There have been a number of complaints lodged against EA's upcoming action title, Dante's Inferno, mostly because it looks to be nothing like the book, and apparently serves only to piss upon everything that has ever been written by mankind, ever. Personally, after watching the above video and looking over some of the provided screens, I have to say this -- what's the big bloody deal?
I intend to write more on the subject in a full feature, so I'll just say this for now -- anybody who can look at the above footage and not think that the scene with pink snappy penis mouths is awesome has lost the right to have an opinion on anything involving pink snappy penis mouths.
Literary sacrilege or not, I am in support of any game that wants to use the Nine Circles as the backdrop for a violent bloodbath game. That is to say nothing of a game brassy enough to use the phrase "Go To Hell" as a tagline. Respect due.
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Agreed, and the references are deeper than face value. I mean, a 14,000 line conversation between two poets doesn't make for a good God of War clone at first glance, but it seems they're trying to make it work. I just read an article on Eurogamer about how they intend to adapt the fiction to the game.
In fact, they seemed to be getting a little defensive about it.
My only problem with the game is that the gameplay is much to close to God of War. I'd like to see the game do something more innovative on the combat front.
I don't fucking see YOU providing me with a delicious, tasty chicken sangwich and a Frosty (in which I shall dip my fries) ice cream treat at 1 A.M. on a Saturday night after smoking pot and playing Street Fighter all day!
You do NOT talk shit about Wendy's. You're a lost soul!
EA is taking artistic license to the max. Which is okay, since it's a video game. I mean the book is just a commentary on politics which a hellish allegory. I mean how boring would that be if they did make an exact book to video game transition?
I kind of expected this to happen. This is a video game and it is made by EA.
What was everyone expecting, an interactive novel like This? Personally, I think it will be OK as long as there are an abundance of pink snappy penis mouths.
I was completely ambivalent to this game. Couldn't care less. But after seeing the "pink snappy penis things", I'm interested. That's the kind of batshit awesome I can get behind.
As soon as Dante Alighieri's copyright expired, the Inferno name and book itself could be made into anything. I personally have always dreamed about a Hello Kitty Inferno production.
I can't remember where I heard it before but wasn't this game supposed to be a modern take on the Dante's Inferno story? Before watching the trailer I was expecting guns and trench coats and cigarettes/drugs and emo haircuts. Did they change direction midway during development or is my mind implanting false memories into itself again?
Still looks interesting though. Not too excited with how the main character looks, however.
A problem I see is that The Inferno is a damn good read and a scary one at that. Its been widely adopted as a close representation to what many people believe hell to be like. Its pretty high up there on my best books/poems I've read list. When you take something like that and try to make a video game out of it there are those that won't like it at all, they see it as cheapening a literary masterpiece. I'll admit when I first heard of it I shook my head but was curious as to how they were going to handle it. As a backdrop for a game, anything hell related is pretty damn good. But I'd rather see it marketed as "based" on Dante's Inferno than just Dante's Inferno. Its a slippery slope, its along the same lines as Watchmen. There are Watchmen fanboys that still wish their beloved comic wasn't made into a movie.
The first words out of my mouth after I saw the trailer was "that guy looks like Ryu from Ninja Gaiden."
You know, if this were named anything else but Dante's Inferno, I wouldn't care. If they can pull a good game out of this and keep a connection to the source material other than "broody guy searches for dead girlfriend throughout hell", then good on them.
That said, two things: 1. Agreeing with other comments, seriously looks like Ninja Gaiden if you're not watching too closely. 2. No matter how you slice it, a cock's a cock.
@Wookie - I've read Inferno. The suicide part is neat, but was lost with the Wrath one. Placed in boiling blood with depth by amount of wrath? So is there a guy who was a little wrathful standing in a centimeter of blood thinking how mildly sore his feet are?
@stungunmaster - Your game sounds more interesting.
Hopefully it'll be at least a serviceable rip off of other great games within it's genre. So long as it controls well and lets me hurt people with ease, I'll probably give it a try when it releases.
What the-- was the giant snappy penis-mouth thing supposed to be Cerberus? I'm confused...still, I'd have no beef with the game as long as they have the proper boss character for the appropriate Circles (i.e. Cerberus is the boss of the 3rd Circle, Plutus the Fourth, and so on...)
@Mighty Pinto: Well, technically there isn't any "boss" characters in Dante's Inferno :P. However, I do know that each circle is supposed to represent certain sins and vices of humanity.
