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[neojubei]

The demo was ok, it was a blatant copy of god of war without the art design. The demo lacked something and that was appeal, character design, enemy design, and environment design. Yes I know this was a small segment of the game but GOW3 demo basically was better than Dante's Inferno except for the frame rate, that is what I loved about the demo and about the god of war collection. Santa Monica Studios have nothing to fear but feel flattered at this game.

Not just Dante's character design but everyone or thing in the demo was sub par even Death himself, the fodder enemies looked so bad and the horned dudes didn't look that interesting.

I did like the scythe and the cross sub-weapon both are quite good, Visceral Games just needs to work on character design.

Oh I agree the QTEs are hard to read and block should be L1.

 

[Pctx]

Tits... Tits Tits... blood, the cross and Tits.

maybe not in that order... or maybe in that order? :lol

The quality of the game is there..... the demo gives you enough of a taste to want to go deeper. Is the push now from the demo to the full version going to be enough to warrant a purchase? That is EA's gamble at this point.

I was impressed with the demo--- but even after the amazing visuals, 60 FPS and satisfying gameplay.... is the story worth the gameplay?

I can't answer that question right now.... and I'm sure that's what a lot of people are going to be asking themselves over the coming weeks.

Mixed bag to me... but has potential.

 

[drakesfortune]

A very good demo, which is rare.

+ I liked the gameplay, and variety of different things it had you doing
+ Very Good Graphics 60fps
+ Very well done cut scenes. I'm sick of in game cut scenes, and this was refreshing, it made me long for next gen when things look closer to those cut scenes.
+ If you're going to rip off a good game, you might as well go all the way. It's so familiar feeling that I don't see how they avoid being sued. But that makes it more fun for me I think.
+ The story actually looks interesting.

- Too much over the top titties. Very juvenile, but that'll probably work for them. It did take away from the story and took me out of the whole thing though.
- So blatantly God of War (the crates and everything) I'm contradicting myself. It's a plus and a minus though.
- Put block on R1
- They are so incredibly stupid to be releasing this next to GoW. I don't know what they're thinking. The only thing that makes sense is that they hope to surf the GoW wave and have a big hit for 360 only folks who can't play GoW. I think the press is going to eat them alive though when comparing it with GoW III. I think Sony would be wise to get builds of GoW III in the hands of all reviewers before they review Dante's Inferno.
- Could not tell what the fuck was going on with the QTE's. They need to make that significantly easier to read. Hopefully they're looking at this feedback and fix it, because they are going to get docked for it in reviews. It's a PitA and QTE's are frustrating enough without having to redo them because you can't make out the symbols.

Overall, I liked it. I'll probably pick it up at $30 or $40, unless it scores above an 88 or so on Metacritic, then I'll probably pick it up at full price. I know, I'm one of those guys. It works out pretty damn well for me though.

 

[Y2Kev]

EA must have invested in the eSurance artist

 

[Tiktaalik]

I have to dash out so I gave myself just 15 minutes on the demo but I was pretty impressed. I've played the God of War 3 demo as well so I can compare the two, and so far from the demos it seems like God of War 3 has much more lush, detailed set pieces. GoW3's graphics strike me as much more impressive. Gameplaywise however I feel like both games played really well. Dante's Inferno is obviously trying to match God of War as much as possible, but I think it succeeds on the controls completely.

In terms of presentation I'm pretty impressed with Dante's Inferno. The way that the different styles of cut scenes are combined is done really well, and the art direction is edgy and dark and it's really great I think. The subject matter strikes me as really interesting as well.

I think there's a lot of potential here. I'm looking forward to getting back and playing through the whole thing.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

Setting is interesting and all but the gameplay is simply terrible. Completely rote battle mechanics, the first two minutes was fucking boring.. might as well have been playing Dynasty Warriors. I liked the GoW3 demo but this was just dull.

 

[drakesfortune]

Setting is interesting and all but the gameplay is simply terrible. Completely rote battle mechanics, the first two minutes was fucking boring.. might as well have been playing Dynasty Warriors. I liked the GoW3 demo but this was just dull.

I agree the first two minutes was dull, but that's not how most of the game plays. Once you die the combat opens up a lot, and it feels TONS better IMO. I think the first two minutes is just really a very basic tutorial on the most basic aspects of the combat, and the rest of the demo gives you a taste of what the rest of the game is like. It's very much like GoW in terms of combat IMO. Once I got a few powers and new moves, it started feeling VERY familiar, in a good way.

 

[SpeedySwaf]

I agree the first two minutes was dull, but that's not how most of the game plays. Once you die the combat opens up a lot, and it feels TONS better IMO. I think the first two minutes is just really a very basic tutorial on the most basic aspects of the combat, and the rest of the demo gives you a taste of what the rest of the game is like. It's very much like GoW in terms of combat IMO. Once I got a few powers and new moves, it started feeling VERY familiar, in a good way.

