A month before the release of God of War III, players will have the chance to enter the “gates of hell” with Dante’s Inferno, the video game adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. However, the public awareness of Dante’s Inferno is…  a little slim. That said, Electronic Arts has announced a public sample for Dante’s Inferno in the form of a demo; in which they plan to release in December.

Entitled the “Gates of Hell” demo, the demo allows players to “experience fast-paced hack-n-slash combat as they fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate battle against Death.” Upon the defeat of Death, Dante will be armed with Death’s scythe and a powerful holy cross. Then, he tears open the Gates of Hell – thus the name.

“Our main goal from the start of this project has been to create a journey that will make gamers truly feel like they are going through hell,” said executive producer Jonathan Knight. “The demo will give everyone some insight into how we are treating the story and a taste of the gameplay. And with nine more circles of hell to explore once the game comes out in February, we are literally just scratching the surface.”

Dante’s Inferno is slated to launch in North America for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PSP on February 9, 2010. However, the demo will only be available for the PS3 and 360.

Dante’s Inferno will take gamers to the western world’s most definitive view of the afterlife as created in the 13th century by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri in part one of his epic classic, “The Divine Comedy.” The game is shipping in 2010 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the PSP.

Key Features:

• An Epic Adaptation of a Classic – Based on part one of Dante Alighieri’s classic poem “The Divine Comedy,” Dante’s Inferno is a 3rd person action adventure game that takes Dante on an epic journey through Hell as he seeks to rescue the soul of his beloved Beatrice.

• The Nine Circles of Hell – Just like the poem, players will descend through Dante’s unique nine circles of Hell: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. Each circle features distinct environments, enemies and story elements befitting the sins committed by their inhabitants.

• Control the Beasts of Hell – Dante’s Inferno features large scale beasts and bosses, some of which Dante will be able to fully tame, utilizing them to throw back Hell’s wrath to its minions.

• Fast, Addictive, Responsive Combat – Dante fights through the nine circles armed with Death’s Scythe and Beatrice’s Holy Cross, with magic powers and a deep, customizable upgrade system helping the player take full advantage of a fast and fluid gameplay experience that will never run at lower than 60 frames per second.

• Bring Hell With You Wherever You Go – Dante’s Inferno gives PSP owners the same level of fast, responsive gameplay through all nine detailed and unique circles of hell the team is aiming to achieve on the consoles.

• Visceral Games Stamp of Approval - From the award-winning studio that created the critically-acclaimed Dead Space, Dante’s Inferno will receive the same relentless focus on quality and polish Visceral Games has become known for.

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It looks like the PSP is heading to hell. We already knew that EA was planning on releasing the game on the 360 and Ps3, but what we didn’t know was that they were also planning a PSP version for the game.

In a press release revealed this morning, Electronic Arts revealed that EA Redwood Shores studio and Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), the developers of WET, are currently working together on the PSP version of Dante’s Inferno. In which they are planning to release next year – along with the other versions of the game. 

“Our team and the team at A2M are taking the vision for Dante’s Inferno and translating it directly to the PSP,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer and creative director on Dante’s Inferno. “PSP owners 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.”

Well, I never though that I would be saying this about this game, but wow… just by the title, of the story, it sounds good. I know, I know. It does sound like if it’s going to have some very garbage zero-gravity sections, but with a combination like God of War and Dead Space it makes me want to jump for joy.

In the latest issue of PSM3, dev EA Redwood Shores revealed the first details of there upcoming title, Dante’s Inferno, which is ‘God of War meets Dead Space.’

“What really sets this apart from God of War is the setting. Dante’s trip through hell is altogether more unpleasant, twisted creatures burst from doorways, lava spews from inverted crosses and bottomless fiery pits yawn deep beneath your feet.”

Dante’s Inferno is a third person action game that tells the tale of Dante and his journey through the twisted, menace nine circles of hell in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice.

An abducted soul, a lifetime of sins, a journey to the depths of despair. Announced today that EA Redwood Shores, the studio behind hit horror game Dead Space, is making Dante’s Inferno – a third-person action adventure adaptation of the medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

The dark fiction gave birth to the Tuscan Italian dialect and is widely considered to have defined the western world’s contemporary conception of hell and purgatory. The poem tells the tale of Dante who journeys through the twisted, menacing nine circles of hell in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice.

“The time is right for the world of interactive entertainment to adapt this literary masterpiece, and to re-introduce Dante to an audience that, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer for Dante’s Inferno. “It’s the perfect opportunity to fuse great gameplay with great story.”