The top circle, where the eternally lost dwell, only stand in constant silence and look up to Heaven and sigh as they realize that Heaven will never be theirs. They weren't sinful people....just not Godly people. The seven circles below that represent a certain sin (the 7 deadly) and then the last circle is where Lucifer sits trapped up to his waist in ice (and looking rather bored I might add).
I am assuming that all the mouth creatures that constantly eat and fight over food is the circle of Gluttony.
Well, before too many comparisons to God of War start flying, let's consider how completely unepic the original poem is. Still, if they try to make it a decent game and not just rely on the title to sell copies, it might be worth at least a rent.
Despite some negativity here, I'm going to keep an open mind on this game. Remember Dead Space anyone? While it wasn't on anyones radar, it turned out to be a cracking little game, and showed that EA are taking more creative chances. Good for them and us. I'd rather see this game than them relying on half baked sports franchises,tooo any day.
I haven't read Dante's Inferno, but their take on the poem in game from should hopefully tweak gamers into reading such a classic, a good thing for everyone, in an age where people read less. What would be superb, is if EA gave away a copy of Dante's Inferno book with the game. Don't like their supposed raping of a classic, then ignore and don't buy it.
Sure, I'm feeling the God of War vibe from it, but there's nothing wrong with that (learn from the best). Heaven and hell have been covered in many ways, many times in books, films etc. I'll look forward to the demo of Dante's Inferno (maybe at E3 time.
In all seriousness, as people have been complaining against me for disliking the idea of the game: The only issue I have is with the designers putting Dante's name on it. It is not Dante's Inferno, it is EA's Inferno.
Personally, I find this game fucking hilarious. Especially the pink snappy penis mouths. Maybe they could get all the famous historical faces from the poem into the game as well?
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Contest:
9:25 PM on 02.24.2009
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In fact, they seemed to be getting a little defensive about it.
The premise will make a good video game, following the actual book structure would make it the most horrible thing since Wendy's.
And Wendy's is FUCKING disgusting shit.
I don't fucking see YOU providing me with a delicious, tasty chicken sangwich and a Frosty (in which I shall dip my fries) ice cream treat at 1 A.M. on a Saturday night after smoking pot and playing Street Fighter all day!
You do NOT talk shit about Wendy's. You're a lost soul!
I'd rather go the hell.
OH SHIT I MADE A FUNNY.
What was everyone expecting, an interactive novel like This? Personally, I think it will be OK as long as there are an abundance of pink snappy penis mouths.
(Out of curiosity, how many people here have actually read the Divine Comedy in it's entirety?)
Jim, good job with the intro voice over
*cough*
Still looks interesting though. Not too excited with how the main character looks, however.
The first words out of my mouth after I saw the trailer was "that guy looks like Ryu from Ninja Gaiden."
Well Suck it Down(tm), beacuse John Romero is About to Make You His Bitch(tm).
That said, two things: 1. Agreeing with other comments, seriously looks like Ninja Gaiden if you're not watching too closely. 2. No matter how you slice it, a cock's a cock.
@stungunmaster - Your game sounds more interesting.
Ive finished Inferno and got bored half way through purgatorio.
The top circle, where the eternally lost dwell, only stand in constant silence and look up to Heaven and sigh as they realize that Heaven will never be theirs. They weren't sinful people....just not Godly people. The seven circles below that represent a certain sin (the 7 deadly) and then the last circle is where Lucifer sits trapped up to his waist in ice (and looking rather bored I might add).
I am assuming that all the mouth creatures that constantly eat and fight over food is the circle of Gluttony.
Viva la literature lesson!
I haven't read Dante's Inferno, but their take on the poem in game from should hopefully tweak gamers into reading such a classic, a good thing for everyone, in an age where people read less. What would be superb, is if EA gave away a copy of Dante's Inferno book with the game. Don't like their supposed raping of a classic, then ignore and don't buy it.
Sure, I'm feeling the God of War vibe from it, but there's nothing wrong with that (learn from the best). Heaven and hell have been covered in many ways, many times in books, films etc. I'll look forward to the demo of Dante's Inferno (maybe at E3 time.
Some of us didn't want to see the same regurgitated garbage stemming from a massive lack of imagination.
Dante's Inferno has a lot of interesting things going on, and this game captures very few of them.
In all seriousness, as people have been complaining against me for disliking the idea of the game: The only issue I have is with the designers putting Dante's name on it. It is not Dante's Inferno, it is EA's Inferno.
Some times EA surprises me(dead space) and then this stuff comes out. I dont know, I most likely rent it.