Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 classic war film "Apocalypse Now" will be returning in an unlikely form - a video game. The project will be developed by American Zoetrope, and is now at Kickstarter along with Coppola himself and a few notable video game industry players.
According to Dualshockers, the 1979 war film was originally based on the 1899 novella by Joseph Conrad, "Heart of Darkness," and it takes place during the Vietnam War along with the horrors it brought forth. Audiences journey through the film in the eyes of Captain Benjamin Willard as he trudges through unforgiving jungle terrain of Vietnam and the struggles that he and his team face in the war.
Now, we'll be seeing that journey again as director Francis Ford Coppola will be helping out in the game's development:
"Forty years ago, I set out to make a personal art picture that could hopefully influence generations of viewers for years to come," said the director. "Today, I'm joined by new daredevils, a team who want to make an interactive version of Apocalypse Now, where you are Captain Benjamin Willard amidst the harsh backdrop of the Vietnam War. I've been watching videogames grow into a meaningful way to tell stories, and I'm excited to explore the possibilities for Apocalypse Now for a new platform and a new generation."
Joining Coppola is a team of experienced video game veterans that include "Gears of War" and "Far Cry" lead writer Rob Auten, "Wasteland 2" and "Torment: Tides of Numenera" lead producer Lawrence Liberty, "The Witcher" and "Fallout: New Vegas" executive producer and director Lawrence Liberty and "Fallout: New Vegas" and "Pillars of Eternity" design director Josh Sawyer.
Coppola and the team will be collaborating with American Zoetrope and aims to survival horror experience rather than an action game apporach that most war video games have been taking. The game will present the dangers that lurk in the jungles, as well as the mind of a Vietnamese soldier on the verge of madness.
The "Apocalypse Now" video game will also feature resource management, stealth, and role play mechanics, offering players a chance to make choices that would affect the outcome of the game. One such effect are the consequences the players would have to face that would affect Captain Willard's reputation with other characters or factions within the game.
As mentioned above, the "Apocalypse Now" video game is now on Kickstarter, with a budget target of $900,000. Once met, the team aims for an early access release by 2019, with an actual release date in the year 2020. Additionally, stretch goals would also include ports to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as VR Support.
