Dante's Inferno Living in God of War's Shadow

When a game keeps being associated with a different one of the same genre, sparks are bound to happen. Either the publishers will try to distinguish their game as better or more innovative, or the fans will start a fan-boy war wherever they can. But the team that works on Dante's Inferno doesn't seem to be bothered at all. More so, director Jonathan Knight takes it as a flattering compliment. "We never get sick of hearing it because it's the greatest compliment we can be paid," Knight told PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

And of course they would. God of War received more prizes the year it was launched than probably all other games put together that year. The title really became a symbol for the genre and while most games can only look up to it from below with frustration, it seems Dante's Inferno does so with admiration, and it will also be able to do it from closer up. "I hope those comparisons are being made because of our combat system and is just as responsive; the control over the character is very immediate, it's very fast-paced, you can branch out of moves very easily, you feel very powerful and overall is a very fun game to play," Knight said.

The director also delved into other aspects of the game and the other influences that it carries are marked by "incredibly influential work of literature." He considers weapons like the "Holy Cross" to be part of the "really fresh gameplay ideas," along with the choice between punishing or absolving the souls of the damned and "riding giant demons." Because of course, a giant demon is far better than the simple horse.

The game follows Dante, veteran of the Crusades, who returns home only to find his wife murdered. As he watches Death itself drag her to Hell, he gives chase in hopes of redeeming her soul. Dante will have to travel through the nine circles of Hell – Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath/Sloth, Heresy, Violence, Fraud/Hypocrisy, and Treachery – to save his wife Beatrice Portinari. The game will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable on February 9.