Last October, we asked a very important question of gamers: should you buy Uncharted 2 or Brütal Legend? A few months have passed and the holiday season is over, but next week, gamers are once again going to have to make one of the most important decisions of their lives. On February 9, 2010, two triple-A titles are going to be released: BioShock 2 and Dante’s Inferno. If you’re like most of us, you’ll play them both eventually, but only one can be bought for full retail price on launch day. Even if you have $120 to spare and buy both of them, one has to be opened and played first. So what will it be?

In order to help with this decision, we have once again assembled a list of pros and cons for each title. This should make it easier to choose a game—or harder, if you had already decided and now have some reasons to change your mind.



Dante’s Inferno

When EA announced that they were publishing a video game adaptation of the centuries-old poem Inferno, written by Dante Alighieri, reactions were mixed. With a proven developer, strong advertising campaign, and potentially epic story, there are some definite positives, but also a few of reasons to hold off.

PRO:

•    Epic story. I’ve read Inferno a few times, and though it’s been years since I last flipped through Divine Comedy, I can envision Dante’s hell as a video game waiting to happen. The nine circles can be easily and sensibly divided into levels, and the underworld is rife with creatures just waiting to be boss fights.
•    Proven developer. Though not every title developed by Visceral Games has been a hit, they were responsible for the well received 2008 game Dead Space, as well as Dead Space: Extraction, one of the best Wii games of 2009. With the Dead Space series on their resume, I’m willing to at least check out what else they have to offer.
•    It’s a new property. As gamers, we tend to get a lot of sequels, tie-ins, and cheaply produced titles made by producers looking to make some quick cash. It’s important to support original titles so that developers can keep making them.

CON:

•    It’s an adaptation. Video game adaptations of other mediums are generally average at best. Of course, this isn’t your average tie-in; it’s had a long development cycle and enormous advertising budget. Still, the fact remains that trying to adapt a fourteenth-century poem for this medium may not work as well in execution as it does in theory.
•    It’s a God of War clone. Anyone who has played the game can tell you that the gameplay is extremely similar to that of Sony’s mythology-based franchise. In any other year, this might not be a big deal, but with God of War III right around the corner, gamers may want to save their cash and wait for the real deal.
•    There’s too much hype. I mentioned the advertising campaign for Dante’s Inferno, and that’s because the hype machine for this game was obnoxious. While it’s nice to see a strong show of support from EA, the marketing has focused more on cheesy gimmicks than actual gameplay. This is usually a giant red flag, and enough of a reason to be wary of Dante’s Inferno.



BioShock 2

It’s the sequel to one of the most beloved games of the generation, so BioShock 2 should be a no-brainer, right? Not necessarily. The game makes a strong case, but it might be in your best interests to hold off just a little bit.

PRO:

•    It’s the sequel to BioShock. Ultimately, this is what’s going to carry the most weight. To say that BioShock was critically acclaimed is an understatement. In addition to being the highest rated game of 2007, BioShock is regarded as one of the best games ever made. Why wouldn’t you want to get in on a sequel?
•    It’s got multiplayer. The first BioShock was a strictly solo experience. Sure, it was a great way to spend twenty hours and had a fair amount of replay value, but eventually it was left on gamers’ shelves to collect dust. With multiplayer, BioShock 2 should remain in systems for weeks, if not months, after it’s released.
•    Intriguing concept art. When BioShock 2’s character designer Colin Fix posted some concept art for the game on his blog a few months ago, I was very intrigued by his designs. They may have just been drawings, but as I said then, they made me even more excited about the final product, particularly his images of the Big Sister.
•    Revisiting Rapture. Rapture is one of the greatest video game environments ever designed, so a chance to explore more of its mythology is definitely great. I’d certainly love to learn more about this underwater dystopia.

CON:

•    It’s a sequel. In video games, sequels can either fix the problems of their predecessors, or become unnecessary additions that convolute a good story and tarnish the franchise’s reputation. When following a game like BioShock, there’s almost nowhere to go except down.
•    Ken Levine is not involved. BioShock 2 is being developed by a different studio than its predecessor, which could be a reason to worry. It’s hard enough following BioShock, but doing it with a new development team makes it more unlikely that BioShock 2 will be able to achieve the same lasting critical acclaim.
•    It’s not BioShock. Games like BioShock don’t come around very often. In the summer of 2007 and well into 2008, that title had most of the gaming world mesmerized. That kind of magic is going to be incredibly hard—maybe even impossible—to recreate. The developers can certainly try, but those expecting to be blown away on the same level as BioShock may be facing certain disappointment.

Now that we have laid out the reasons for and against each game, the rest is up to you. What will you buy on February 9? Which game will you play first? The choice is yours, and yours alone.