Dante's Inferno (PSP) Review

Dante's Inferno has been the subject of much controversy, thanks to Electronic Arts' PR stunts. The fake demonstrators at E3, the troubling booth babe contest at Comic Con and, most recently, a promotional box housing the worst kind of evil (Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" playing over and over) have paved the way for the game's unrelenting, pulse-pounding journey to Hell. It's available for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and now an on-the-go version arrived for PSP. Does the dark journey hold up on the handheld? Yes, although there are a few things you'll have to forgive to enjoy it.

The game tells the story of Dante, a Crusader fighting his way home and to the love of his life, Beatrice. After a dangerous run-in with the Grim Reaper (who provides him with a nasty-looking scythe), he finally gets to his home to find her murdered, with Lucifer hauling her precious soul away. Unwilling to let her go, Dante pursues them through the Nine Circles of Hell. During his journey, Dante realizes some mistakes he's made, as well as Lucifer's true intentions.

This game has quite a few similarities to Sony's God of War series. The combat is generally the same, with Dante switching off between quick and strong attacks to subdue enemies. The main difference lies in his magical attacks, which are fueled by lost souls. As he carves his way through Hell's minions, he'll acquire these souls, enabling him to use everything from flaming crosses to a shield that evaporates everything around it. He can also earn extra souls by purifying lost spirits during his journey, or if you prefer not to go through a mini-game, you can simply purge them for extra demonic power. No matter which way you go, you'll unlock sweet battle techniques through a helpful upgrade system. The only downside comes from using the special techniques. You'll need to press a direction on the D-pad, which forces you to remove your thumb from the it momentarily, leaving you motionless. It's for a very quick period, but still worth pointing out.

A2M has done a terrific job recreating the atmosphere from the console versions of Dante's Inferno on the PSP, although there are some setbacks that put this in a distant second behind Sony's unbeatable God of War: Chains of Olympus. The settings you'll run through look strikingly bold and full of color, whether you're swinging across skin-laden caverns and avoiding fire-spewing orifices (we're serious) or engaging in one of the game's better boss battles, particularly a run-in with Lust and her worn-out lover. The background details are vivid as well, from the dark, gloomy skies during your battle with Death to the barely lit caverns throughout Gluttony. It's not perfect, however. The game suffers from frequent loading (where the action stops for about two seconds or so) and slowdown. Still, for a PSP port, it's commendable.

If you're a fan of top-quality audio, you'll like what Dante's Inferno provides. The voicework is superb, whether it's Dante crying out in anguish ("Beatriiiiiice!") or Lucifer's overconfident boasting. The background music, consisting of symphonic pieces, is excellent, especially if you're listening through headphones. The other sound effects lend to the game's atmosphere, really engulfing you deeper into Hell.

Even though there are a few extras to locate throughout the game, once you're done with Dante's Inferno, there's very little reason to return. It doesn't provide much replay value, particularly once you reveal all the game's nasty little twists and turns. It would've been nice for A2M to include a few extras for replay value, such as challenge rooms or perhaps even the much-heralded Disco Inferno costume, which console owners can get via download.

We can't recommend Dante's Inferno over the cheaper, higher-quality God of War: Chains of Olympus. However, if you seek an alternative to Kratos' adventure or want an action game that doesn't hold back on either its content (lots of nudity and gore) or action, it wouldn't hurt to make a pit stop in hell.