New Dante's Inferno Trailer Explores Lust

[Shawn Zipay]

A new trailer for the Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood) developed Dante's Inferno was just released the other day. The developer diary shows off some new gameplay footage while taking us on a short trip through the Lust level. Nudity, violence, and torture are the key factors here, so there's really something for every member of the family to enjoy!

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I do believe we have just discovered CS-Nation's new motto: "Let's just hang a penis out there and call it a day."

Dante's Inferno is slated to begin offending parents and religious fanatics in 2010 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC platforms.

[nemes1s3000]

Re: New Dante's Inferno Trailer Explores Lust

It's amazing how most people can't distinguish reality from virtual reality.

[-:Nighthawk:-]

Re: New Dante's Inferno Trailer Explores Lust

I don't think it's an issue of fantasy vs. reality, honestly. No one thinks that if you watch a violent movie that people were actually killed in the making of it.

However, this will clearly (and intentionally) be offensive material to many people. If their whole intent is to display offensive imagery, then I have to wonder about the mental state of people who can look at it and not have any revulsion.

Ultimately, this is a website for people who like to pretend to shoot each other, knowing that nobody will be harmed in the process. There's a natural desire for competition and violence, the "warrior mentality" that craves this process, and FPS games do a fairly good job of allowing us to have those experiences in a non-destructive way. Our society views violence in certain contexts to be fine (such as the military).

This pushes that experience to the next level, letting you dabble in a world of everything that common society has deemed horribly immoral. I'm not a fan, myself. I find that even in the realm of fantasy, some things affect the way we think and desensitize us more than others. I remember a sick feeling the first time I saw a body gibbed by explosives in Quake. Now I don't have any sort of emotional response to that imagery--I've been desensitized to some extent.

In the same way that I am not bothered by nudity but find pornography to be offensive, I find that there are distinctions in how similar subject material is presented. This is also how I feel about art dealing with Dante's conception of a world for the damned. I play primarily for fun, and to experience things I'm curious about without consequences--be it combat simulation or racing games. Traveling through a world of depravity isn't something I personally care to experience, real or not.

Like everything else, though, nobody will force me to play this, so likely the impact on my life will be negligible. The main opposition won't be from those who are offended by the content; rather, it will be from those who are offended by the idea that anyone would want to spend their time around this kind of material.

[Shawn Zipay]

Re: New Dante's Inferno Trailer Explores Lust

Personally, I think the game looks like fun. It's a bit early to say that it's a must buy, but as a fan of God of War, this looks like it'll be up my lane.