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  • Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
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Tom
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Posted by: Danves
First off, I'd like to say thank you to Bungie for making an incredible game yet again! And I'd also like to say that Dante's Divine Comedy is one of my favorite pieces of classic literature. More of this in time.

As a note, I am neither for or against any religion mentioned in this post, it is purely from the standpoint of literature. I am discussing a novel, not religion.

----SPOILER WARNING-----

If you haven't beaten the game yet, what are you doing cruising the forums? Go play!

So there was this little novel written a while ago, by this one guy named Dante. It was a political satire, meant to make examples of current members of society and the Church at the time, but it's main influence is that of the views of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. And what does all this have to do with ODST, I can hear you all asking. Well, more than you think.

I haven't analyzed the entire game for references, this is mostly just dealing with the Rookie's story.

----

The Rookie has crash landed into a building, has been knocked unconscious, and has awoken later to find himself alone in the city. The city is now quite literally Hell on Earth. But the Rookie is not truly alone. He has a guide through this hell, the SuperIntendent.

Through the audio logs in the campaign, we come to find that the name of the SI is actually VERGIL. And you may have noticed that audio logs are all labeled "# Circle," all the way up to 9. Interesting.

In the Divine Comedy, specifically the Inferno, Dante is guided through Hell by the Roman poet, Virgil. Hell consists of nine circles, each more horrible and punishing than the last. The circles of Hell spiral down into the Earth, to it's very core.

After you find out the fate of your squad, the Rookie heads underground to locate DARE. You find yourself on the 8th level of VERGIL's data center. You need to locate Dare, who is on the 9th level. Fancy that. After much fighting, you find yourself on the 9th level, which happens to be almost completely frozen...

The 9th circle of Hell, in the Inferno, is actually cold. Ice cold. The punishment here is for that of Treason. The higher the crime, the more encased in ice you shall be. The very center of the 9th circle is where Satan himself resides, encased in ice up to his waist, beating his wings, whose gusts of air cause the 9th circle to be encased in ice. Satan himself has three faces, and each is chewing on the three (at the time) greatest betrayers. Their punishment for betraying their lords and benefactors is to be eternally gnawed on by Satan himself.

The Rookie and DARE finally reach VERGIL's core, and there they find the source of this whole fiasco. The rogue Engineer. He has chosen to betray his benefactors, his lords, the entire whole of the Covenant itself. And they are literally coming to chew him to pieces.

----

There you have it folks. My analysis, and hypothesis, and all other sorts of -sis. I've only played through campaign once, but there may be even further references to the Divine Comedy. There are 9 levels of purgatory before one reaches Paradise(Heaven). If someone could confirm how many sections of freeway there are in the final level, we may have our answer. The escape at the end of the game could very well be the escape from Purgatory.

If anyone else has more references to levels of Hell, or to any of the other campaign character's stories, please let me know, I'd be interested to see how far they have taken this. For further reference, hit up Wikipedia, it's pretty extensive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_comedy

Thanks so much to whoever stuck around and dealt with my massive post. Happy Haloing to you all.

tl;dr: Go read a book =P


-----ADDITIONAL FINDINGS-----

Posted by: Overlord Jebus
Maybe each of the 9 circles of audio logs each represent their circle?

I can already think of gluttony and lust off the top of my head.


Thanks for bringing this up, we need to just double check to make sure that each "Circle" of audio logs corresponds to the sin of that particular circle of Hell, which I already know it does.

---

Posted by: Brent G
Posted by: Danves
Posted by: Brent G
OP, you mentioned that Satan has 3 heads that chew on the 3 greatest betrayers? And that the brutes were coming to "chew" on Vergil?

How appropriate that there were 3 of them knocking on his door.


Kickass! How sure are you? I've only played the campaign through once.


I'm pretty much 100% sure. There's two at the doorway trying taunting Vergil, and a Chieftain behind them.


Yet another connection, possibly. If anyone can confirm this for sure, that would be amazing. The pieces seem to be falling into place =)


in st.john boscos vision of hell there are a 1000 walls to the center of hell, each spaced 1000 miles from each other, read his vision of hell. it is quite intresting

  • 11.09.2009 6:07 PM PDT
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To play or not to play....

Posted by: PhatMatt89
Posted by: V101
Did you also notice the frozen section when you are going through the computer network tunnels to get Virgil? As you go through those levels/tunnels you go through an area that is literally frozen. It looks like some coolant tank burst and basically froze the immediate area. But it also makes sense in regards to your idea...

