Samuel, the lead character of the game
Our good friend Luc Bernard has gotten in touch to confirm that his World War 2 epic Imagination Is The Only Escape which was previously flagged for release on the DS – may be coming to WiiWare in an episodic format.
Posting on his blog page, Bernard confirms that development of this innovative title - which focuses on the horrors of the Holocaust and will attempt to tell the story of World War 2 from a different viewpoint to that which modern gamers are accustomed to – is still ongoing. The title of the game will also change.
Here’s the synopsis:
The story starts off before the occupation. You see Samuel (the main character) playing with his friends, going to school, everything is as it should be. France is then occupied by the Nazi’s, and Samuel starts to see changes. Samuel’s family move to a ghetto where he is no longer able to play in the park with the other children, and he now has to wear the yellow Jewish star.
The scene changes to the Rafle du Vel’ d’Hiv (the July 1942 raid in Paris) where the Nazi’s aimed to reduce the Jewish population in France, and Samuel is with his mother. His mother tells Samuel to escape Paris. She takes off his yellow star so he’s not recognised as a Jew, and gives him the address of a catholic priest who can help him escape Paris and the occupied part of France.
While Samuel escapes, his mother is spotted by and taken away and he hears gunshots (she basically gets killed). Samuel starts his journey to find the priest, sneaking through Paris. Samuel arrives and the priest hides him until he smuggles him down into southern France. They arrive in a small French village hidden amongst woodland, where the villagers are passing off Jewish children from all over France as Christian Orphans.
Next to the village is a forest, where Samuel meets a Fox. The Fox tells Samuel that if he helps him he will help him be able to see his mother again.
This project has intrigued us ever since we heard that it was supposedly coming to the DS. The constant flood of 'gung-ho' World War 2 games is rather depressing and it seems that game developers are only interested in showing the conflict from the viewpoint of the antagonists. No matter what the final game is like (and we have no reason to expect it to be anything but brilliant), Bernard should be applauded for being brave enough to put us in the shoes of a victim.
He also confirms that the release won’t be until 2009, and that his other title, Rose Princess, is on hold until a publisher can be found.
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User Comments
1. andy836
22 Jun 2008, 22:49 BST
sounds like a great game.
2. KnucklesSonic8
22 Jun 2008, 23:14 BST
Imaginative to say the least.
3. pApEr y0sh!
23 Jun 2008, 00:11 BST
this seems like it has a good plot. as knuckles said imaginitive. but wut do you do. wut kind of game is it? import, RPG, adventure, idk. if anyone finds out plz tell me
4. RetroWare
23 Jun 2008, 00:54 BST
Aaaghh!! Not another WWII game! I tired of playing as Ameri- oh wait...you play this game on the antagonists point of view, interesting.
I might pick this up if I have any space left for all the games Im going to downaload before this, lol.
I should change my avatar, its getting blury. Maybe I'll change it to a pic from another WiiWare game...
5. Peznaze
23 Jun 2008, 01:19 BST
In the words of the arsonist bug monster... "Good, good.."
6. Phantom5800
23 Jun 2008, 01:55 BST
This sounds interesting; as long as the price is right, I'll be getting this game.
7. Chipmunk777
23 Jun 2008, 02:11 BST
Sounds interesting, I imagine it would be in the point-and-click adventure style, at least I hope (it's one of my favorite genres, which hasn't gotten enough attention in recent years!) Either way it sounds like a great story, and the artwork will of course be amazing.
8. Tim
23 Jun 2008, 02:32 BST
What is with the fox? This game seems more like a world war 2 inspired fable. I get the feeling it is going to be very depressing. I'll pass.
9. strade32
23 Jun 2008, 03:06 BST
this game seems interesting. i need to know more about it before i decide if it is on my list of things to buy though.
10. Virus
23 Jun 2008, 04:25 BST
@RetroWare
"you play this game on the antagonists point of view" I hope to God you're kidding me. You must be severely misinformed, messed-up, or one of the many victims of grammar mistakes. I’m guessing it’s the last one, but still, sheesh.
I hope Bernard doesn’t screw this one up. He may be brave for "putting us in the shoes of a victim," but he'll be incredibly stupid if he messes it up. For his sake, I hope he does his homework and gets it right.
11. zoipi
23 Jun 2008, 11:26 BST
Luc Bernard... He will soon be one of the most important people of WiiWare gaming.
12. Tony
23 Jun 2008, 13:14 BST
I kinda feel this a touchy subject to make a game.
13. Pink Rabbit
23 Jun 2008, 19:25 BST
How come the Americans seem to have more problems with this game then the European? I can't wait for his games, finally games that really try to tell something.
14. marvman3
23 Jun 2008, 20:12 BST
Interesting plot, great character art, a side to the war no game has quite possibly ever talked about, and a very reassuring moral degree of society's look on chaos as well.
This is why and how WiiWare should be lead into,
and what it was made for.
May this be WiiWare's most momentous and groundbreaking game yet.
Rockn.
15. Objection_Blaster
24 Jun 2008, 03:19 BST
Nice to hear about Game No.3, Luc but RELEASE the Eternity Child before starting this one!!!
16. pdrydia
25 Jun 2008, 21:12 BST
@ Tim:
I think the Fox would be the "imagination" part. I always interpreted the title as "imagination = escapism", but with a bit of a darker twist than the "pretend" games I played as a kid.
17. Gloves
17 Jul 2008, 19:01 BST
There's been a big uproar about the game though because an ex-concentration camp victim has accused the game of being distasteful. To be honest, looking at the DS screens, I can't disagree with a clean conscience.
If you haven't seen the DS screens, then find them on google. The text is extremely graphic in places. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Luc Bernard pushing for kids to play this?
Does he really think that kids will enjoy that? Sure, it's educational, but if you hand a chirpy nine-year old a DS, you'd expect them to want to play something along the lines of mario, or at least something reminiscent of it. I don't think that they'd chime in, "Have you got any depressing games on the holocaust?" Kids play games for entertainment, not fits of bipolar syndrome.
Look, if the guy does want kids to play it, then he should water it down a bit. If not, then just make it a completely adult orientated game. Not both.