But he was certainly never a scythe-totin’, demon-slayin’ loose cannon veteran of the Crusades who doesn’t play by the rules.

I wish I were being facetious. In Visceral Games’ Dante’s Inferno, instead of lamenting over the death of Beatrice and writing some pretty epic poetry by the light of a fire, Dante – returning home from the Crusades – takes Death’s scythe and plunges into the Underworld to rescue Beatrice’s soul.

So it’s safe to assume that, as a student of English and Literature, I won’t be propping this interpretation of Dante up on my desk anytime soon. Not unless I want to totally ruin my scholarly cred. The worst part? The game, as a medium for play, is probably really fun. God of War-like. Too bad it’s dressed in disservice.

I’ll have a chance to play Dante’s Inferno at the Game X Industry Summit this weekend in Oaks, PA, so who knows. Maybe it will somehow, magically, offend less.

[via Kotaku]

If your response is also a resounding “what?”, then just wait–it gets better. “The time is right for the world of interactive entertainment to adapt this literary masterpiece, and to re-introduce Dante to an audience that, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer for Dante’s Inferno. “It’s the perfect opportunity to fuse great gameplay with great story.”

Somehow, epic poems that form a cornerstone of classic literature need “third person action adventures” to serve as their introductions. It’s not at all a bad idea, guys, but please, roll back on the hubris. Y’know. For the (uneducated) children.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

EA’s teaser trailer is certainly evocative of Dante’s hell, but I’m gonna guess, from this footage, that the game will have considerably less fainting and fewer political overtones than the source material. EA  has not yet announced any consoles, release dates, or really anything other than the fact that the game exists.

[Dante's Inferno via 1UP]