George Orwell's classic novel The War of the Worlds is the ur-example of the alien invasion flick. Jealous Martians think we Earthlings don't deserve such prime real estate in the solar system, and come to evict us - and the world is saved by microbiology. It was made into a film twice, while having some imitators like Indepedence Day.

When pith helmets attack!

So when Paramount came to Other Ocean to develop something from their film library into a videogame, they jumped at a chance to develop a game based on The War of the Worlds. Actually, they initially wanted to make a game based on Barbarella, but Paramount wasn't sure that would be a good first choice.

The development team was backed by Paramount all the way, however - given carte blanche to work with. When given a list of available actors to do voice over work on the game, they snapped at the chance to hire Patrick Stewart, who will be serving as the protagonist narrating about the three days of extraterrestrial terror that reigned in London a few decades prior.

That's right, the game does take some liberties with the story. With a nod to the George Pals film, the game will take place in the mid-1950's, and a nod to Stewart, will take place in London. The game introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots. The main story is of an everyman who has to navigate a battered London looking for his wife and children. As might be expected, trying to travel through an infestation of alien menace is a difficult task for a hero, much less your average British Joe.

Fans of the novel will recognize much of the book in the game, which includes the 140 foot walking tripods, mechanical spiders, drones, blood-harvesting red weeds, and lethal black smoke. That's not to say the 1953 film doesn't get some nods - the tripods use the sound effects of the flying machines from the film, as do the humans being disintegrated by alien laser beams.

The morning commute has never been more difficult.

The game features a washed out, nearly black and white look in alien controlled areas, which become more colorful when retaken by humanity. The developers state the game is a puzzle-platformer in the mold of Flashback, Out of This World and Prince of Persia, but fans will also see a resemblance to Limbo as well. The game will feature eleven massive levels and dozens of different areas filled with hostile aliens and fleeing humans, but unlike Limbo, the game will telegraph potential deadly traps, making the game more about near death experiences, rather than trial and error.

The War of the Worlds looks like a promising Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network title, which has a projected release date of Fall 2011. Keep an eye out for this one.