Ubisoft is creating a firefighting VR game based on the Notre-Dame incident

As reported by Variety, the game will be a one-hour experience, where players will be put into the boots and uniforms of the Parisian firefighters and try to douse the flames that engulfed the church in April 2019. Ubisoft had previously created a digital representation of the world-famous cathedral for their 2014 title, Assassin’s Creed Unity, which was based in 18th century France.

The company had also built an immersive 360 video in mid-2020, which could be viewed/played for free with a cheap VR cardboard. Thanks to the intuitive controls, players could peer into the church and its surroundings from different angles, and it even had plenty of NPCs (non-playable characters) going about their business.

Discussions began in early 2021, where Annaud and Ubisoft tried exploring different formats for such a game. However, his film got fixed for a March 2022 release, which was not enough time to pump out a full-fledged game. So, both parties opted to reuse some of the earlier models and create a one-hour interactive experience with ample puzzles.

“Like any escape game, it’s a question of puzzles and co-operating with your teammates,” said Deborah Papiernik, Ubisoft senior VP of business and strategic alliances. “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].”

Annaud worked closely with Ubisoft and provided them with the script, aiding them in creating a general setup for the adaptation. It will be produced and distributed by French company, Pathé, and will be launched in the same month as the movie’s release.