A video game version of Animal Farm is coming to us all and will help retell George Orwell’s Animal Farm for a new generation
Another piece of literature is coming into the video game space as we now have confirmation that Animal Farm is in development for the PC this Fall. This is not some cute little simulator where you get to play as animals, but a retelling of the George Orwell piece that was an allegory for things much darker. All of which is being helmed by Nerial to try to help a new generation see the faults in the world in a different way. Much as the original Animal Farm tried to do back in the 40s. Maybe those who have not read the book can see where all of this is going if they do not as of yet.
Just as the original Animal Farm showed off, we will have to make choices through this narrative game that will affect the outcome of it all. All of which looks to still keep its WWII-era feeling about it where the different animals were representing people and those in power. All of which just through the lens of farm animals to try to make things easier to understand. It looks like where this version of Animal Farm might differ is that we might get to select a different outcome based on our choices instead of the one that Orwell originally wrote down. Maybe we will even be able to bypass all of those Nazi Pigs along the way too…
Orwell’s Animal Farm — Teaser
Today marks 75 years since George Orwell’s wildly influential literary novel Animal Farm was first published. Now a small collective of indie developers and the estate of George Orwell are proud to announce that the legendary work is set to make a fresh impact via the artistic format of the 21st Century: video gaming.
Animal Farm will be an adventure game that immerses players in Orwell’s story. By choosing which of the animals’ wishes they follow – and who is ignored or sidelined – gamers will influence the critical events that define the fate of the farm. Players must devise strategies to balance resources, defend the farm, and keep the animal population happy. With its evocative 1930s painterly graphics, Animal Farm puts the player at the center of an allegorical revolution and enables them to experience firsthand the corrupting nature of power.
The indie developer collective consists of The Dairymen (Andy Payne founder of Just Flight, AppyNation and Imre Jele founder of Bossa Studios), and Nerial, the creators of the BAFTA-nominated Reigns series, who bring their unrivalled skills in streamlined and powerful storytelling to Animal Farm.
The game will be narrated by Abubakar Salim who amongst other roles played Bayek in Assassin’s Creed: Origins. His performance was directed by Kate Saxon, who has worked on a series of high profile video games including Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture, Alien: Isolation, The Witcher 2 & 3 and others.
Did you ever expect to see a game based on Animal Farm or is it a bit overdue given how history is repeating? Do you think we can drastically change the story along the way or will it only come down to how the game ends that things will change? Do you think this will be on par enough to teach a new generation of students out there or will a new version of this need to be written to get the point across? Let us and the world out there know down in the comments. If there is more for Animal Farm, you know we will have it all here for you. Just be sure to keep checking in on all of this and much more.