Dante’s Inferno
Visceral Games, otherwise known as EA Redwood Shores Studio, was one of the best developers in the industry, responsible for the some of gaming’s highest profile titles during the sixth and seventh console generations. Recreating popular book and cinema franchises in addition to crafting its own IP, Visceral Games will most certainly be missed now that EA has officially announced its closure. The following is a list of the developer’s most noteworthy titles in order from worst to best.
Dante’s Inferno in video game form hides absolutely nothing from those who play it. Taking inspiration from the first canticle of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, the title is a literal interpretation of the poem complete with the appropriate circles of hell and the various monstrous creatures that inhabit them. Dante, reimagined as a Templar knight, must venture through these nine levels in order to reclaim the soul of his beloved Beatrice, the likes of which was brutally slaughtered by Lucifer himself.
Gameplay was a lot like that of God of War, allowing users to wield both a scythe and a cross in a variety of ways to perform lots of flashy combination attacks and finishing moves. Magic-based moves and abilities were unlocked through souls, which served as the title’s in-game currency. Additionally, a quick-time system was implemented to discharge demons of its masters, and experience was mostly gained by punishing or absolving the damned souls of many famous figures in history (of which the book actually refers to). Visceral Games certainly did their homework when making Dante’s Inferno, and making it appealing to modern audiences was nothing short of an accomplishment.
