Comic Con '09 Hands-On Impressions of Dante's Inferno

So at E3 this year, we were all given some great teases as to what to expect for Dante's Inferno from EA. All in the form of an extended trailer and a little bit of watching the designers play through a level showing off their game. No solid hands on experience, but it was still a great sight to see. But it did leave me wanting more to really get a feel for the game. Something EA was obviously waiting to let people do at Comic Con. They unleashed it so very well.

I'm sticking with my guns on this game feels just like God of War with a Christian overtone to it. A very Christian overtone. The buttons are the same, except that there were no grapple moves. That button used Dante's holy power. Something that was a little weird at first, but after a while easy to get use to. One other thing was that it felt like the camera should shift around, but like God of War, the right stick only makes Dante dive or quick dodge.

Visually it is absolutely stunning. Something that shouldn't be too much of a surprise on a next generation console at all. But the big thing here outside of the nicely rendered objects and levels is the creature design. That is really what makes this game visually stunning. Some of the most twisted and interesting takes on places and creatures of Hell and Limbo I have ever seen or thought of. From the two bosses and the little unbaptized babies running around, it was just as sick as you would expect Hell to be.

Before I bring things to a close here, let me tell you what part of the game we got to play, story and level wise. The game started with Dante landing on the shores of the river Styx. After crossing it and boarding the ferry to be judged, Dante is accosted by a few larger demons and visions of the vice specific demons. Eventually you crash at the gates of King Minos where you are informed that "You Shall Not Pass!" You kill him in a very gruesome manner and then are able to take your first steps into Hell. This is where it all ended.

After getting a further taste of this game, it is totally on my to own list in 2010. Even though God of War III comes out then, I will totally make time to enjoy both of these games. If you are a God of War fan or a fan of the genre, you should place it there too. The only real issue I can even come up with for not is that it would be very hard to sequel. So it is kind of a one time only shot. But still it looks like a must buy.