We literary types are a snooty lot. We wonder, sometimes, which planet video-gamers are from, or if they even can be classified as intelligent life form. Of course, since we have no time for these 'childish games' we have little idea how sophisticated they can get, and even if we do, we would still question, condescendingly, their contribution towards the advancement of the human race and civilization.
Okay. While no Nobel prizes are about to be awarded for this genre anytime soon, this headline in Wired.com caught my attention: Dante's Inferno proves it: Classic literature is a videogame gold mine. Really?
The story says that Electronic Arts has made a videogame of Dante Alighieri’s epic adventure through the circles of hell, to be played on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Now, the development team is looking at other classic literary works for inspiration. Wow! I may become a gamer yet.
From the video commercial, it does look awesome. But what do I know? I am most definitely not a gamer, and this could very well be one of those 'been there, done that' type as far as videogames go. The Wired review more or less says that. Gus Mustrapa calls this hack-and-slash action game 'derivative'. Apparently, it 'pilfers' every nuance from God of War, a game by Sony. Still, Mastrapa calls it a 'ballsy take on literature ...' with "phallic imagery that ... is about as blue as you'll ever see in a videogame that isn't rated Adults Only."
Mastrapa adds, 'The game's best moment is when it goes big. The reveal of Dis, the massive city of the dead, is striking: Just before Dante batters down the doors and starts trashing the place, the camera pulls back to reveal the citadel's smouldering walls. Dante, atop a giant demon, is dwarfed by this metropolis of the damned. Hell feels like a big, big place brimming with unfortunate souls.
"The Old Testament morality of Dante's Inferno got into my head after hours of sin and punishment. By the time I made it to the final circle, where traitors, liars and politicians suffer, I made a mental note to do my best to be nice to others. After centuries, fire and brimstone
still do the trick."
I, so, want to play this game!
From the video commercial, it does look awesome. But what do I know? I am most definitely not a gamer, and this could very well be one of those 'been there, done that' type as far as videogames go. The Wired review more or less says that. Gus Mustrapa calls this hack-and-slash action game 'derivative'. Apparently, it 'pilfers' every nuance from God of War, a game by Sony. Still, Mastrapa calls it a 'ballsy take on literature ...' with "phallic imagery that ... is about as blue as you'll ever see in a videogame that isn't rated Adults Only."
Mastrapa adds, 'The game's best moment is when it goes big. The reveal of Dis, the massive city of the dead, is striking: Just before Dante batters down the doors and starts trashing the place, the camera pulls back to reveal the citadel's smouldering walls. Dante, atop a giant demon, is dwarfed by this metropolis of the damned. Hell feels like a big, big place brimming with unfortunate souls.
"The Old Testament morality of Dante's Inferno got into my head after hours of sin and punishment. By the time I made it to the final circle, where traitors, liars and politicians suffer, I made a mental note to do my best to be nice to others. After centuries, fire and brimstone
still do the trick."
I, so, want to play this game!
Apparently, they received a record number of submissions for this year's 
