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."

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.

St. Lucia (pronounced lu-SEE-ah) – “I am Lucia of Syracuse, patron saint of the blind – persecuted by my pagan suitor, eyes plucked from my head, my body tortured and defiled... Yet I have seen the glory in Paradise. I will be your protector, Dante, as you seek to find light out of your dark past. And I will prepare you for the challenge ahead. These are the Trials of Saint Lucia.”

Trials of St. Lucia is a downloadable expansion to Dante’s Inferno. This expansion offers several firsts for the action-adventure genre: online co-operative gameplay for two players as well as a full-featured combat editor with which players can create, upload, and share custom-created Trials with other players across the globe.

Trials of St. Lucia will be released worldwide on April 29, 2010 as downloadable content via the game’s Downloadable Content menu as well as Xbox Live Marketplace (800 MS Points) and PlayStation Store ($9.99).

Details:

• St. Lucia – A New Playable Character – Play as the beautiful and deadly St. Lucia of Syracuse; this battle-ready angel can fly and wields all new moves and combos.
• Online Co-Operative Play – Choose Dante or St. Lucia and play co-operatively online; combine battle tactics with other players to defeat online Trials and earn a ranking on the Inferno leaderboards.
• Create Combat Trials – Create your own Trials with a full-featured combat editor, pick from new locations, create waves featuring new and existing Dante’s Inferno enemies, tune and script them, add traps, obstacles & aid… then upload and share your creations online.
• Challenge Yourself & Other Players– Download and play other players’ Trials or try your hand at beating EA’s increasingly dangerous single and two-player Trials for medals, leaderboard scores, and achievements/trophies.
• Rate Trials – Provide a 1 to 5 star rating for Trials that you play. The online community will help the best Trials rise to the top!
• Rank on the Worldwide Leaderboards – Compare your worldwide standings as Player and/or Creator.

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.