Review by: Jeff McAllister

Dante’s Inferno has finally arrived to take players through nine circles of Hell in a quest to retrieve a love lost. The game is based on the epic medieval poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri which follows Dante as he enters Hell with his guide, the Roman poet Virgil. The game does take many (many…many…many) liberties with the story that was originally told, but that is to be expected for it to be somewhat entertaining in videogame form. This is not an interpretation of the poem—it’s an action game—and a pretty good one to boot.

The biggest draw is the visual appeal of each circle as you proceed further down into the depths of Hell. This game is all about its atmosphere. The Hell found in Dante’s Inferno makes the versions of Hell found in other games, like DOOM 3, look like Romper Room. Each circle is the home to specific sins such as Lust, Gluttony and Greed and the level designers did a fantastic job of having each resemble their respective punishments. Greed showcases piles of souls covered in gold who constantly beg you for money; Lust contains phallic imagery at every turn, and so on.

Virgil will introduce you to each circle, telling you details about the lost souls that reside there. Each area features some rather horrific enemies that range from the run of the mill horned demons to un-baptized babies that have bladed arms and enormous gluttons that can eat you whole. The ghastliness of each circle combined with the perversion of enemies make Dante’s Inferno truly unique visually; unfortunately the gameplay—well, unique isn’t the best word to describe it.

At the start of the game, after a stab in the back, you are faced with the Grim Reaper who is intent on retrieving your soul. After a short battle, you take his scythe from him and from then on, it is by your side throughout the entire game. While the scythe is the main weapon you have at your disposal, you also have a holy cross that sends out blasts of holy light as well as powerful holy spells. You will discover additional spells as you progress throughout the game and may equip up to four at once.