War! What is it good for? Well, apart from when it is actually the last resort to protect freedoms and yourself, not much apart from making money for the military industrial complex but that’s by the by… it’s a pretty effective scenario for video games. However, often the games like ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘Battlefield’ have you play as soldiers and have you gun down the enemies, there is little nuance or empathy to understand the motivations for either side.
With ‘11-11: Memories Retold’ you play as both a Canadian and German soldier and the narrative for both intertwines as the lead characters are connected through chance and happenstance. The game is a little annoying as the controls are tank-like and laborious but the narrative is heartfelt and resonates.
At about 4 hours play the game is slight but worth it if only to see the painterly impressionist art style and excellent voice acting from Elijah Wood (Frodo from the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies). It is a reflective look at the horrors of war and the common humanity that connects us.
