Dante's Inferno sends PSP to hell

  • By Mark Walton, GameSpot UK
  • Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:15 am PT

EA Redwood shores developing new Divine Comedy-based horror title; promises "same level" of gameplay as 360 and PS3 versions.

EA's promised work on investing in new IP has been both a blessing and a curse for the company, with titles such as Mirror's Edge and Dead Space being released to critical acclaim yet doing little to improve the publisher's disappointing sales.

At an event today in London, EA's investment into new IP continues as the publisher has announced that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 third-person action adventure game Dante's Inferno will also be coming to the PSP. The game is based on the poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and will see players navigate through the nine circles of hell (limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery) as they try to rescue their beloved Beatrice.

The game is under development at EA Redwood Shores, where the PS3 and 360 versions are also in the works. Previous titles to emerge from the Redwood Shores facility include last year's Dead Space and the recent Godfather II. EA has also brought in Artificial Mind and Motion, which has some substantial experience in the handheld space, having worked on several DS games, including The Lord of the Rings: Conquest and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe.

EA has promised PSP owners that they "can expect to get the same level of fast, responsive gameplay through all nine detailed and unique circles of hell we are aiming to achieve on the consoles." Though no firm release date has been given, the title has been in the works for three months and is set for release alongside its console counterparts in the first quarter of 2010.

Check out GameSpot's latest hands-on for more on Dante's Inferno.

112 Comments

  • pokolvrolok

    Posted May 18, 2009 12:07 pm PT

    Looks promising.

  • necronaux

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 11:47 am PT

    Looks and sounds interesting. But with dissapointing bombs like LOTR:C & GF:2, I'm not hopeful.

  • Mc_Trickz

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 11:26 am PT

    I also thought that would be the Devil May Cry but no :S !!Anyway,let's see if this game can be as strong as Resistance,MGS Portable Ops,Crisis Core,God Of War etc...

  • ranielanthony

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 4:05 am PT

    I hope that this game is going to be good because my PSP is so bored by not having enough games that are worth playing. Can somebody give me tips on what games to buy for my PSP. Please... I'm desperate.

  • gypsygib

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 10:57 pm PT

    45000 Sales, 1.3 million illegal downloads.

  • Fady117

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 10:56 pm PT

    Shockingly great!!!! I'm just hoping Dante's Inferno won't just turn out to be another God of War or Devil May Cry game, especially that you are fighting demons and minions from Hell. The original DIVINE COMEDY aside, I think this game turned the whole Dante Alighieri theme into fast-paced action and thriller to satisfy the player, rather than a dramatic, annoying progress. I believe the concept behind this game is to keep the players thrilled during playtime, so I expect fast timing and lots of boggies. Sure don't want that game to be ended quickly, given that there are only 9 levels. EA should take all the time they need....

  • zakkess

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 12:40 pm PT

    @ Nosnitsttam.yeah if people want godfather they should play the first one. i played it and i love it

  • Rottenwood

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 12:35 pm PT

    I certainly like the concept. Anything involving Electronic Arts makes me leery, but they have been making an effort to improve their image and range lately, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully they really dig into the themes of the original, rather than use it as a thin backdrop for a generic action game.

  • NND1

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 12:20 pm PT

    I thought PSP already went to Hell!

  • cccarrer

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 11:57 am PT

    It's called a comedy due to the fact it has an ending in which all characters do not die. Nothing to do with aristocratic humor ratings. Comedy in this sense is that it has a happy ending.

  • Virtual_Erkan

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 11:44 am PT

    Finally another great game for PSP

  • XanderZane

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 11:03 am PT

    This will be hit or miss when it's released. I'm not rushing out to get it. I'll wait for all the previews and reviews on it, and then decide. Just because a game looks good, doesn't mean it'll play good.

  • Threesixtyci

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 10:44 am PT

    ...I thought this was going to be about DMC.

