Dante’s Inferno: What the Hell?
I’m usually a pretty big fan of EA games. EA has some pretty bomb titles that span a vast array of genres, appeasing everyone from fratboys to regular folks who want to play house with excellent series like the EA sports titles, Rock Band, Need for Speed, James Bond, and the Sims.
EA’s generally got some pretty good games, great titles, and excellent franchises lined up — great business plan.
But then they have Dante’s Inferno.
Admittedly, part of this disappointment is because I am an English grad (boy that feels good to say, though it still won’t get me a job). The game is clearly a complete bastardization of Dante’s masterpiece. Though this happens all the time with movies, somehow, the video game just doesn’t do it much justice. Same old story.
It’s forced to fit into the conventions of what make a video game enjoyable: tons of enemies, boss battles, puzzling levels (haha! different circles of hell!), a noble mission to rescue the damsel in distress (poetically, she was simply the muse, but I suppose that motivation to save her is the video game parallel of inspiring the poet’s literary journey). It’s also forced to be an attractive, sell-able brand: Dante was a poet, sure, but to sell, he’s got to be really buff and manly, and wield a big sword. I suppose I have no problem with the former (unlike literary aficionados, I feel like video gamers might shy away from undernourished protagonists), and the latter makes sense because Dante of the video game is not on a mission to carry on singsong conversations with the dead and tormented Popes and lusty lovers in this action-packed adaptation. But I have to ask — why does Dante look like a crusading King Arthur Grim Reaper/Dementor/Saint?
What makes me even more disappointed is that it doesn’t even look that great. It’s not particularly original (excepting its far-flung interpretation of Dante’s work) as it is basically what God of War is to Greek mythology, the adapted plot sounds shallow and cliche (I think the Mario franchise already did the whole ’save the princess’ charade), and the graphics don’t look particularly groundbreaking. The gameplay might be slightly appealing, but I’d really rather be playing God of War III.
And what really doesn’t help the case of Dante’s Inferno, you have this:
This is a reprint edition book cover for the original body of Dante’s work. Branded by EA and Random House.
What is this? Some desperate stab from both industries trying to make a classic novel (that’s taught anyways in most American high school/college level literature classes) contemporary and relevant again? Or their sad, sad attempt to reach out to literature aficionados? A bizarre attempt to unite the fronts of lit geeks and gamer geeks together? Against them?
And who wrote that copy? “The literary classic game that inspired the video game from Electronic Arts” as if its greatest literary achievement was to inspire (what could well be) a horrible video game. Dante Alighieri is rolling in his grave right now. It’s worse than making a book based on the game, based on the book.
However, in EA’s defense, I suppose that this sort of swapping book covers happens all the time with movies that are based on books. Films often partner with books and replace original covers with art from the film, along with a tagline “Now a Major Motion Picture”, like most Nicholas Sparks books, or Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men:
I might be old fashioned (for once), but I kind of like the original engravings and other such creepy classical artwork that adorn the original covers and pages:
But whatever EA’s up to with Dante’s Inferno, my innate angry video game nerd and irate English major are joining together, screaming (with puns intended): WHAT THE HELL?
