Daria's Inferno
by Pearson Software

Our Price: $61.99
Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days
Buy Used: from $34.89 (click here)
Category: Video Games
See more product details and other editions

Product Summary

• PC Gamer [with CD] (1-year)
• Pimpjuice Premium Energy Drink, Extra Strength Formula, 8-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24)

Video Game Reviews of Daria's Inferno

Customer Review: 30 minute pseudo-episode, yes..... puzzle game, no.
Summary: 3 Stars

Graphics in the game are about what you'd expect from a 2D animation heroine - although the backgrounds in the "cut scenes" noticably lack detail, and the repetitive reuse of Trent for level transitions gets annoying. There's only about 20 minutes of material on this CD, couldn't they at least put a change in there?

Gameplay is, well.... insulting to Daria fans. This CD is marked as rated for teenagers 13+. Most Daria fans I've seen on the net are between 15 and 45 (I'm almost 30). The mindset needed for this game to be an actual puzzle would be about 5, however. Every object in the game has a use, but there are only about 30 total objects, almost all of which you literally CAN NOT miss. If their use weren't extremely obvious already (what would you try to do first with a garage door opener with a garage nearby, for example?) - the Sick Sad World segments spell it completely out for you. Kevin Thompson could beat this game in a day.

I must admit that there is one challenge however -- not getting so irritated at the interface that you use the CD as a frisbee. Movement of Daria is controlled with either the keyboard arrow keys (with _no_ use of diagonals on the keypad) or the mouse. Unfortunately, application of items on "irritants" aka enemies is _also_ with the same mouse button. Miss by a pixel and you walk straight into what you were trying to negate. I guess this was needed for the Mac port (I know 2+ button mice for Macs _exist_ but they are an option, after all...).

Setting aside the above -- is it worth it? Well, if you have a child of 5 or 6, sure. It's a fun little game. Otherwise, you _must_ be a fan of the show to enjoy this game. A rabid fan, possibly. There are gems for the fans, including an extended version of the show's theme "You're Standing on my Neck" by Splendora in the credits. Daria's comments throughout the game are also amusing, as is the storyline. As dream sequence

episodes go, I'd rather have seen this plot than "Depth Takes a Holiday".

Description of Daria's Inferno

This game is quite remarkable in that it truly captures the flavor of the show on which it is based. Somewhat surprisingly, Daria's deadpan humor translates beautifully to an interactive format. Sly in-jokes abound, with lots of witty touches--visual references to classic European paintings, for example. Helpful tips come packaged in the form of clips from Daria's own favorite TV program, Sick Sad World. As she pursues the lost objects, Daria herself is pursued by a number of irritants: nagging parents, mall retail staff, and even Charles Ruttheimer. Too much contact with these forces can overload Daria with irritation, causing you to lose the game. Luckily, players who don't want to spend their gaming time dodging these pests can usually find a way to defuse them, whether it's by crushing them in a giant book, using a voodoo doll, or warding off Quinn with a pair of unfashionable clogs.

If there is a significant drawback to Daria's Inferno, it's that it's too short. There are only five missing items to find (to really draw a comparison to Dante's Inferno, there should have been nine), and the levels in which the items are found have some unfortunate repetition. Young players will find the game somewhat challenging, but its mature humor might make some parents uneasy. Teen and adult players will finish the game in a matter of hours. These factors make Daria's Inferno a game best suited to those players predisposed to love it--those who are already fans of the television program. --Alyx Dellamonica

Mac Games

• Video Games > Categories > Mac