Game creators have drawn on wars of every kind and period for material, but World War One has generally been passed over--and for good reason. After all, how do you make a game anywhere near the reality of The Great War--soldiers wading in two feet of mud for months on end, only to be randomly gassed or shelled from above, and finally made to charge toward the barrel of a machinegun and a sudden death--into something fun?

The UK team of publisher Ghostlight and development studio Chemistry is taking the challenge with To End All Wars, a first person shooter set in Europe during the four year conflict. Using the Unreal Engine 3 to deliver what Ghostlight calls "mud strewn horror," To End All Wars is planned for an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release during the summer of 2008.

Kuju Entertainment's studio Chemistry--responsible for games such as Buzz! (PS2) and Sensible Soccer (PS2)--will be handling development. Players can expect locations, weaponry and character design to be accurate to the period. Gameplay will include trench combat, night-time patrols, and desperate charges across no man's land.

Formed in 2004, Ghostlight's projects include the UK editions of Atlus' Digital Devil Saga series (PS2), as well ODenis Studio's upcoming Glory Days 2 (NDS) and Icon Games' Spinout (PSP).

In the war of attrition that is video game publishing, the recently established Ghostlight is hoping To End All Wars will help the company break through the front line. Says Ghostlight director Khaled Lababedi, "Alongside other products to be announced in the coming months, To End All Wars will propel Ghostlight towards its stated objective of becoming a major global publisher."