The world of HG Wells' classic novel is set to be brought back to life in the form of a 2D platformer for Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network this summer.

Ocean Interactive, the independent developer behind Dark Void Zero and the XBLA conversion of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, confirmes that War of the Worlds is an upcoming 2D cinematic platformer inspired by the seminal work of beloved author H.G. Wells that pits players in a story of survival as a lone person trying to escape chaos and destruction amidst an alien invasion in 1950s London.

The gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots. With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback, Out of This World and Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, players follows the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods and other menacing war machines as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

“As a developer, we are extremely fortunate to have access to this beloved franchise,” said Mike Mika, Head of Development with Other Ocean Interactive. “The team and I are huge fans of the original rotoscoped cinematic platformers of early PC gaming. This is a dream project for everyone on the team. Having the ability to approach the game in a completely retro way and pay homage to one of our favorite periods in gaming is more than we could ask for.”

The War of the Worlds will be available on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in summer 2011.