Francis Ford Coppola announced today that he and a group of very talented developers will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to turn Apocalypse Now into a video game adaption.
The campaign is live now on Kickstarter, where the goal is a whopping $900,000. At the time of writing the campaign sits at $30,000 with 29 days to go. The video game adaption of Apocolypse Now will not be a “Call of Duty in Vietnam”, but rather an immersive, psychedelic horror RPG from some of the industry’s most talented developers.
The game will be an immersive, psychedelic horror RPG from the creators, designers, directors, writers and producers of Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, The Witcher, Neverwinter Nights 2, Wasteland 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Everquest, DC Universe Online, PlanetSide, PlanetSide 2, Star Wars Galaxies and many more classic games.
Here’s a brief message Coppola has for the fans:
Forty years ago, I set out to make a personal art picture that could hopefully influence generations of viewers for years to come. 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 video games 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.
The Kickstarter page also mentions although the game will be an RPG, players will be making decisions that will alter the way their story plays out. Nothing too extreme will change, as the game follows the same story as the classic film, but each character’s Willard will have a slight difference.
The game is an interactive recreation of Willard’s journey, as seen through a survival horror lens in which players with limited resources face unspeakable terrors.
By choosing how to react to these situations, each player molds a unique version of Willard within the loose confines of the film story. You are Willard and your actions will determine his fate.
Your mission begins in Saigon, where Willard is holed up in a dingy hotel. Audio and visual distortion evoke Willard’s emotions and past experiences. The game provides you subjective access to a character who is already nearly insane.
Unlike a traditional RPG, the emphasis is not choosing dialogue, but rather actions and postures. Combat draws from survival horror to emphasize combat avoidance and stealth. This is not Call of Duty in Vietnam.
Apocalypse Now is setting for a 2020 release date, however, if you back the project there is a possibility of getting early access in 2019, which marks the 40th anniversary of the film.
