Aardman Animation Limited, the studio that created and animated such well-known claymation characters such as Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, is working with French game developer DigixArt and Bandai Namco Entertainment America in order to make a game about World War 1.
Titled 11-11: Memories Retold, the game’s trailer shows off the unique graphical aesthetic of the game. Instead of traditional animation or the claymarion Aardman Animation is so known for, it uses a unique style that makes the world appear to be a living painting. While the trailer plays, a retelling of John McCrae’s 1915 poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ is read among solemn piano notes. ‘In Flanders Fields’ was written by John, who served as a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force to honor a close friend who died in the Second Battle of Ypres.
In a press release, Aardman Animation Limited co-founder and executive chairman Dave Sproxton expressed what he hopes to do with 11-11:
Engaging audiences with compelling stories through animation is at the heart of what we are trying to do at Aardman. With this project we want to produce an emotionally rich experience with distinctive visual identity that reflects the sentiment of this narrative. 11-11: Memories Retold is truly an exciting step for us as it marks the first time that Aardman has collaborated on a game of this scale and we’re delighted to see this come to life.
Details about the story are still scarce, but the announcement trailer’s description describes it as “…the story of two soldiers brought together in the most unlikely of circumstances.” The development vlog seen below also hints that the two soldiers may actually be on opposite sides. More specifically, director Yoan Fanise, who also was in charge of the 2015 war game Valiant Hearts, describes the game as being about “…those hidden moments of humanity between the two sides.”
No release date has been given, but 11-11: Memories Retold is planned for release on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.