The blogs I consider to be SVGL's "neighbors in spirit" -- Michael Abbott, Chris Dahlen, Mitch Krpata, Iroquois Pliskin, Corvus Elrod, L.B. Jeffries, Duncan Fyfe, to name just a few, are written by folks with whom I share a key motivation: to elevate the discussion around games. While I don't think any of us begrudges our audience games that are just for fun, we also seem to share a desire to see games that are more than that, even while we look at what's out there to see if we can see things in more nuance.So while I can't speak for everyone or anything, I'd say we're the group most likely to have collectively groaned at the adrenaline-and-testosterone-ization of The Divine Comedy as rendered by EA's Visceral Games with Dante's Inferno. The slim hope that we'd see a thought-provoking video game allegory on sin, suicide, revenge and redemption quickly dissipated when we learned the titular soul-seeker would be recast as a scythe-wielding Crusader out to rescue Beatrice from a pervy Lucifer. Wha?
Anyway, since I'm usually accused of taking myself too seriously, it might surprise you that while I'm reserving judgment for now on whether or not Dante's Inferno is a "good" game -- I only saw a brief demo -- I don't really mind the generous liberties with the source material. Yeah, y'know? It's okay. After seeing the game I explained at Gamasutra why I think it's okay if it doesn't aim that high. For a counterpoint, check out Brian Crecente's impressions: he says the liberties taken with the adaptation "threaten to deflate the experience."
And for a much more elaborate counterpoint, I highly recommend you visit First Wall Rebate, the smart folks with whom I did a (wholly sober and thoughtful!!!) podcast a few weeks ago. It's a bit lengthy -- this coming from me -- but this is the kind of thorough, thoughtful analysis my neighbors and I really love to dig into, so if you've got some time and a chin to stroke, you should definitely give it a read.
It also makes me think a little bit about who the audience for a game like this is really meant to be. Is it terribly cynical of me to say "the core market's just not that smart," and "at least now they'll have heard of the poem?"
In a similar vein, this user comment on the Dante's Inferno official site keeps cracking me up: "I legitimately have a tattoo of Dante's Inferno on my triceps. I was wonderin if there is any type of help I can get with obtaining the game."
You could probably legitimately obtain one at retail when it comes out, bro. Also PICS PLZ.
[UPDATE: If you missed it in the comments section, my Gamasutra colleague and Idle Thumbs maestro Chris Remo has also weighed in, and expands on it a bit at his blog.]