Nice thinking :)

You find out what happened in there in Sadie's Story. What happened was *SPOILER* *SPOILER* *SPOILER* *SPOILER*, not coolant tanks bursting.


Yeah I figured it out now :) . . . It fits in with the theme of this idea nicely.

  • 11.14.2009 7:06 PM PDT

This is a good analysis of similarities. However, this game's story still sucks no matter what the source text to which they refer. I agree that the story is like hell once the horrifically cheesy romance goes underway. I tried hard to kill that chick. Talk about your nerd cliches. Horrible.

  • 11.17.2009 12:00 PM PDT

Yo man sup G dawg

Circle=HALO!?
The Covenant=Demons
Master Cheif=uh...Demon?
The Ark=NOAH!?
The Flood=NOAH!?

Lol weird things

Suicidal Grunts sacrificing themselves for their god?

Where does Cortana fit in this whole Halo/Religion thing?
Or
The Gravemind

What about that stuff the Prophet of Regret (or Truth) said on the level "Regret" on Halo 2?

What about the level "Cortana" is it like hell?
(To me it is,ON LEGENDARY!!)
Hmm...Bungie you smart smart people


[Edited on 11.20.2009 9:51 PM PST]

  • 11.20.2009 9:39 PM PDT

Yo man sup G dawg

Posted by: Nichos354
They should make all classical epics like halo...

Imagine Hamlet getting revenge on Claudius by running over him with a mongoose.


Alas, poor yorick? lol
(Hamlet like achievment)

[Edited on 11.20.2009 9:42 PM PST]

  • 11.20.2009 9:42 PM PDT
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My butt itches can u help?

  • 11.21.2009 3:34 AM PDT

Posted by: Nekkuu
Just throwing this out there, but could the 9 rings of hell connect to the Halo rings?


Not likely, as there are only 7 installations. Bungie seems to have a thing for the number 7.

  • 11.22.2009 1:15 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through a classic novel, hah!
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Let the ninja secretaries be unleashed on ya'.

A great read.

  • 11.22.2009 1:18 PM PDT

dost though understandest me?

Posted by: Snappyguy
pan galactic gargle blaster


I could really go for one of those right now...

  • 11.22.2009 11:39 PM PDT

Fallout Gaming Clan Member
Rank:Clan General

The Rookies Initials are JD. I think the D could be a reference to Dante. J. Dante

  • 11.25.2009 10:49 AM PDT

Posted by: A 3 Legged Goat
"Team shoot the wraith!"
"What's a team shoot and what's a wraith?!"
"It means we all shoot at the big blue thing together!"
"Okay!"
*starts betraying blue teammate*

Bungie has it's little ways of making references.
For instance, in the Halo canon, the Covenant (the jews or something made a Covenant to God, a one sided promise) was hellbent on activating the halos.
And, the Flood (noahs ark) would ravage the galaxy, but the Halos would kill all the evil, and the only escape was the Ark, (noahs ark)


There are a whole bunch of references in Halo, good job finding that one :)

  • 11.27.2009 8:32 AM PDT

"Switching from Default to BJ is like moving from West Philadelphia to Bel-Air. The cab ride over is hard, but once you make it, you're the Fresh Prince." - Unknown

weren't the audio logs and all of that backstory outsourced to a different company thats not bungie?

  • 11.27.2009 8:55 AM PDT

Posted by: Dustin 6047
Troll confirmed. I never even insulted you

Posted by: Dustin 6047
OP - You're a dumbass with the reading comprehension skills of a second grader.


Can someone tell me what's wrong with these two, this made me LOL hard.

Nice find. I guess their motto "Feet first into Hell" fits in quite perfectly at this point.

  • 11.27.2009 7:10 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!

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um yea nice find but im sure thats not what they were going for but i respect your determination to find that but theres another game called dante's inferno thats a little more obvious to tell its an epic poem...

  • 11.27.2009 7:26 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through a classic novel, hah!

Favorite video game series: Professor Layton or Half-Life
Favorite video game: Super Mario Galaxy
Favorite movie series: Pixar (It's not really a series, but I just can't pick.)
Favorite movie: Inception

Posted by: Draco of Albion
The Rookies Initials are JD. I think the D could be a reference to Dante. J. Dante

James Dante.

If you have the IWHBYD skull on while on Coastal Highway, Buck can say to The Rookie ''Keep it steady James''. Futher supporting this theory.

  • 11.28.2009 11:47 AM PDT

Posted by: Excal XVII
Nice work.

  • 11.28.2009 11:53 AM PDT

Lurcari

no offence but who would read all of that!! but on the other hand nice work.

