“When will EA stop churning out game after game?” That is the question every gamer is harbouring in their heavy minds as EA have consistently spewed out title after title, in a good way that is. Last year saw some absolute gems such as Burnout Paradise, Battlefield: Bad Company and the delightful Dead Space, along with overhyped under-achievers like Mirror’s Edge and of course the slightly empty Army of Two. It’s 2009 and EA may have had a killer breakthrough last year, the failings of games like the latest Need for Speed and the mixed reviews on Lord of the Rings has damaged their credibility somewhat, but games like those aren’t at the top of my 2009 to-buy list, no, if there is one new IP I am gunning for this year from EA, it’s their brand new action/adventure title, Dante’s Inferno.

         

Dante’s Inferno is very loosely based on Dante Alighieri’s poem, The Divine Comedy, a small piece of Italian literature written in the early thirteenth century. The poem painted a picture of the Christian afterlife, navigating the nine circles of hell and its demonic premise. Though the poem has been dubbed as one of the Earth’s finest and would seem the most unlikely of bases for videogame, EA were soon to shove it head first into their game making machine to deliver Dante’s Inferno.

          After that little history lesson, let’s talk about the actual context of the game. Dante, in this title, is depicted as a muscle bound warrior, caped in crimson, bearing a scythe in one hand and a piercing silver crucifix in the other. The trailer we saw just a few months back at the Video Game Awards 2008 gave us a very small glimpse into the game, depicting Dante slashing up a horde of demons, but since then with recent coverage from developer we can unearth some facts about the game itself.

         

The game is being developed by EA’s Redwood Shores studio, the same that gave birth to the stunning Dead Space. However, this game is not a sci-fi horror survival. And it may surprise you to hear that this game isn’t really an action/adventure game either, because after recent coverage the game has steadily become a tribute to one of gaming’s biggest names, Kratos. That’s right, those who have played the game have described the gameplay and overall premise of the game to mimic that of God of War, and if successful, it could even steal away some of the third instalment’s thunder early next year, the same curse Dead Space has competitively bestowed upon Resident Evil 5. I’m not saying that Redwood are nothing more than sleazy charlatans, but a few gameplay and design aspects may sway you into my perspective of things:

. Dante is equipped with a golden Scythe, which can stretch out on a chain to reach foes at range, exactly like Kratos’ blades of Athena.

. Tapping the X (360) or Square (PS3) button will deliver a light attack, and Y (360) or Triangle (PS3) for a heavy attack, critics even go onto saying the combos and levels of combat are very God of War-esque.

. Executions like those in God of War have yet to be announced, but they are more than likely to appear in the finished game.

          At this point Xbox 360 owners may not have a clue what I am rambling on about, but all I’m saying is that if Dante’s Inferno is a big hit, God of War was the keystone in its creation. And for those who don’t believe me, EA themselves jokingly describe the game as “Dead Space meets God of War... In hell.”

          Being a huge fan of the genre my earlier complaints mean nothing, if EA are using a gameplay style and control layout previously tested and approved by millions worldwide then why not include it in your game? A solid release date hasn’t been planned as far as I know, but we can probably hope to see Dante bursting onto the scene sometime in late summer or early fall, with my fanboyish feelings aside, my fingers are crossed that thunder strikes in the same place twice for Redwood Shores.