The Shadow War, a gripping interactive online game and the first alternate reality game connected to a children’s series of books, was launched on Saturday 23rd August on www.youngbond.com. It has since seen an incredible 10,000 people taking part in a series of six missions, all set in the Young Bond world: from crossing the Alps without being caught or tracking down a ship in the dangerous Docks of London’s East End to joining the Eton Danger Society or unravelling some strange goings on in Hellebore Castle.
The seventh and final mission, set today, will see Charlie Higson taking part and helping players solve the mission. For seven nail-biting weeks, the game has put Young Bond fans and online gamers in the shoes of either a British SIS agent or a Soviet OGPU and this last mission will see each side pitted against each other, interspersed with a live video of Charlie Higson posing as a captured British soldier, held in a cell in a castle in the Austrian Alps.
The 007th mission:
The OGPU and SIS are sending commando teams to attack the castle and racing to reach the control centre first. Players on each side will be collectively solving puzzles and cracking codes that will get them through the danger-filled castle. Charlie Higson will be on hand to help in the form of a captured British soldier who will regularly appear, giving each side hints about solving puzzles and updating them on the state of the battle. In addition, players will be able to submit their own questions to him. The end of game will see an unexpected turn when both sides will be forced to work together.
Charlie Higson comments: “The Shadow War has been a great way to follow the Young Bond story in a different way. Over the past few weeks kids from around the world have been working together as secret agents to crack a series of ingenious plots. It's the final stage of the game this week, and a chance for all those kids to come together in a race against time and finish the story. I'm really looking forward to playing a part in it and appearing live in the game as a British agent. I just hope the kids solve the problems in time or I risk being liquidated by a fiendish foreign power!
Written by Charlie Higson and developed by specialist creators of alternate reality games Six to Start, The Shadow War is an innovative combination of reading, story-telling and online gaming. It is designed for children aged 9 plus, but can be enjoyed by adults too, and is played completely free of charge. Set within the Young Bond world, the game allows fans to explore familiar locations and see memorable characters from the series – including James Bond himself.
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