  • 11.28.2009 2:17 PM PDT

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Posted by: spartanguy123
Posted by: Draco of Albion
The Rookies Initials are JD. I think the D could be a reference to Dante. J. Dante

James Dante.

If you have the IWHBYD skull on while on Coastal Highway, Buck can say to The Rookie ''Keep it steady James''. Futher supporting this theory.


You sure? Positive?

  • 11.29.2009 12:28 PM PDT

Favorite video game series: Professor Layton or Half-Life
Favorite video game: Super Mario Galaxy
Favorite movie series: Pixar (It's not really a series, but I just can't pick.)
Favorite movie: Inception

Posted by: imppa
Posted by: spartanguy123
Posted by: Draco of Albion
The Rookies Initials are JD. I think the D could be a reference to Dante. J. Dante

James Dante.

If you have the IWHBYD skull on while on Coastal Highway, Buck can say to The Rookie ''Keep it steady James''. Futher supporting this theory.


You sure? Positive?

Well, I got this off Halopedia, so I'm not sure...but if anyone hears this, tell us ASAP.

  • 11.30.2009 1:10 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!
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I don't believe in magic, but I DO believe in bones.

Posted by: spartanguy123
Posted by: imppa
Posted by: spartanguy123
Posted by: Draco of Albion
The Rookies Initials are JD. I think the D could be a reference to Dante. J. Dante

James Dante.

If you have the IWHBYD skull on while on Coastal Highway, Buck can say to The Rookie ''Keep it steady James''. Futher supporting this theory.


You sure? Positive?

Well, I got this off Halopedia, so I'm not sure...but if anyone hears this, tell us ASAP.


He does say "James," I've heard it once myself. As for the D of his last name being "Dante," that's just wishful thinking on everyone's part. Until Bungie releases his full name, we'll never know for sure.


Posted by: Klumpmeister
um yea nice find but im sure thats not what they were going for but i respect your determination to find that but theres another game called dante's inferno thats a little more obvious to tell its an epic poem...


From what I've read, the only thing that "Dante's Inferno" has to do with Dante's Inferno is the name, and that the main character's name is Dante. The rest of it is changed to suit their needs. Though I'm sure the poem would be more popular today if he were an ass-kicking crusader like they portray him as in the game.

I've said it before in the thread, and I'll say it again. If you wanna play the epic poem, ODST is closer to the source material than the game of the same name. At least as far as I can tell =P

[Edited on 11.30.2009 7:34 PM PST]

  • 11.30.2009 7:30 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through a classic novel, hah!

Fear The Poop Fist. You ask for chicken and they give you steak, expect the unexpected, the poop fist.

Good find.

  • 11.30.2009 8:42 PM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!

Posted by: Danves
Posted by: fiyz
Ok... cool... but wasn't the whole premise of Dante's Inferno about dante travelling through hell to get to his true love, Beatrice? Last I checked, Buck and Dare were the ones with that were romantically involved... nice try, but I think they are simple references done out of respect to a great poet and nothing else.


Nah, that's the premise of the new game that's coming out, based loosely (and I mean very loosely) on the poem. Dante's Divine Comedy is about Dante traveling through Hell, Purgatory, and eventually Heaven, to meet God/find himself/all that good stuff. All along the way, making examples of the current problems in society, though that happens mostly in the Inferno.

Posted by: PhillysFinest
The Engineers sacrificed themselves to make sure Vergil gets away He never betrayed anyone since Engineers were forced to be part of the Covies


He betrayed the Covenant as a whole, turning against them, and eventually siding with the humans. Turning against your side of the war (whether or not you actually WANTED to be a part of it) and going to the other side is pretty much one of the biggest acts of betrayal possible.

I don't think that any of the characters in the game allude to one specific character in the Inferno, save for the Rookie (and Sadie) being Dante, going through hell. The Superintendent/Vergil plays the part of Virgil, but then when he is downloaded/absorbed/whatever by the engineer, he now plays the part of the greatest betrayer.





But the Brutes had already betreyed the Elites and The Engineers making them the Greatest Betreyer.......'s

  • 12.12.2009 6:54 AM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through a classic novel, hah!

wow you really did do a good job on this, maybe you should consult bungie

  • 12.16.2009 1:33 AM PDT
Subject: Little did you know, you all just played through an epic poem, hah!

HIS NAME IS GHOST!!!!!!!

omg that is freaky. helljumpers, 9 circles. it all makes sense. what's even more wierd is that date's inferno is becoming a video game by EA coming jan 30th i think. wow i wish bungie could make the next dante's inferno videogame.

  • 12.16.2009 12:25 PM PDT