The classic sci-fi adventure series John Carter: Warlord of Mars is coming to a video game console near you, as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc,. announced its team is working with FNCPR to develop and publish a first person action game, starring the “world’s oldest interplanetary warrior.”
Over 27 years FNCPR has worked on some of the biggest games in the industry, including long-lasting classics like World of Tanks, World of Warships, Medieval Dynasty, Skyforge, Armored Warfare, Warface, Conqueror Blade, Blizzard (Diablo II, Warcraft III, and Starcraft Ghosts), Sierra (Homeworld and Homeworld II, Halflife and Halflife II), Fox (No One Lives Forever II, Simpsons, and Buffy), Black Label (Lord of the Rings and The Thing), and NDA (Die Hard Vendetta and Judge Dredd v. Death).
John Carter is the planet-hopping hero who was conceived over 100 years ago by genre-defining writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also wrote the popular Tarzan novels. As well as being the central character in 11 novels since 1912, Carter has featured in various comic book incarnations, tabletop games and a feature film, spanning several decades. Carter’s adventures have left a lasting cultural legacy, inspiring writers and scientists like Ray Bradbury, Jerry Siegal, and Carl Sagan. He also profoundly influenced series like Flash Gordon and blockbusters like George Lucas’ Star Wars and James Cameron’s Avatar. Thanks to the collaboration and a new Kickstarter campaign, gamers will now have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Burroughs’ epic fantasy world.
“One might wonder what Mr. Burroughs, over a century after he first inked the names John Carter, Dejah Thoris, and Tars Tarkas to the page, would have thought to see his characters spring to life in a video game—what in his day would have itself been considered the stuff of science fiction,” said James Sullos, President of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. “I’d like to think he would be pleased not only to see fans of John Carter play the game and step into his wondrous world of Barsoom, but also to at last set foot on the dying planet himself, with sword in hand, and have the visceral experience of being able to play one of his own heroes in the game. Doubtless he would have been thrilled to see his immortal swordsman and the rich setting of Barsoom come alive in the John Carter: Warlord of Mars video game, exposing his creations to a whole new generation of fans.”
The creative work on the game is well underway, the company says, and Tanglewood Games has been appointed by FNCPR as the lead developer for the project. The voice cast includes two BAFTA winners. David Elliott takes the lead role of Carter, Brian Bovell as Tars Tarkas, and Kezia Burrows playing the Princess of Mars, Dejah Thoris.
”In many ways, John Carter is the original fantasy action hero, thrilling readers and fans well before the likes of Flash Gordon, Superman and Luke Skywalker,” said Frazer Nash, from FNCPR, which is publishing the game. “Most superheroes have already made their transition into the gaming world; it is high time that John Carter makes his debut.”
Starting in 1945 at the end of WWII, the gameplay will centre on the soldier John Carter, working on a mission to find Hitler’s secret projects general, Hans Kammler. Kammler is experimenting with a new technology that ultimately transports John Carter to Mars, known to its inhabitants as “Barsoom.” This echoes the dimension-shifting narrative of the original novels and comics, in which the American Civil War veteran dramatically found himself transcending worlds and fighting for the inhabitants of Mars.
“The action follows Carter as he meets the weird and wonderful natives of Barsoom, acclimatising himself to Martian gravity, the local customs and Martian languages,” explains Nash. “His mission includes meeting the mighty Thark warrior, Tars Tarkas, fighting with giant ape-like monsters, and falling in love with the beautiful Princess of Mars, Dejah Thoris. It’s over a century since these characters were created, and we’re excited to find a new way of bringing them to life.”
With initial work on the game well underway, the next step in the process will be launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding initiative to fund the next stage of development, which will be launched on April 19, 2021.