Though this game is certainly fun to play, it's in a guilty-pleasure type of way.
THE GOOD : Honestly, not very much. Like I just said, it IS fun to play – undoubtedly. But that's not because it's fun in its' own right. It's fun because of what it's trying to be. It does have the 'curiosity factor' going for it, in that it's interesting to see how Hell is depicted and that right there is probably the game's biggest strong point. Hell (especially the first few levels), is a fascinatingly rendered place, and contains many interesting (albeit disgusting at times) things to look at. The monsters / demons / tortured souls are all appropriately twisted and vile and fit right in….. until you get to about level 5 or so (more on that in the next section). Admittedly, the game does also have something going for it in that it's fun to brutally smash these demons, devils and other hellish creatures to a pulp. One of the other things I did enjoy about the game is that if you're a PS3 trophy hunter, this baby's an eeeeeeasy Platinum trophy. As long as you're diligent about the collectibles etc., you can play this game on easy mode and you only need to get the 'offline' trophies (about 84% completion) to get the Platinum. The online trophies are not required for the Platinum. I wish more games got this point. I don't like having to rely on other players to get the trophies I'm after (IE, AvP, Resistance 2, etc.). Especially because I wouldn't want to waste any more time than necessary on this game. Not that it's THAT bad – it's not. It's just there are so many better games I could be playing, I'm all for doing a run through or two and moving on. I suppose there's a few other things I'm not thinking of right now, that I liked, but if you're really interested in the game, I'll leave it up to you to find them.
THE BAD : Plenty. There is absolutely NO getting around the comparisons to the God Of War series because it's such a shameless rip-off of it. If I understand correctly, this game was designed by the original designer or creator of God Of War. And if that is correct, it gets an extra demerit point for a lack of originality and creativity. I mean seriously. It also gets another demerit for taking a literary classic and absolutely mangling it to the point where very little remains intact from the original source material. Virgil is still a guide through the trip and the levels of Hell are what they are in the poem, but that's about it. Everything else would probably be considered an affront to literary types. Beyond the two most obvious things I've already mentioned (and could continue to expound on), the most glaring weakness with Dante's Inferno is that, as I mentioned in the previous section of my review, the demons, devils, etc. make every bit of sense through the first 4 or 5 levels or so, but after that, they significantly lose their consistency. What I mean by that is, I understand why lust demons appear in lust and gluttons appear in gluttony and greed devils appear in greed……but why are these same manifestations rather prevalent throughout Violence, Fraud, Treachery, etc. Did the creative team just give up on trying to design villains that would make more sense for the level they appear on? Sure felt like it. Additionally, the levels of Hell themselves didn't seem all that engaging after about the same point. It's like the will to be creative just got sucked out of the development team after about half-way through. And now I hear rumor that they're planning a sequel? I shudder to think how bland that might be considering the startling lack of effort displayed in the games' second half. All in all, it was a very uneven effort. As one last item of (un)interest, it should be noted that those easily offended by all things disgusting or sexual perversion should steer well clear of this game. With gluttons vomiting corrosive bile on you, lust demons peeling apart their labias and lashing out at you with their extended wombs, Hell being decked out in phallic or vaginal shapes in areas, and even Satan himself sporting a rather noticeable phallus, this game has plenty to offend in it. Be forewarned.
THE VERDICT : Though it does have its' moments and can definitely be fun at times, Dante's Inferno is a shameless and unapologetic rip-off to the God Of War series. This game is best left to the Xbox crowd, as it offers a glimpse into what God Of War is all about in terms of combat style, combos, magic, items, etc. If you own a PS3, as I do, don't make the mistake of buying this (as I did – though I got it for a third of the price on eBay, which certainly softens the blow ;-) – just rent it if you're really that curious. Otherwise stick to the God Of War series and you just can't go wrong.