‘Vertigo’ video game takes inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic films
Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1958 film Vertigo now has a video game adaptation.
The upcoming video game, takes inspiration from the filmmaker’s groundbreaking psychological thriller released 63 years ago, that movie critics frequently cite as one of the greatest films ever made.
The adventure video game developed by the Spanish company Pendulo Studios and published by Microids, is a modern story loosely based on the masterpiece directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and not a direct adaptation.
Don't expect to play as Jimmy Stewart's retired police detective character from the movie, but rather “dive into a new kind of psychological thriller, and walk on a thin line between reality and fantasy,” according to the game’s synopsis.
The game’s story will follow a man named Ed Miller, who enters therapy to cope with the mysterious after-effects of a car crash. Even though no one was found inside the car wreckage, Ed insists that he was traveling with his wife and daughter. Traumatized by the event, he begins to suffer from severe vertigo. As he starts therapy, he will try to uncover what really happened on that tragic day.
The game will take place in a three-dimensional game world where the player will control three characters, with a focus on solving mysteries tied to flashbacks.
Developers first announced Vertigo in early 2018, with a teaser trailer first shown at the Guerrilla Collective Showcase in June 2021.
In their presentation earlier this year, narrative designer Josué Monchan called the game "freely inspired" by Hitchcock's Vertigo and influenced by other of the director’s films including Psycho, Spellbound, Rebecca and more.
Movie website /Film reported that the game's themes are similar to the film, namely “relying on obsession, memory, perception, manipulation, identity, and madness to propel players through its narrative.”
The game's designers also studied Hitchcock's camerawork (including the famous "Vertigo shot," or dolly zoom) and tried to lean on the aesthetic of film mysteries and thrillers when crafting their own mystery.
Check out the official game trailer for yourself below.
Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo is coming to PC via Steam on December 16, 2021 as well as to Mac, and game consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One in 2022.
(Images via Steam)