Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Ghosts of Iwo Jima Game - Introduction

Ghost of Iwo Jima

The last American survivor of the Battle for Iwo Jima returns on a quest for closure.

Project Overview
GIJ is designed as an Oculus Rift interactive experience. Though the game elements are well designed and engaging there is no way to win this game in the traditional sense. GOJ takes a big experience and makes it personal.

Story
Currently Iwo Jima is an active Japanese military airfield and base. Once a year Japanese and American armed forces practice joint maneuvers and beach landings. Veterans of the battle and their family are allowed to visit.

Walter Hendershot(working) is the last survivor of the Battle for Iwo Jima. Nearing the end of his life he returns on a quest for closure.

Retracing his steps around the island he experiences flashbacks to memories made all too real by the smells and sounds of the island.

His experience exploring the island and his flashbacks are all playable experiences. Each experience is meant to show the humanity of the situation and we experience Walter’s changing feelings towards war, the Japanese and his own role in it all.


Everybody remembers the flag raising but since my research visit years ago I have to tell the story of the whole island and the days following the events in that famous picture by Joe Rosenthal.

- Chris Cross