's 90%+ grab => punish/absolve. The platforming and the rope swing/rappell stuff is pretty bad, too. Checkpoints not that great. Boss fights underwhelming.

The narrative (Virgil/cutscenes) doesn't do anything for me either. It's always the same routine:
V: "These souls here, they are bad!"
D: "But can they be saved?"
V: "No, they are condemned to damnation!"

Ugh.

I had hoped for way more after Dead Space. I absolutely adore that game.

And yes, I played it before God Of War 3.

The portal puzzle is pretty amazing though.

 

[Billy Idol]

So, I was a little bit tired of FF13 yesterday...and thought about playing some GOW3. Then I came across a copy of Dante's Inferno which I bought a long time ago cheap and never touched it...put it in and started a game.

Man, this is a GOW clone...but, at least a rather decent one, IMO!
It works for me, at least!

As I am rather familiar with the GOW games, it is really funny for me to see all the gameplay elements directly translated ('copied') to the game...some examples:

-wall climbing
-ropes
-health and magic, experience orbs
-main weapon attack combos
-enemy types and their size
-dodge
-demon riding
-finishing moves
-boss fights
-box moving related puzzles
-warp door related puzzles
-jumping feels exactly like GOW1 (to be honest, I am pretty much used to the Icarus wings and I miss them a lot in this game!)
-the second weapon: the cross, which is kind of pump gun...is similar comparable to the bow (although it is more central to the moves and can be more upgraded)

Graphics are a little bit mixed - the art style is very brutal, if you'd ask me - and sometimes it is quite nasty as the art team seems to have kind of weird phantasies or so (some of the enemy looks would make women scream , btw there is also a lot of nudity ;-))
.
Runs smoothly, but I have the feeling that some higher textures on the ground and on the main character would turn this into a great looking game!

I also have the feeling that the camera (which by the way works nearly flawless for me) is a little bit too far away from the action - some close up shots would help to mix things up!

There are differences to GOW as well:

-The leveling system is very interesting and unique - at first you think that it is again a copy of GOW, but it is extremely different...and good, I actually like it a lot and it feels fresh!

The only thing I did not like: I am a few hours into the game...and I had a hand full of situations which where insta deaths, which you basically (without a good portion of luck) cannot survive at the first try as you basically don't know what to do, or suddenly a QTE symbol blends in for about 2 seconds or so....but, it is not such a big problem, as the respawn points are rather fair!

I am playing the game on medium difficulty, and in my experience the description fits: it is not too difficult, but certainly not too easy as well!

So overall, if someone needs an action game and likes the GOW series - probably Dante fits to you...I am definitively looking forward to continue the game!

 

[Grall]

Man, this is a GOW clone...

Really, it's more like a Devil May Cry clone - which GoW also is. It does borrow some elements introduced in GoW (like the push-the-right-button-when-prompted bits for example), but basic gameplay is all DMC. Including the running/jumping/platforming with fixed camera angles and mix of melee/ranged attacks - you have a scythe and cross in DI, a sword and shotgun in DMC...

 

[Sigfried1977]

I disagree: While all of them are third person action games with melee combat, the likes of DMC and Ninja Gaiden have a completely different feel than their spiritual successors from the West. DI and GoW on the other hand don't just have the same core mechanics in theory, they also feel exactly the same. They even share a bunch of combos if I remember correctly.
DMC's far greater emphasis on ranged combat alone gives the series a very different feel, not to mention it's all about finesse, timing and evasion.

Santa Monica looked at the DMC series for inspiration, Visceral basically re-skinned God of War.

 

[Rolf N]

I disagree: While all of them are third person action games with melee combat, the likes of DMC and Ninja Gaiden have a completely different feel than their spiritual successors from the West. DI and GoW on the other hand don't just have the same core mechanics in theory, they also feel exactly the same. They even share a bunch of combos if I remember correctly.
DMC's far greater emphasis on ranged combat alone gives the series a very different feel, not to mention it's all about finesse, timing and evasion.

Santa Monica looked at the DMC series for inspiration, Visceral basically re-skinned God of War.

God Of War doesn't have anything resembling the cross moves.

 

[Billy Idol]

God Of War doesn't have anything resembling the cross moves.

the bow

 

[Billy Idol]

I disagree: While all of them are third person action games with melee combat, the likes of DMC and Ninja Gaiden have a completely different feel than their spiritual successors from the West. DI and GoW on the other hand don't just have the same core mechanics in theory, they also feel exactly the same. They even share a bunch of combos if I remember correctly.
DMC's far greater emphasis on ranged combat alone gives the series a very different feel, not to mention it's all about finesse, timing and evasion.

Santa Monica looked at the DMC series for inspiration, Visceral basically re-skinned God of War.

I completely agree with you!

 

[Billy Idol]

Really, it's more like a Devil May Cry clone - which GoW also is. It does borrow some elements introduced in GoW (like the push-the-right-button-when-prompted bits for example), but basic gameplay is all DMC. Including the running/jumping/platforming with fixed camera angles and mix of melee/ranged attacks - you have a scythe and cross in DI, a sword and shotgun in DMC...

I am not sure if this is valid to be honest! Of course somehow this is right, but this is the same as stating that COD4 and HALO are the same, because both are basically clones of Wolfenstein3D (ego view, shooting with a gun ).

But DI is really a 1:1 clone of GOW, even the combos are the same, and it is so funny, because Dante even has the same 'slow motion' heavy attack stlye after a successfull square, square, triangle, triangle combo ;-)

 

[Billy Idol]

I played yesterday some more Dante's Inferno. And I have to say, that it is not only a good game, but a top game in my book now!

Even graphically, there are some moments where I wow'ed!

The only flaw in this game: insta death!
At least for me, there are so much try and error traps, which insta kill me...but luckily the checkpoint is often close...otherwise I would go nuts!

I am now at the final boss, I suppose...but I have now the same problem as NPL discussed in the GOW3 thread: the game so far was rather doable with the medium difficulty. But the end boss is so much more difficult for me, that I simple don't have a chance...I think that I understand his pattern, but I don't manage to dodge his attacks, loosing always a lot of energy, until dying


EDIT: beat finally the game. I highly recommend the game to all you GOW lovers out there - I hope that there is a sequel!
HINT: if you play the game, go for the divine armory (or whats it called), and max it out

 

[BadTB25]

I played yesterday some more Dante's Inferno. And I have to say, that it is not only a good game, but a top game in my book now!

Even graphically, there are some moments where I wow'ed!

The only flaw in this game: insta death!
At least for me, there are so much try and error traps, which insta kill me...but luckily the checkpoint is often close...otherwise I would go nuts!

I am now at the final boss, I suppose...but I have now the same problem as NPL discussed in the GOW3 thread: the game so far was rather doable with the medium difficulty. But the end boss is so much more difficult for me, that I simple don't have a chance...I think that I understand his pattern, but I don't manage to dodge his attacks, loosing always a lot of energy, until dying


EDIT: beat finally the game. I highly recommend the game to all you GOW lovers out there - I hope that there is a sequel!
HINT: if you play the game, go for the divine armory (or whats it called), and max it out

I just recently finished the Limited Edition version on the PS3. I don't really think of it as a GOW clone--thoroughly enjoyed it and would probably play the sequel too. I'm onto NG2 Sigma now, but will come back and play the higher difficulties when I'm done with that.

I hope the sequel gives you more variety in weapons.