Not all war games need to be fast-paced, first-person shooters with an emphasis on competitive multiplayer. Today, Ubisoft announced Valiant Hearts: The Great War, which is a 2D platformer following the struggles of five unique characters during World War I. The downloadable project is said to be inspired by real letters from the time period, and will make its debut on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2014.
It’s pretty difficult to ignore the artstyle after taking a look at the above debut trailer. Valiant Hearts is making use of the UbiArt Framework engine, which is what powered games like Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. The team behind those two colorful platformers, Ubisoft Montpellier, will head this project, but unlike its last game, there’s no mention of a Wii U version this time around.
What makes this specific downloadable title unique is its story. Valiant Hearts focuses on how four strangers have teamed up to help a young German soldier find love, and during their journey, Ubisoft has promised that they’ll deal with sacrifice, survival, and friendship. There will be dark moments, as it is a game set around a real-life war, but a bit of comedy and a "faithful canine companion" will help to lighten the mood during all the jumping and puzzle solving.
Ubisoft has also confirmed Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions of The Great War, so those who haven’t yet converted to new consoles in 2014 can expect to dig into this downloadable title with everyone else.