Codemasters Spark A History Change News

Codemasters continues its attempt to diversify its line-up, confirming the acquisition of the latest title from Spark Unlimited.

Currently in development for the Playstation3, Xbox 360 and PC, Fall of Liberty takes place during the events of WWII, but with the novel twist of being set in an alternative reality. Ok so perhaps that sounds suspiciously like a cross between IronStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man, but we're assured there's no alien invasion here, instead it all revolves around a change to one historical fact.

In 1931, Winston Churchill was hit by a taxi on 5th Avenue in New York; in reality, he survived the accident but walked with a cane for the rest of his life. But in Fall of Liberty, Spark Unlimited asks the question what might have happened if he had been killed in the accident. The Normandy invasion never takes place and Europe and the UK quickly succumb to Nazi rule by 1945. Nazi intelligence develops secret weapons and vehicles, which leads to a surprise attack on North America on December 7th 1951, beginning with a mass invasion of New York. Unprepared, much of the country quickly plunges under Nazi rule; in Washington the Swastika flies from The White House and to end any resistance the Nazi's plan a nuclear attack on Manhattan.

"Spark is very excited to be working with Codemasters to bring to life an event gaming experience that will dramatise what might have happened if history had taken a different course," says Craig Allen, CEO of Spark Unlimited.

"We share a desire to immerse players in an incredible and intensely realistic vision of an alternative world history that will uniquely define Fall of Liberty in the FPS genre. Codemasters is providing Spark the opportunity to present something radically different than typical WWII scenarios as the player is not cast as a liberator of Europe but as a defender of freedom in enemy-occupied America."

Comments James Sheahan, Codemasters' Director of Brand: "The team at Spark has a tremendous track record for successfully adapting history into authentic and compelling gaming experiences. Fall of Liberty will allow them to extend that knowledge base and create a world that thankfully never existed. This key concept brings originality to a genre where real-world WWII events have been covered and played through to exhaustion in other titles."

Fall of Liberty is slated for a release in Q4 2007; keep your eyes peeled for further information....