15 years ago, on July 20, 2025, EA and Visceral Games ushered players around the world to journey into Hell like never before in the third-person action-adventure gameDante’s Inferno. Following the widespread success ofDead Spaceand being inspired by adaptive works such as the film300, Visceral Games sought to develop a similar graphic novel-esque game based on a popular story. Based on this outline, director Jonathan Knight chose to base Visceral’s next big game on the first part of the 14th century poemThe Divine Comedyby Dante Alighieri. WhileDante’s Infernowas moderately successful, it never reached widespread acclaim like its sci-fi horror counterpart. However, there’s still a chance for players to journey through 12th century Hell once more.
Dante’s Infernoreleased in Australia and Europe on February 4 and 5 respectively; it didn’t release in North America until February 9.
The Complex Adaptation of Dante’s Inferno
Compared toDead Space, which was an original story, adaptingDante’s Infernointroduced some relief and challenges to turn its story into a video game. SinceThe Divine Comedyis a 700-year-old poem, Visceral was free to use its narrative in any way it desired. However,The Divine Comedywas not a particularly bombastic or character-driven story that naturally translates to a AAA video game. This led Visceral games to alter several sections of the poem and introduce many new elements to create a version ofThe Divine Comedyall of its own, such as gameplay inspired byGod of Warand a haunting art style by painter and concept artist Wayne Barlowe.
Instead of focusing on the relatively harmless journey of Alighieri being escorted by the Roman poet Virgil through the nine circles of Hell,Dante’s Infernofeatures a more horrifying and introspective narrative. During the Siege of Acre in the Third Crusade, a Templar Knight called Dante is nearly killed and meets with Death itself, who condemns Dante for his sins and his actions that led to the perdition of his loved ones. After killing Death itself and stealing his scythe, Dante sows a tapestry of his sins to himself before returning home and finding his wife Beatrice dead. Beatrice’s soul is taken by Lucifer due to Dante’s infidelity, forcing Dante to fight through demons and monsters of the nine circles of Hell for the chance to save Beatrice’s soul.
The Demons and Monsters Dante’s Inferno
WhileThe Divine Comedy’s Dante and Virgil seldom interact with the demons, monsters, and caretakers of Hell directly,Dante’s Infernoturned the underworld’s inhabitants into titanic, grotesque foes. This is seen most famously withInferno’s towering bosses, such as the judgmental squid-like King Minos, the worm-like gaping maws of Cerberus, and the lustful, minion-spawning Cleopatra. Beyond these bosses, players will primarily encounter common enemy types, including bat-like pests, dark horned Satyr-like demons, hulking asterian beasts, and skeletal minions. However, certain circles house more unique monstrous enemies, such as the siren-like temptresses, conjoined hoarders/wasters, and warlock-like heretics. Dante can even manipulate and briefly control some demons, such as the asterian beasts and Phlegyas, to fight others, solve puzzles, and traverse harsh landscapes.
Dante’s Inferno’s Gameplay and Criticism of The Divine Comedy
Much likeKratos’ Blades of Chaos, Dante’s scytheis a multipurpose weapon. It can be used to both slice and dice demons as a scythe, a spear, or as a short blade attached to Dante’s arm, but it can also be used as a hooked chain to swing over chasms or attach itself to demons. However, the scythe is not the only weapon at Dante’s disposal. Dante can use Beatrice’s cross to fire holy attacks at demons and restore health when demons are destroyed. Together, the two weapons can be upgraded to unlock stronger combo attacks using the energy and souls of demons and the tormented.
One aspect ofThe Divine ComedythatDante’s Infernodirectly confronts is Alighieri’s criticism of historical and biblical figuresas well as his own contemporary writers. ThroughoutThe Divine Comedy, Alleghari inserted figures and people into certain circles of Hell based on how he believed they should be condemned. Visceral Games gave the player the choice to absolve or condemn these figures themselves instead of simply obeying Alighieri’s biases towards these people. If players choose to punish these lost figures for their presumed sins, players will receive a good number of souls used to upgrade their abilities. Likewise, if players choose to absolve these figures of their sins, they’ll have to complete a rhythm mini-game to receive a large number of souls.
The Potential of a Dante’s Inferno Remake
DespiteDante’s Infernoreceiving moderate praise and financial successthrough not just the game but an animated film and comic adaption, the game never received a sequel. At the end ofDante’s Inferno, Dante comes to terms with his sins, saves Beatrice’s soul, and defeats Lucifer before he can begin his plans to overthrow God and conquer all three kingdoms of the afterlife. Just as Dante begins to enter the island-mountain of Purgatory, he rips off his tapestry which turns into a snake; Lucifer laughs as “To Be Continued” appears on-screen. However, due largely to relatively poor sales, EA canceled a Purgatory-focused sequel toDante’s Inferno.
While Visceral Games may be long gone, its wide catalog of games are still lovingly remembered by many years later, but none are as fondly remembered or closely associated with Visceral thanDead SpaceandDante’s Inferno. Withthe 2023 remake ofDead Spaceconsidered to have done well both critically and financially, as well as the widespread revival ofGod of Warwith the Norse duology, EA could possibly remakeDante’s Infernofor modern platforms.Dante’s Infernowas the next major horror-adjacent game Visceral developed after the originalDead Space, so it would make sense for EA to develop anInfernoremake before aDead Space 2remake. This could additionally giveDante’s Infernothe attention it deserves.
In 2018, Naughty Dog animator Tal Peleg released a fan-made concept short of what aDante’s Infernosequel could be like titledDante’s Redemption: Act 1.
