11-11: Memories Retold
11-11 Memories Retold is a narrative adventure video game set during World War I. It was released on 9 November 2018, two days before the centennial of the armistice. It is co-developed by Digixart Entertainment Studios and Aardman Animations, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
| 11-11: Memories Retold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Digixart Aardman Animations |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Yoan Fanise |
| Producer(s) | George Rowe, Anne-Laure Fanise |
| Composer(s) | Olivier Deriviere |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
| Release | November 8, 2018 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
One of the game's main features is its visual style, inspired by impressionist art.
Synopsis
The game allows the player to play as two characters during World War I: Canadian photographer named Harry Lambert and German engineer Kurt Waldner.[1] Both engage in the war for different reasons. Harry is attracted by the glory and the desire to seduce his childhood friend, so he decides to follow a major in search of a new war photographer. Kurt working as an engineer, learns on the radio that his son's unit is missing, and decides to join the German military to find him.
Gameplay
11-11 Memories Retold takes place from a third-person perspective with the ability to choose between the two protagonists either at the beginning of the chapter, or freely in the middle during certain parts. Each character advances in the story with his own tools:
- Kurt has the ability to interact with different electrical devices, which make up some of the game's puzzles.
- Harry has a camera, which he can use to photograph different points of interest by showing the war in his best light for his superiors, or for himself.
The game allows the player to control a cat and a pigeon during certain sequences.[2]
Development
The game started development when Digixart met people from Aardman at Games for Change Europe 2016. The developers said that they wanted to convey moments of humanity between the two sides. The art style for the game was based on a short film that Aardman created for the Imperial War Museum called Flight of the Stories. The short used 3D objects with a stylized impressionist style. Aardman said that they also tried styles that were influenced by WWI, such as Futurism and Cubism. However, Aardman did not want a game that seemed low-poly, so they switched to an impressionist style. J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, and Alexander Peterhof were the artists that Aardman credited with inspiring the game's style.[3][4]
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 7/10[5] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 18/20[6] |
11-11 Memories Retold received overall favourable reviews. The game has a score of 77% on Metacritic, with critics especially praising the writing and voicing of the characters.[7][8]
See also
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a video game by the same director commemorating the centennial of the war's beginning
References
- "11-11: Memories Retold is shaping up as one of 2018's most interesting games". Alphr. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- Kent, Emma (2018-11-09). "11:11 Memories Retold, released today, is a WW1 game about normal people pushed into extraordinary events". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- "11-11: Memories Retold - Vlog #2: A Living Painting - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- "11-11: Memories Retold - Vlog #1 - The Vision - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- Wildgoose, David (November 12, 2018). "11-11: Memories Retold Review - Modernist Warfare". GameSpot. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- "Test : 11-11 : Memories Retold - Un conte intimiste au coeur de la Grande Guerre". Jeuxvideo.com. November 9, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- "11-11: Memories Retold". Metacritic. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- Boxer, Steve (2018-11-07). "11-11: Memories Retold review – a first world war game in which no shots are fired". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-04-18.