Andare all'Inferno. Translation: Go to Hell.

EA's 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."

EA's Dante's Inferno tells an adapted story that focuses on delivering a blockbuster 3rd person action game experience while bringing Alighieri's depiction of Hell to the medium. Players assume the role of Dante, who descends into Hell after returning home to find his beloved Beatrice murdered, with Lucifer seducing her soul into the underworld. Dante sets out on a rescue mission to save Beatrice, but he soon realizes he is also in Hell to face his own demons and ultimately to redeem himself.

Players will take Dante through nine unique circles of Hell as mapped out and described by Alighieri: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. Each circle will showcase its own distinct look, with demons, monsters, damned and geography that are crafted straight from the poem's vivid descriptions.

To take down the demons of Hell, Dante is outfitted with two primary weapons: the Scythe he takes from Death and the Holy Cross given to him by Beatrice, which has spiritual powers that will help Dante collect souls and spells from the creatures he defeats on his journey. The game also features a deep upgrade system so gamers can customize their abilities to their specific gameplay style, something they'll need as Dante comes face to face with Hell's fiercest beasts and bosses. If successful, Dante will be able to tame certain beasts, exacting their will and turning Hell's punishments back on itself.

Garry Schyman, who won many prestigious awards most recently for his work on BioShock, is creating a dramatic score that sets the tone for Visceral Games' adaptation of Dante Alighieri's epic poem.

"Our primary goal with this project is to bring Dante Alighieri's vision of hell to a new audience and a new medium, and that goes beyond the visuals," said Jonathan Knight, executive producer of Dante's Inferno. "The sound and music are equally critical to the experience, and Garry's epic score will add layers of power and tension, as gamers descend through the nine circles of hell. We are incredibly fortunate to be working with talent of his caliber."

"Scoring Dante's Inferno was one of the most interesting and challenging projects I have ever tackled," said Garry Schyman. "Literally being asked to score hell was fantastic especially once I saw the surrealistically frightening world that Visceral Games had developed. I thought long and hard about every piece of music I wrote to create something new, surprising and fitting. It has turned out to be one of the most creative experiences in my career."

The orchestral score and chorus were recorded in July at the historic Abbey Road Studios in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Metro Voices Singers. The score soundtrack is planned for release in early 2010.

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.