The first half hour or so of these kind of games are always going to be relatively "dull" because you still need to get new weapons, magics, combos, etc. If the upgrade screen is anything to go by, you'll get significantly more moves as the game progresses, not only for the scythe but for the cross as well. And of course there's the other magic abilities you can acquire along the way.

 

[TheSeks]

God of War - the comical gore (which is good, I played GoW3's E3 demo and got turned right off once I had to rip the dude's head off) + Inferno with some liberties. I'm surprised I enjoyed it. Not $60 day one enjoyed, but it seems pretty fun.

Though the Exp 5 Holy/Evil thing can be abused if you have a shit ton of enemies around and just quickly grab squard/circle evil/absolve them x 50 exp. I dunno if it'll be the same from the demo in terms of EXP/enemies but damn man. Seems like you could get to level 5/6 (whatever the max is) pretty quick from just doing that for both sides.

 

[dralla]

I feel like it's missing a downward move. If I am in the air doing a combo, I need a move that gets me down to the ground fast instead of just floating down

 

[abstract alien]

I feel like it's missing a downward move. If I am in the air doing a combo, I need a move that gets me down to the ground fast instead of just floating down

Yeah, there were a few of the usual suspects missing, but Im thinking they will be unlocked as the game progresses. Lets hope so anyway.

 

[CamHostage]

I'm starting to find interest in this, but against God of War, there's just no way. However, the PSP game looks surprisingly accomplished from the videos I've seen, and the art approach to the game is catching me even if the gameplay is not, maybe as long as the dicknipple beasts look appropriately sickening then I'll pick it up on the portable.

 

[SpeedySwaf]

Yeah, there were a few of the usual suspects missing, but Im thinking they will be unlocked as the game progresses. Lets hope so anyway.

If I play the demo again, that's something I'll check. Except for some moves on the far left and right (maybe they're connected to how many people you damn/absolve?) I think you're allowed to look at most of them, even if you can't buy them.

 

[permutated]

Nevermind, I regret my original post and I'm editing it to avoid insulting anyone.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

It's funny to see all the Sony faithful bashing this game. :lol

Truth be told (after playing both) I had more fun with Dante's Inferno.

funny, I had the opposite reaction. I appreciate GOWIII's demo a lot more following this demo.

(even though I did like the DI demo)

 

[-tetsuo-]

I feel like it's missing a downward move. If I am in the air doing a combo, I need a move that gets me down to the ground fast instead of just floating down

There are at least 2, I've seen them in some video. One where he dashes down and another when he sticks the scythe in the ground and slams down with a holy attack.

I've played it a couple more times and ya it starts off extra bland. The halberd part against the horde just sucks. The fight with Death is cool enough though. I like how there are 3 attack buttons and at the end of my third run I was finding ways to keep an almost constant stream of attacks going. Looks like it will get a lot more interesting later because the upgrade tree is pretty big on both sides.

Also I noticed scrolling through the pause screen that you can equip 2 relics at once but there were a total of like 30 spots for relics :-o

 

[burgerdog]

Had fun with the demo, will buy.

 

[GillianSeed79]

Day 1. Loved the demo, especially the Barlog riding thing at the end.

On a serious note, though, how did Viceral get away with this? It's more than a GoW rip off. It almost smacks of copywrite infringement. Isn't there a legal precedent for Sony to sue? Didn't Capcom sue SNK back in the day because of some arcade game, World Heroes or something, that was a blatant rip-off of SFII? The game is fun, but it feels like even Dante's moveset is a carbon copy of Kratos.

 

[drakesfortune]

It's funny to see all the Sony faithful bashing this game. :lol

Truth be told (after playing both) I had more fun with Dante's Inferno.

I don't know, I'm a Sony faithful and GoW fan, and I really liked the DI demo. I don't think I bashed it at all. I don't think it's as good as GoW, but it certainly seems like a good game from what I can tell from the demo, and I'll be buying it at some point, whether it's full price or discounted will depend on how well it reviews.

 

[permutated]

Before we go any further, yes; Dante's Inferno is a carbon copy of the GOW formula, right down to the moveset.

funny, I had the opposite reaction. I appreciate GOWIII's demo a lot more following this demo.

(even though I did like the DI demo)

I'll go back and play GOWII again, though both games are equally fluid I've lost touch with the story in God of War since it's pretty mindless after the first game, the story in this game is a bit more present.

I respect your opinion REZ, but I feel like the God Of War series hasn't evolved a single bit since the first game came out (aside from graphically), and if the demo was any indication the third one will be more of the exact same.