  • valium88

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 10:24 am PT

    EA = great concepts, turning into unfinished crap... I never alow my self to get to excited by their games..

  • shyshyshy

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 9:25 am PT

    Judging by some of the comments here,I sense a little jealousy coming from the other platform. Good god, you have your zelda and mario already. Give the psp a break, why don't ya.

  • FidelSarcastro

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 9:09 am PT

    Their parents warned them not to go... they knew better than to play in that rye field for only the great abyss awaits them... there is but one man that can save them from the unmentionable horror... one man that dared to catch them against all odds...From acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay alongside EA Games presents The Catcher in the Rye.

    Coming Fall 2010 to 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivision, Ultimax, Commodore 64 and Virtual Boy.

    Catch em All 2010

  • Fatal_Byte

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 8:45 am PT

    I always like new PSP titles, especially ones that look good!

  • Nosnitsttam

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 7:43 am PT

    i wonder how they could release dead space, one of the finest horror titles in years, and then release godfather 2, one of the WORST titles in years

  • Mandalore_15

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 7:41 am PT

    @ Dzipprich:

    You're wrong about the references in The Divine Comedy. The reason it was called a "comedy" was because it was written in the common Italian language, rather than Latin which was used by scholars. When Dante was writing Inferno, he wanted it to be accessible to everyone. The books were later collected and called The Divine "Comedy" because a book written in the common tongue was considered humerous to the Italian aristocracy of the time.

  • Mandalore_15

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 7:36 am PT

    I think most people will get over the lack of faith to Dante's book if the game is good, just in the same way they forgave God of War for taking an absolute **** all over the original Greek myths. Who CARES if it's not true to the ancient stories? If they're great games, they're worth a play!

  • Bacausci

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 6:42 am PT

    i dont knowe what to say this game rocks

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 6:25 am PT

    This game looks pretty sweet!

  • ryanvalentine

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 5:24 am PT

    relax dzipprich. it's a game, it can't destroy a piece of literature. you sound like an idiot.

  • rohail88

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 4:51 am PT

    first day purchase for me!!it will be like another gow game on the psp!!

  • char1968

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 4:38 am PT

    looks pretty cool

  • Dzipprich posted Apr 23, 2009 4:12 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Dzipprich

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 4:12 am PT (hide)

    You know, I don't mean to double post here...but I just read back over some of the posts here and one of them reminded me of the key reason this CAN'T be Dante's Inferno. Dante was indeed escorted by Virgil and he was never harmed and never got into any combat situation. He was unharmed through the walk. It was a scenic tour, not a fight. If they add fighting...they are straying from the base of the story. EA....you have destroyed something that is incredible. I would say that you should be ashamed but clearly you have no shame, dignity, or grace. Change the name of the game...change the character names....change the intro movie just a bit or call it "We are EA games and we like to destroy things"

  • Dzipprich posted Apr 23, 2009 4:01 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Dzipprich

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 4:01 am PT (hide)

    I think they are out of their minds. They are going to destroy a beautiful piece of literature. They are going to make it a gorefest disturbing bloody limb-o-rama and as the article says, it's based on "The Divine COMEDY". The thing about Dante's Inferno is that it's time sensitive. If you watch SNL from the 1970's you won't understand the weekend update. If you read Dante's Inferno...you won't understand it either. All the people mentioned within his poem were officials and government members. It was apparently hilarious when it was in it's proper time. Now EA is going to put it on a PSP? Someone will ask a high schooler what they though of Dante's Inferno and they will say "I had troubles beating level 6". Really EA? Really? Idiots.

  • jamesxboxgames

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 3:42 am PT

    One of EA's best decisions!

  • Zerosumgame

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 1:55 am PT

    I detest any EA's creation!

  • herviross_2

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 1:49 am PT

    I think a PSP version of this might be good.

