By now you've seen the first and second parts of our extensive AdventureX coverage. Now read on for the final installment of our two-day, twenty-game whirlwind report!
Attentat 1942
Based on events in the former Czechoslovakia, this game describes itself as ‘A World War II game through the eyes of survivors’. Using historical information, footage and testimony from those who lived through this time, Attentat 1942 tells the story of living through the Nazi occupation from the perspective of the ordinary people who suffered through it.
Originally conceived as an educational tool for Czech high schools (then called Československo 38-89: Atentát) and put together by teams from Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences, the reception gained from schools and students alike was so positive that the project was converted to a proper game and widely released in October 2017 under the current title.
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Ondřej Paška |
Visually the game is striking. Everything from the historical film footage, to the FMV of actors you converse with, to the comic book interactive sequences, to the part-photo-part-hand-drawn recreations of places from 1942 Czechoslovakia, the setting is made to feel as real as the subject matter needs it to be. The story and characters, while fictional as presented, are based heavily on authentic historical events, interviews and evidence from the time.
Assuming the role of an unseen protagonist, you start by discovering that your grandfather was arrested by the Gestapo shortly after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, ruler of the Nazi-occupied Czech lands and leading architect of the Holocaust. You must discover why he was arrested and whether he did, in fact, have anything to do with this attack. Soon focus begins switching between the present day, investigating and questioning witnesses, and the past as experienced by characters from the story, including your own grandparents, re-enacting actions taken and re-living situations that occurred decades earlier.
In terms of gameplay, Attentat 1942 is dialogue-based and you will question people, examine possessions and items from the period, re-create moments of drama as seen by the survivors through interactive comics, and perform context-specific interactions related to the story and based on accurate reports of actions people actually took back then. For instance, early on you must play as your grandfather to stall the Gestapo as they knock at the door while your grandmother hides incriminating leaflets around the home, then later tidy up and check over the home after the Gestapo have turned the place over and left.
One of the most impressive features of this game, which was made by a core team of six people, is the potency of the premise when backed up by the legitimate historical records available to the developers during the process. There have been many attempts at ‘edutainment’ games over the years, but despite the factual nature of the project, this is not a label that the group are necessarily looking to associate with the game. While you can’t help but learn about a dark time in history, there is enough ‘game’ here to entertain as well, and the developers have a string of awards both in the Czech Republic and internationally to show for it.
To learn more about Attentat 1942, the game’s official website has additional information.
Game information
Human Errors (2018)
GAME INFO
Human Errors is an adventure game by Katherine Morayati released in 2018 It has a Stylized art style, presented in Text Only and is played in a None perspective.
