Today in Platformers Inspired by Classic Literature: War of the Worlds Game in Development

You can effectively point to H.G. Wells' seminal sci-fi novel, The War of the Worlds--not to mention Orson Welles' panic-inducing radio play based on the book--as the core inspiration for the vast bulk of alien invasion stories we currently have in modern fiction, including a variety of different video games.

Developer Other Ocean Interactive has evidently decided to just cut out the middle man with its latest game, going straight to the source with its newly-announced adaptation of The War of the Worlds, a "2D cinematic platformer" for Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network this summer. To be honest, I had no idea what the specificity of the "2D cinematic platformer" call-out referred to when I first read the press release, but the release later goes on to compare War of the Worlds to the gameplay style and rotoscoped visuals of such platforming classics as Flashback, Out of This World, and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, so I'm guessing it'll be something along those lines.

The game stars a nameless protagonist forced to try and escape a massive Martian invasion in London. You'll navigate a variety of obstacles and, yes, tripods, as you work to rescue your family.

No media of the game was released, but Other Ocean plans to show the title during E3 next week, so perhaps we'll get our first look at it then. In the meantime, I'll sit here and continue to hold out hope for that first-person shooter based on Ann Veronica that I've always dreamed of.

Sweet , but a platformer seems to be a weird choice.

Cool story bro

SPOILERS: The Martians die from the flue....

This.... is interesting. I can see this being really, really bad.

Why is this a thing?

SPOILERS: The Martians die from the flue....

It won't be as good as the War of the Worlds RTS game from the 90s.

Good platformer is never bad. Strange use of War of the Worlds but why not?

This is OK in my book.

It won't be as good as the War of the Worlds RTS game from the 90s.

Needs a soundtrack by Jeff Wayne. 
 
Real talk.

                Why is this a thing?
           

I can dig this. At least its not a first person shooter.

In attempt to figure out what Other Ocean Interactive has done into the past, I stumbled into an article filled with trademark symbols. I find that highly suspicious.
 
I would have also looked up this so-called "platformer" genre, but Giant Bomb doesn't have pages for genres.

This will be really, really bizarre, and I hope it'll make for a sweet QL.

Needs a soundtrack by Jeff Wayne.  Real talk.

Interested, but skeptical (as usual).

This could turn out to be anything. I'm skeptical.