Summary
The release and subsequent success of theDead Spaceremake has shown that there is still an amount of admiration for Visceral Games and the developer’s older IP. So, if EA was still interested in pursuing the golden era of Visceral Games from thePS3/Xbox 360 console generation, then it could be time to seeDante’s Infernoget a revival on next-gen consoles as well.
A slightly lesser known title by the legendaryDead Spacedeveloper,Dante’s Infernowas a 2010 title that took theGod of Warapproach of hack-and-slash combat accompanying religious iconography through the epic poemThe Infernofrom Dante Alighieri’sDivine Comedy. The result is a game that at the time of release was lumped together with the likes of theDarksidersseries as being a little moreVisceral Games' ownGod of Warclone, but has since amassed a cult following for its unique innovations in the genre.
RELATED:A New Dead Space Game Can’t Afford to Make a Particular Error
Dante, the Scythe-Wielding Crusader
One key aspect that has kept 2010’sDante’s Infernoin the mind of fans for more than a decade is the striking visuals and depictions of Alighieri’s version of the Nine Circles of Hell. However, more than just the location, the design of protagonist Dante himself, depicted as a Templar Knight returning home from committing sinful acts in the crusades, and his specific choice of weapon. Deviating fromGod of War’s iconic Blades of Chaos, Visceral Games decided to give Dante not only a scythe as a weapon, but the Grim Reaper’s soul-harvesting tool.
This is an almost cartoonish level of Rule of Cool, having the protagonist ofDante’s Infernoliterally diving into Hell while wielding Death’s own Scythe. To a degree, this design is a lost relic of theearly 2010’s era of gaming, where larger-than-life characters would hack, slash, and slice their way through colorfully designed enemies, using oversized, and often cursed, weapons straight out of myth and legend. With many modern games pushing for higher graphic fidelity and realistic visuals,Dante’s Infernois a blast from the past that is worth revisiting for style alone.
Leaning Into Dante’s Inferno’s Classic Style on Modern Consoles
In a perfect world, every game that had even a minor following after release would get some sort of port, remaster, or full-fledged remake to keep these beloved franchises alive on modern consoles. However, even in one run by market shares and investor demands, something with a cult following likeDante’s Infernoshould still be able to make a triumphant return to modern gaming. Following theGod of Warcomparisons, the franchise that kicked off the colorful hack-and-slash craze in 2005 has since gotten a soft reboot in 2018, with a stellar follow-up in 2022.
Of course, while it is apt to compare the early entries of the two IPs, aDante’s Infernoreboot or remake might want to follow more in the footsteps of the other Visceral Games remake from this year. This is because thesuccess of theDead Spaceremakedidn’t come just from modernizing the graphics or controls, but from taking the characters, atmosphere, and terror that made the original great and cranking them all up to eleven. The same goes for if EA wants to assign a developer to bringing backDante’s Inferno, by not stripping away the iconic Grim Reaper’s Scythe or the brutal design of the cross stitched into Dante’s chest, but by leaning hard into it.
A high-budget adventure through a realistic Hell might sound like a solid plan on paper, and will likely make for some impressive headlines, but that wouldn’t scratch the itch fans have been clamoring for when asking for a return toDante’s Inferno. In this specific case, the perfect return to the IP shouldn’t be grounded in the modern sense, and instead focus on how over-the-top Visceral Games depicted Dante. If EA can find a developer to deliver on that concept, then it could have thebest hack-and-slashof the current console generation on its hands.
Dante’s Infernois available now for PSP, PS3, and Xbox 360.