 

[Y2Kev]

I think the gameplay in God of War has evolved significantly since the first game. I'm playing the collection now and I can't believe how simple God of War 1 is. It has a lot more puzzles though.

 

[Leatherface]

Well I played it. Definitely nowhere near the quality of the GOW demo and it's a pretty shameless rip-off of the franchise in just about every way. That said, I had a ton of fun playing it. Even if Dante's Inferno turns out to be only 60% of what God of War 3 is, that still makes it pretty great. For Xbox360 only owners, this is a decent alternative to the king (GOW).

 

[tirminyl]

I feel like it's missing a downward move. If I am in the air doing a combo, I need a move that gets me down to the ground fast instead of just floating down

Agreed. I would launch enemies in the air or jump in the air and was hoping to bring some love down, but nothing.

Even though I was thinking God of War the entire time, I really enjoyed the demo and it is on my list.

 

[neojubei]

I should add that I am buying the game despite what I think of the character design. I might buy the psp version too.

 

[Rated-Rsuperstar]

Nothing like starting a demo off with a boss fight. At first I thought I was suppose to let death kill me. I was hitting him and nothing was happening. Once half my life bar was gone I realized his health bar drains backwards. So I made the fight harder then it really was. :lol

This is a day 1 game for me. I love me some epic brutal action games.

Also - The music is awesome. The QTE's need some work. And the graphics weren't as good as I hoped but I'm sure they'll look better come release day.

 

[Y2Kev]

I think there's a move you can buy for triangle, triangle in the air that gets you down.

God, the character design is so awful.

 

[REV 09]

correct me if i'm wrong, but God of War has nothing comparable to the Cross attack on O. In GoW, O is used to grab enemies; DI uses R2 for this function. Moreover, that Cross attack was fucking nice imo and added seamlessly to the combo system.

Great demo btw.

 

[Spoo]

For being pegged as a God Of War clone, it's amazing how many things Dante's Inferno does right based on this demo. In fact, in more ways that one, this demo is actually as, if not more impressive than what was on show in the GoW3 demo.

Obviously, the game is a silky-smooth 60 fps experience, which does wonders for nailing the split-second timing required to do counters, among other things. It has a smartly integrated magic system that is customizable (ie: Hold L1, then press any 4 button that has magic bound to it). The game is a *very* directed experience; you see things the way Visceral wants, and they seem to understand the nature of cinema quite well. Finally, it's unabashadly M-Rated, but not so "out there" as GoW3 is with some of it's ridiculous QTE's (Though, I loved those ridiculous QTEs in GoW3 thanks to their fine direction).

Right up front, combos and how upgrades work make sense, and the game seems to give you your core weaponset from the beginning -- you just learn more combos, moves, magic, from there.

Silly as it may seem, it's almost as if this demo was... a response to the GoW3 demo -- essentially saying, "here, we copied your demo (for the most part) and made it better (for the most part)." I have no doubt that GoW3 will be an incredible game -- probably better, in the long run, that DI -- but this demo sure won me over.

 

[Y2Kev]

correct me if i'm wrong, but God of War has nothing comparable to the Cross attack on O. In GoW, O is used to grab enemies; DI uses R2 for this function. Moreover, that Cross attack was fucking nice imo and added seamlessly to the combo system.

Great demo btw.

The cross attack reminds me of the bolts of zeus. In GoW, it's a magic attack, but here it doesn't use MP. I don't know what the restraint is to stop you from spamming it.

For being pegged as a God Of War clone, it's amazing how many things Dante's Inferno does right based on this demo.

A clone of God of War would do many things right!

 

[permutated]

correct me if i'm wrong, but God of War has nothing comparable to the Cross attack on O. In GoW, O is used to grab enemies; DI uses R2 for this function. Moreover, that Cross attack was fucking nice imo and added seamlessly to the combo system.

Great demo btw.

Ah I forgot about this, and I loved the cross too. <3

 

[-tetsuo-]

Ya I love how the magic seems to flow more into combat. I was linking that Ice slide into combos no problem.

 

[Thunderbear]

I enjoyed it, much like most other people here, but I also think it's definitely below God of War in every department except framerate. It feels fun enough for me to buy it, but just based on the GoW3 demo, GoW3 it will eat this game alive.

I'm getting really eager for more GoW3 media though, especially now.

 

[Rated-Rsuperstar]

I'm getting really eager for more GoW3 media though, especially now.

Not till January.

 

[MvmntInGrn]

After playing the demo a bit more, I'm really starting to like the way combat flows in this game. More so than God of War. It doesn't have the same epic flair or look as good, but I'm having more fun with the actual combat, even with just the demo.

Also I find the cut scenes kind of annoying, some are CG, others are 2D animation. CG ones are not 16:9 aspect ratio while the animated ones are. Also shorter in-game scenes present. Makes the presentation feel very inconsistent.

