What to expect from Ubisoft’s Paris’ Notre-Dame fire VR game with survival and puzzle elements.
Ubisoft is making a firefighting VR game based on the Paris’ Notre-Dame tragedy, where players shall be able to cooperatively escape and survive the devastating fires, which nearly consumed a historical monument.
Ubisoft, a French gaming company, mostly recognized for its worldwide renowned franchises Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and more, has partnered with French cinema company Pathé and the film director Jean-Jacques Annaud to release a firefighting VR game about a tragic night in Paris, April 15, 2019, based on the fire of Notre-Dame de Paris.
The Notre Dame Fire
The disastrous fire of Paris’ Notre-Dame has touched many people around the world who value history and culture. As the fire raged beneath the roof of the cathedral, the spire collapsed, and the roof of the building got destroyed alongside the upper walls. However, The stone vaulted ceiling prevented extensive damage to the interior. And now, as the worldwide fundraising reached over €1 billion, the cathedral is undergoing restoration. When the fire happened, Ubisoft made Assassin’s Creed Unity free for gamers around the world for one week to commemorate the honor of the cathedral.
For the making of this firefighting VR game, Ubisoft will utilize the upcoming IMAX docudrama of the tragic event directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, called Notre-Dame on Fire, which shall be the title of the game as well. Reportedly, the game shall last as long as the movie, which is about an hour, placing the players as firefighters of the Parisian Fire Brigade on the night of the event. The players will experience the dramatic and tragic night in first-person and fight off the fire, which nearly consumed the renowned landmark of France.
Deborah Papiernik, the senior VP of Ubisoft, believes that Annaud was inspired by the short immersive experience of Notre-Dame de Paris: Journey Back in Time, a free 360 video released in 2020. Papiernik stated that Annaud knew Ubisoft had a special attachment to Paris’ Notre-Dame, and believes that to be the reason the French film director approached them with an idea to create a meaningful product of that unfortunate event. As the source suggests, the work began sometime in 2021, with the release date being March 2022. As the timeline did not allow for an extensive game, Ubisoft decided to combine the company’s models of the cathedral with Pathé and local partners to create an hour-long meaningful experience.
As stated by Papiernik, the game shall include escape and survival mechanics, with puzzles and questions to cooperate with teammates, find relics, fight fires and save the 850-year-old Paris’ Notre-Dame landmark before the time runs out. “It’s Notre Dame, so it’s Paris, and it’s a French movie, but this is a worldwide product,” says Papiernik, who also mentioned currently in-work licensing projects, with the titles such as Avatar and Star Wars. “We have 630 international partner locations that all have access to our games,” she adds. “[In March] they’ll have access to this latest one as soon as we push the button.”
The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris shall re-open in 2024, fives years after the disastrous fire. Before that, the players shall be able to experience the tragic night in VR, once the game is released in March of this year.
