Imagination Is The Only Escape
Encyclopedia
Imagination Is The Only Escape is an upcoming video game by Luc Bernard
, the creator of Eternity's Child
. It is currently being developed for the Nintendo DS
, but it has also been suggested that the game may be released as a WiiWare
game instead.
Set in France
during World War II
, Imagination Is The Only Escape is an educational title aiming to teach children about The Holocaust
.
. The player is introduced to the main character, a Jewish boy named Samuel who is playing with his friends, going to school, and living a normal life in Paris
. However, when France is invaded by the Nazis, Samuel and his family are soon forced to move to a ghetto
and wear the yellow star of David
on their clothes.
The scene changes to the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, the mass arrest of Jews in Paris
that took place on July 16, 1942. During the chaos Samuel's mother tells him to escape the city. She takes off his star so he can't be recognized as a Jew, and gives him the address of a Catholic
priest
who can help him escape Paris and the occupied part of France. As Samuel escapes, his mother is spotted and taken away.
Samuel starts his journey to find the priest, sneaking his way through Paris. Samuel soon finds him, and is smuggled out to southern France. They arrive at a small village hidden in a forest, where the villagers are passing off Jewish children from all over France as Christian
orphans, and soon Samuel meets a fox who tells him that if he helps him he will be able to see his mother again.
Nintendo of America has stated that they have no plans to release the game. Bernard claims that the company is afraid of the game's subject matter, but believes Nintendo of Europe will not block its release.
Luc Bernard
Luc Bernard is a British game designer and artist best known for creating the video games Eternity's Child, Imagination Is The Only Escape, Mecho Wars, Mecho Tales, Reaper and SteamPirates.-Games:...
, the creator of Eternity's Child
Eternity's Child
Eternity's Child is a side-scrolling platform game based on a fairy tale created by Luc Bernard. It was originally published on Steam. The game will next be published by British retro games publisher Alten8, for Wii via WiiWare. It was released by Luc Bernard and Silver Sphere Studios on Steam...
. It is currently being developed for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, but it has also been suggested that the game may be released as a WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
game instead.
Set in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Imagination Is The Only Escape is an educational title aiming to teach children about The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
.
Story
The story starts off before the Occupation of France by Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The player is introduced to the main character, a Jewish boy named Samuel who is playing with his friends, going to school, and living a normal life in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. However, when France is invaded by the Nazis, Samuel and his family are soon forced to move to a ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
and wear the yellow star of David
Yellow badge
The yellow badge , also referred to as a Jewish badge, was a cloth patch that Jews were ordered to sew on their outer garments in order to mark them as Jews in public. It is intended to be a badge of shame associated with antisemitism...
on their clothes.
The scene changes to the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, the mass arrest of Jews in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
that took place on July 16, 1942. During the chaos Samuel's mother tells him to escape the city. She takes off his star so he can't be recognized as a Jew, and gives him the address of a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who can help him escape Paris and the occupied part of France. As Samuel escapes, his mother is spotted and taken away.
Samuel starts his journey to find the priest, sneaking his way through Paris. Samuel soon finds him, and is smuggled out to southern France. They arrive at a small village hidden in a forest, where the villagers are passing off Jewish children from all over France as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
orphans, and soon Samuel meets a fox who tells him that if he helps him he will be able to see his mother again.
Controversy
Imagination has courted controversy for its dark setting and subject matter.Nintendo of America has stated that they have no plans to release the game. Bernard claims that the company is afraid of the game's subject matter, but believes Nintendo of Europe will not block its release.