You think you’re having a bad day? Try carrying a family bloodline burden where you have to traverse the very gates of Hell to renew bonds that separate our world from true evil. Well, that kind of already exists, but if you don’t fulfil your duties in The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline, very literally, all Hell will break loose.
If you’ve read anything besides a screen, i.e. a ‘book’, you might be familiar with Dante’s Inferno – maybe you played the video game!? It’s a classic tale from a poem named The Divine Comedy, which has been retold in various ways or another throughout a multitude of media. It’s back to the video game world, and this time, it’s a first-person walking simulator by One-O-One Games.
I was hesitant to classify The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline as a walking simulator, though based on my experience with the demo and subsequent peek at the Steam store page, it’s exactly that. Some viewers may switch off to this thought, though before you go, know that this is a visual treat, and the story, so far, ain’t half bad.
You play as Gabriele – a descendant of Dante Alighieri – who is classed as a guardian tasked with renewing the binds at Hell’s Gate that Dante set all those many centuries ago. Every 33 years, a member of the bloodline will enter the portal that is Hell, face their innermost fears and successfully bind it once more. It’s 1993, and now it’s Gabriele’s turn to represent.
Starting in a rather lavish mansion, the first job is to locate a key, some statues, and then open the portal. This is the only objective required in the game, and I successfully complicated it by trying to solve a non-existent chess puzzle. In reality, all the parts required are right under your nose and just need a little stomping about. This is encouraged anyway, as the game is a technical showreel of how good games can look.
While the interior design is not to my tastes and somewhat highbrow, the visuals were stunning. The lighting is spot on, textures look the business, and no one area looks like one of those regurgitated Backroom type games. This comes at a price, as The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline was stumbling on both my Steam Deck and mid-range-ish PC, so I had to switch to a more powerful one.
Once you jump through that portal, you’re then in a lucid dream of sorts called The Dive. A mysterious voice begins to speak to Gabriele, serving as a guide, then just as they’re about to reveal themselves, the demo ends. Damnation! Though I’m not particularly a fan of walking simulators and being a voyeur of useless 3D objects, I am motivated by a good story, and thus far, it’s intriguing. Bear in mind that the source material is a good starting point. Besides that, The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline is a stunning game to look at, and I’m particularly excited to explore The Dive more when the time presents itself.