  • darkspineslayer

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 11:09 pm PT

    If it turns out to be good, it will send the PSP to hell when everybody pirates the game

  • Gelugon_baat

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:36 pm PT

    "...titles such as Mirror's Edge and Dead Space being released to critical acclaim yet doing little to improve the publisher's disappointing sales..."

    That is because Electronic Arts has a stigma of having being associated with very bad, money-grubbing games.

    That, and EA's games tend to be heavily pirated.

    Anyway, I wonder why GameSpot used such an odd title for this article, "sending PSPs to hell". It can end up propagating the wrong message, such as this upcoming game actually frying PSPs.

  • painpas

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:29 pm PT

    This sounds pretty good. I'm intrigued borderline excited to see more.

  • travisstaggs

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:16 pm PT

    Looks like it has potential and might actually be good on home consoles, but PSP not so sure.

  • maltnut

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:13 pm PT

    Ah, here it is, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_(video_game) The other game I was referencing, not exactly like this of course, but it was to be set in Dante's inferno. It would have been interesting to see The Lost resurrected. If you want to see the other one, just type "Four Horsemen" into gamespot's search bar.

  • ivanfred

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:11 pm PT

    tawagivercetti: more PSP love please!!!
    ================
    Yeah, it is comforting to know that developers are giving the PSP some attention. Uh, was it not just a few months ago that the PSP was written off as dead? Although it will never be as popular as the DS (which I own) there are great things that can developers can accomplish by making games for it.
    Shoot, I still can't believe that Rock Band is coming to PSP.

  • hatieshorrer

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:08 pm PT

    If game sales are such a concern why dont they make a DS version as it says in the artical "EA has also brought in Artificial Mind and Motion, which has some substantial experience in the handheld space, having worked on several DS games" also didnt gamespot print an artical that said 39% of EA's profits for 2008 were from Wii games so why not a Wii version.

    For a company concerned about profits I have to ask why do they favor consoles that are saling the least of their games?

  • maltnut

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:05 pm PT

    Well, now that they've taken this and changed it all around from the original video game (Which was looking stiff gameplay-wise, but had a good story), I wonder if they're going to pick up Four Horsemen, that one looked pretty cool at the time too.

  • emacdaddy08

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 9:04 pm PT

    @corgansmate haha your right man, i completely agree

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:47 pm PT

    more PSP love please!!!

  • leonard88

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:37 pm PT

    i hope it turns out good

  • corgansmate

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:36 pm PT

    3.42: Dante not that different to most video game characrters, come what the hell was Mario doing all that time chasing after Peach?

  • nurse_tsunami

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:34 pm PT

    I have to say I loved reading this series back in high school. It is kind of funny when you think about the fact that Dante used it kind of a payback to people he hated by placing them in the different cantos of Hell. His descriptions of elaborate punishments for those in Hell were down right gruesome. I wish this one was also coming to the PC as well.

  • _F_F_7_

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:32 pm PT

    Why the hell is everybody saying 'I hope it will be as good as GOW'. GOW was a joke on PSP, I beat it in under 4 hours!! Are you serious!! ZERO replay value!! FF7CC is 463 times better, I got dozens of hours out of it. If this game is 'as good' as GOW then I won't even think about buying it.

    Here comes the hate mail!!

  • EcksBocks360

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:17 pm PT

    Wow. It looks like it will scare the crap outta people like it did 700 years ago.

  • DEATH775

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 8:09 pm PT

    Hope it would be as good as God of War: Chain of Olympus

  • jazznate

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 7:56 pm PT

    Very ambitious idea, has a lot of potential to be great.

  • BlackTiger950

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 7:39 pm PT

    In the inferno, dante is guided thru hell by virgil so i wouldnt be surprised if thats where the dmc names come from. haven't heard sparda or nero tho

  • godzillavskong

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 7:31 pm PT

    Thats a big promise.

  • gameie1994

    Posted Apr 22, 2009 7:20 pm PT

    Intriguing.....

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