 

[Shai-Tan]

For me the gameplay is good, not great but it makes up for it with the nice looking cut scenes, the cool stuff happening, a more epic experience than some other games... which is pretty much how I feel about God of War (great set pieces, high production values, combat not quite as fun as Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden)

 

[Rated-Rsuperstar]

Also I find the cut scenes kind of annoying, some are CG, others are 2D animation. CG ones are not 16:9 aspect ratio while the animated ones are. Also shorter in-game scenes present. Makes the presentation feel very inconsistent.

All the 2D cutscenes start by zooming into the cross stitched into Dante's chest. Which represents the past. While the CG ones take place in the present time.

 

[permutated]

As much as I love the ice magic I hate how the game speed slows down EVERY FUCKING TIME when I use it on them. It should only be either the first time I use it on them when I get it or only when an enemy dies, not every time they're hit.

Ugh, so annoying. >:--(

 

[momolicious]

The game felt very Visceral to me

 

[eshwaaz]

Nothing more to say on what a blatant rip-off this game is, but in general I enjoyed it. Having just played God of War 1 and 2 recently, though, there's something about Dante's combat that just feels off. GoW delivers a kind of weight and power with every blow; a meaty sense of impact that is missing in DI. There's some very nice animation in there, though.

 

[MvmntInGrn]

All the 2D cutscenes start by zooming into the cross stitched into Dante's chest. Which represents the past. While the CG ones take place in the present time.

I understand that, but that doesn't change how I feel about the whole thing.

Perhaps its just a nit-pick, but I dislike having both the CG and 2D scenes. :/

 

[bridegur]

My boredom with this game proves that there's a lot more going on in the design of God of War than people think. Dante's Inferno rips it off on a surface level, but it's nowhere near as fun. Plus, its use of the source material is far hokier than I could have imagined.

 

[Big-E]

Felt it was ok but I don't like how the story is presented. In game action and then cutscenes coupled with full on animation if a bit weird and jarring. Should have just picked one. Did EA have a leftover budget from Deadspace Extraction or what?

 

[Chromax]

That first few mins of combat really outstayed it's welcome. I was looking for a exit at one point thinking it's a infinite spawn area.

 

[jett]

I respect your opinion REZ, but I feel like the God Of War series hasn't evolved a single bit since the first game came out (aside from graphically), and if the demo was any indication the third one will be more of the exact same.

That is just plain wrong.

 

[Mrbob]

It's funny to see all the Sony faithful bashing this game. :lol

Truth be told (after playing both) I had more fun with Dante's Inferno.

I don't even understand what this means or what point you are trying to make?

God of War 3 is the third installment in a highly acclaimed, universally loved franchise. DI is a new IP which is trying to mimic God of War (for better or for worse). Why wouldn't gamers have higher expectations for God of War 3, and why wouldn't it be the better game? It has a higher standard for quality than Dantes Inferno. Now I'm about to go play DI right now but I find your comment a bit odd.

 

[Kimosabae]

I was supposed to HATE this game... what the hell?

As a GoW and Greek Mythology nut, I was positive this game would be less than just an awful lot like God of War - I was expecting it to be just plain awful. I have to admit, running at 60fps, this game is kinda sick. I was actually more impressed with this than the GoW III demo, but that may have been due to my very low expectations.

I'm a sucker for the source material and Christian mythology. I may have to get this.

Game isn't subtle with its imagery in the least:

"Toss the Cross! Frosty Cross! Cross the Cross!"

Meh.

Game is dope, though.

 

[bridegur]

That first few mins of combat really outstayed it's welcome. I was looking for a exit at one point thinking it's a infinite spawn area.

This is how I felt in every combat section. They're too static.

 

[Rated-Rsuperstar]

That is just plain wrong.

He's not totally wrong. Combat is more or less the same. I've beaten all 3 GOW games by just using square square triangle.

 

[Y2Kev]

This is how I felt in every combat section. They're too static.

I really think they just haven't really got the hang of that yet-- at least in this demo. Too much combat facing the same enemies in squarish arenas. They would be really well suited to mix up the enemy variation and, most importantly, the attack patterns. That one encounter in the green fields after Beatrice flashes her tits at you is bizarre--the enemies all do the same pattern like one after another. I thought maybe it was to teach you how to counter.

 

[Rated-Rsuperstar]

I really think they just haven't really got the hang of that yet-- at least in this demo. Too much combat facing the same enemies in squarish arenas. They would be really well suited to mix up the enemy variation and, most importantly, the attack patterns. That one encounter in the green fields after Beatrice flashes her tits at you is bizarre--the enemies all do the same pattern like one after another. I thought maybe it was to teach you how to counter.

Do people expect crazy levels and super long combos at the very beginning of the game?