VU Announce Van Helsing News

Vivendi-Universal today announced that it would be releasing a new survival/horror title for the Playstationj2 and Xbox, entitled ‘Van Helsing’.<br><br>Based on the forthcoming feature-length film starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale; the movie and videogame draws influences from classic horror properties and introduces Barm Stoker’s fabled vampire hunter, who is summoned to a distant Eastern European location on a quest to vanquish evil.<br><br>The third-person action/adventure title places players in the macabre world of 19th century Transylvania – home to the legendary Dracula and apparently Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s monster. Players must hunt down and destroy the evil that lurks these ancient lands before darkness engulfs the world. <br><br>The game is currently in development at Saffire Studios, who are working closely with the film’s production company to put players in the role of the title character, allowing them to experience ‘interactive key moments’ and battles from the film, whilst building out a backstory that won’t appear in the theatres.<br><br>"The Van Helsing game puts a fresh, exciting and contemporary twist on some of the most legendary characters to ever appear in print or film," said says Luc Vanhal, President and Chief Operating Officer, North America, Vivendi Universal Games. "Paralleling and expanding on the epic events of the film, the game offers players a cinematic action experience packed with nightmarish creatures, furious combat and daring escapes."<br><br>"Van Helsing builds on the legacy of Universal's monster franchise, while bringing a new, dark hero simultaneously to movie and video game screens," said Bill Kispert, vice president, Interactive, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group. "The haunting world created by the filmmakers, and the interpretation of these legendary characters as we have never seen them before, offers a fantastic jumping off point to develop an emotional and atmospheric action game experience."