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- Dante’s Inferno boasts a unique gothic art style and a compelling adaptation of a classic poem, earning it a dedicated fanbase.
- EA’s marketing for the game was unforgettable and controversial, with stunts like rickrolling developers and provocative contests making headlines.
- With today’s shortage of standout action-adventure games, a remake of Dante’s Inferno could finally give this game the recognition it deserves.
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that God of War is one of the best gaming franchises ever and has inspired countless other games. However, in this industry, games that are heavily inspired by an existing IP are sometimes dubbed clones.
Take Watch Dogs, for example. Despite its unique open-world concept, this series is considered yet another GTA clone. Dante’s Inferno is in a similar boat. Developed by Visceral Games, the same team behind Dead Space, it was released in 2010.
The game never got the attention it deserved because it was called a God of War clone and released in the same year as God of War 3. Unfortunately, the game wasn’t a commercial hit, but it did develop a massive cult following all these years later, and it’s about time it finally gets a remake.
Why it matters: Dante’s Inferno was always more than another God of War.
Artistic Style Way Ahead Of It’s Time
Dante’s Inferno’s gothic art style is way ahead of its time, and the way it combines the medieval art style with the added demonic and hell themes is unremarkable. The game spans several levels of hell, 9 to be exact, each based on sins such as Lust, Treachery, Violence, etc.
Even when talking about the enemies, they are distinct to each level of hell; for instance, the Lust circle is populated with seductive, grotesque figures, while the Gluttony circle has bloated, gluttonous monsters.
At the end of each level, there would be a boss fight where the boss would embody that particular sin. I wouldn’t be surprised if FromSoftware used this as inspiration in their own titles.
In terms of combat, Dante had two weapons: a scythe and a cross. The latter could be used as a ranged weapon.
The True Inspiration Behind Dante’s Inferno
The 14th-century poem of the same name inspired Dante’s Inferno. It is based on the seven deadly sins in Christianity and delves deep into religious themes. God of War does something similar but was instead inspired by Greek mythology.
The game’s premise follows Dante, a Catholic knight who commits a few sins in his crusades and eventually has to face death after being stabbed in the back. However, just like Kratos, Dante defies death and kills death in his face.
Dante is then guided by Virgil, a poet spirit, through hell to save his murdered wife, Beatrice, from Lucifer in hell, passing through the nine circles of hell. The story follows a classic romantic motivation for the protagonist, which is missing in modern games.
A Bizarre Marketing Campaign
Visceral Game’s marketing with Dante’s Inferno was the most memorable and controversial in gaming history. For context, EA actually created a contest for Dante’s Inferno at Comic-Con, where people would take “sinful” photos with booth babes and submit them for a reward on Twitter.
Another campaign was EA sending $200 to journalists in the mail, prompting them to either accept the money and succumb to greed or ignore it and succumb to prodigality. Another case was if you ordered the game from a specific website, they’d deem you a heretic.
The best campaign, in my opinion, had to be the one with the rickroll shenanigans. EA sent wooden boxes to a few people, which would rickroll them, and the only way to stop it was to break it down via a hammer.
EA also hired people who resembled members of the Westboro Baptist Church to protest the game outside of E3. I am still confused as to why the publisher went to such lengths for the game’s campaign and invested so much money in a controversial game.
It is unfortunate that the game didn’t sell well, and the marketing budget probably went to waste.
It’s About Time For A Dante’s Inferno Remake
Does Dante's Inferno deserve a remake or remastered?….
byu/massapeal79 inplaystation
Action games are currently going through a dry spell. Devil May Cry 5 was the last major release for the genre, but it came out years ago. God of War has also taken a completely different approach today.
It’s no secret that we lack some great old-school hack-and-slash games. While Stellar Blade offers similar gameplay, it doesn’t quite scratch the right hack-and-slash itch.
In my opinion, EA should consider remaking Dante’s Inferno. The original game had many problems that could be ironed out with modern technology, allowing this series to reach the potential it always had.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
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