When Dante's Inferno was first announced as a video game, I certainly wanted to get excited.

I am a huge fan of Inferno, and a video game based on the book would need to be done carefully to even warrant being mentioned in the same sentence as the literary work.

However, if done well, it could be amazing. It could be a fantastic, dark, story-driven adventure through the depths of hell, worthy of several play-throughs to see everything. These are all things it could have been, but those are not what it is.

Developer Visceral Games decided to take a casual approach to the story, focusing more on visual fidelity and presentation. What we are left with is a third-person action game set loosely in the world of Dante's Inferno. True, Dante does descend into hell, and he does pass through various levels that are themed according to the book. He also fights the demons that haunt him. All of that is there, but it's shallow.

There is no depth to Dante's travels through hell or his interactions with the various tortured souls. The game features nine levels of hell: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery.

Throughout each level, there is some variety and uniqueness to the look and feel, and to the enemies Dante encounters. This variety is one of the game's high points.

So, if the story is there but lackluster, does the gameplay itself save this game? Not really. It isn't bad, but it isn't great.

It is a competent deployment of third-person action. The combos are there, the upgradable abilities are there and the progression is there; but none of these elements has the quality to lift the game above its peers.

In the end, it feels much like an average experience. Dante uses two main weapons: his scythe, taken from the Grim Reaper, and his magical holy cross, given to him by his slain wife. A player has the ability to upgrade Dante in a variety of ways. These are good qualities that the game possesses, but none of them stands out to make this a memorable experience.

If you are really thirsting for another third-person action game that has a solid foundation but no polish, then you'll enjoy Dante's Inferno. If you're a little more demanding and would like something with some depth and challenge, then skip this one, or at least wait until it hits the bargain bin.