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Ubisoft has partnered with Pathé to develop Notre-Dame on Fire, a location-based VR escape game based on Jean-Jacques Annaud’s docudrama of the same name that will put players in the shoes of the Parisian fire brigade as they try to save the world-famous cathedral from the fire that broke out in 2019.
Variety reports that this experience will take players through events that took place on April 15, 2019, when Notre-Dame was almost destroyed by flames. Ubisoft has a long history of working with the cathedral. A detailed model of it is featured in Assassin’s Creed Unity, and in the immersive VR experience Notre-Dame de Paris – Journey Back in Time.
Ubisoft was contacted by Annaud to assist him in bringing this unique experience to life during the filming of Notre-Dame on Fire.
“He knew that we had a special attachment to Notre Dame,” says Deborah Papiernik, Ubisoft senior VP new business and strategic alliances. “I guess that’s why he came to us. I don’t think he went to see [anyone else].”
They began to discuss the matter in early 2021. Ubisoft understood that since the film was due for release in March 2022 Ubisoft only had enough time to create an escape game and couldn’t produce a full-fledged video game in such a short amount of time.
“Like any escape game, it’s a question of puzzles and co-operating with your teammates,” Papiernik explains. “The idea is to make your way through the cathedral to find relics and to fight the fire, because you have to save Notre Dame [before the clock runs out].”
Ubisoft had the screenplay of the film and worked closely with Annaud, his team and other stakeholders to bring it to life.
“The fact that we had that access really nourished our team,” says Papiernik. “That doesn’t mean we translated everything to gameplay; rather, it offered our team food for thought for our adaptation.”
Annaud’s movie will be shown in French in March. Ubisoft will then make the VR tie-in available globally in March.
“It’s Notre Dame, so it’s Paris, and it’s a French movie, but this is a worldwide product,” says Papiernik. We have 630 partner locations around the world that have access to our games. [In March] they’ll have access to this latest one as soon as we push the button.”
Ubisoft is demonstrating its willingness to explore the historical side of its games. It follows its commitment of releasing Discovery Tour modes for Assassin’s Creed that allow players to discover about the time periods these games were set in.
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Adam Bankhurst works as a news reporter for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurstAnd on Twitch.
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