11-11 Memories Retold is an 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 and Aardman Animations, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
| 11-11: Memories Retold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Yoan Fanise |
| Producer(s) | George Rowe |
| Designer(s) | François Rizzo |
| Artist(s) | Codey Dyer |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | Olivier Deriviere |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 9 November 2018 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
One of the game's main features is its visual style, inspired by impressionist art.
Synopsis
editThe game allows the player to play as two characters during World War I: Canadian photographer Harry Lambert (Elijah Wood) and German engineer Kurt Waldner (Sebastian Koch).[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
edit11-11 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
editThe 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, but Aardman did not want a game that seemed low-poly, so they switched to an impressionist style. J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, and Aleksandr Petrov were the artists that Aardman credited with inspiring the game's style.[3][4]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 73/100[5] PS4: 77/100[6] XONE: 77/100[7] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Edge | 7/10 |
| GameSpot | 7/10[8] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 18/20[9] |
11-11: Memories Retold received "generally favourable reviews" for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and "mixed or average reviews" for Windows on Metacritic.[5][6][7] Critics praised the writing and voicing of the characters.[10]
See also
edit- Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a video game by the same director commemorating the centennial of the war's beginning
References
edit- ^ "11-11: Memories Retold is shaping up as one of 2018's most interesting games". Alphr. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ Kent, Emma (9 November 2018). "11:11 Memories Retold, released today, is a WW1 game about normal people pushed into extraordinary events". Eurogamer. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ "11-11: Memories Retold - Vlog #2: A Living Painting - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "11-11: Memories Retold - Vlog #1 - The Vision - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ a b "11-11: Memories Retold for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b "11-11: Memories Retold for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b "11-11: Memories Retold for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Wildgoose, David (12 November 2018). "11-11: Memories Retold Review - Modernist Warfare". GameSpot. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ "Test: 11-11: Memories Retold - Un conte intimiste au coeur de la Grande Guerre". Jeuxvideo.com. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ Boxer, Steve (7 November 2018). "11-11: Memories Retold review – a first world war game in which no shots are fired". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 April 2019.