Dante Inferno Video Game
The classic Italian classic about Dante's journey through the nine circles of Hell, has been adapted and transformed into a first person shooter for the Xbox and PS3. In the original Inferno, Dante is a penitent and repentant soul, saved at the last moment from suicide, and given a tour of the afterlife. He passes by the horrific scenes of torture and punishment, descending to the lower levels of Hell in what is essentially a pilgrimage. He observes, but does not interfere. Dante certainly does not try to save any of the damned from their fate, which according to the author they richly deserved. As well, it would have been sacrilegous for Dante to suggest that his literary alter ego could have defied the will of God by saving anyone that He had condemned to damnation.
Of course, those were more pious times. In the modern re-visioning of the epic poem, Dante is a kick ass soldier returned from the Crusades. In order to save his own soul, and rescue his beloved Beatrice (who in the original is not in Hell, and does not appear until the third book, the Paradiso) he enters the netherworld armed with Death's Scythe, and a Holy Cross both of which he uses to smite demons, monsters and creatures as he carves his way through the nine circles of Hell.
Players will accompany Dante through the nine circles of Hell described by Alighieri, a place populated by the lustful, greedy, the avaricious, the prodigal, heretics, violent, fraudsters and finally traitors. Each circle has its own appearance and take over the demons, monsters, and damned places described in the poem.
To vanquish the demons of Hell, Dante is equipped with two main weapons: the scythe stolen from Death and a Holy Cross given to him by Beatrice, a cross with spiritual powers that will help Dante to collect souls and defeat lots of creatures on his quest. Within the game, Dante can gain experience, and skills which are vital when Dante encounters the fiercest creatures of Hell. Dante can also deprive some of his enemies of their will by turning the punishment of hell against them.
Based on the same technology as the multi award-winning Dead Space, Dante's Inferno provides a fast combat experience, fluid and precise animation at 60 frames per second, which is essential in the action-adventure genre.
Let us hope that the inevitable sequel to this game does not involve Dante breaking into Heaven with some mystical weaponry and forcing God to let him the Pearly Gates.