Dante’s Inferno is here, and it is awesome. The problem is, a lot of people will never know how awesome it is, because all they can think is “it’s a God of War clone.” I’ve always wondered what that really means. Aren’t all games clones of something else? Isn’t every first-person shooter just a clone of Maze War (1973)? Are we so married to the games we love that we automatically blanch at any game that looks slightly similar?
Because there is only a limited amount of things to do in a video game, “clones” are here to stay. Sometimes they’re worse than their spiritual parents, sometimes they’re just as good, and occasionally they are better. Darksiders, the first game ever released by Vigil Games, is considered a clone of Legend of Zelda (with some God of War and Devil May Cry mixed in), and I love it. This is just my opinion, but start the flame war anyhow, I think Darksiders is better than a number of Zelda iterations (yeah, I’m looking at you Majora’s Mask). Instead of thinking “zelda clone,” I look at it as using tried and tested mechanics with a deep story, beautiful (though desolate) world, and awesome characters. Maybe the Zelda guys could learn a few things from Darksiders, such as having a protagonist who talks; better yet, make the Legend of Zelda world just as dark as the storylines you’re giving us. If the world is going to hell, I don’t want to be playing with rainbow colored tricksters.
Good games use what works. Let us not forget that though God of War was highly praised when it was released, it was also considered a clone of Legacy of Kain and Devil May Cry. It just did things better. Sometimes a game, even a “clone,” is so good that it validates itself. In an interview with Esquire Magazine (NSFW), Anna Torv (Fringe, and the voice of Nariko from Heavenly Sword) has this to say about playing video games:
I didn’t know much about video games. There are some awfully violent ones. But Heavenly Sword is different. I’ve had huge conversations with a friend who made it. I think what he wants to do is to make the player care. Yes, there’s killing. But the character I play in Heavenly Sword, Nariko, is ultimately protecting her family and this runaway girl. It’s a beautiful game. It’s beyond a video game. The landscape is to protect and to care. My friend is working toward a world where you get an emotion out of the people who are playing it. See if you can make them cry if they couldn’t save the people who they were trying to protect. This isn’t Pac-Man.
Granted, she may be biased because she voice acted for the game, but this was how I felt about Heavenly Sword when I played through it. In hopes of starting a second flame war, I have to say that I have always thought Heavenly Sword (a highly criticized God of War clone) is better than God of War. In my opinion, it has one of the best stories of most games I have played, the graphics are beautiful, it controls well, and I cannot think of better voice acting in any game.
So, let’s leave Dante’s Inferno alone. It is definitely good enough to stand on its own. Instead, let’s look at some games that were great and were also considered clones:
- Heavenly Sword (God of War)
- Dante’s Inferno (God of War)
- Call of Duty (Medal of Honor)
- Rock Band (Guitar Hero)
- Arcanum (Baldur’s Gate)
- World of Warcraft (Everquest)
- Darksiders (Legend of Zelda)
- Splinter Cell (Metal Gear Solid)
- Crystalis (original Legend of Zelda)
- Bayonetta (Devil May Cry)
- Final Fantasy (Dragon Warrior)
There are a ton more, but I think my point has been made. Moving forward, I think we should enjoy a game for the sake of that game, rather than try and compare it to others. The only comparison that should be made is in helping to describe what a game plays like, not in rating said game.
Popularity: unranked [?]
