{{Short description|1997 video game}} {{Infobox video game |title = Ceremony of Innocence |image = Ceremony of Innocence cover.jpg |developer = Real World Multimedia |publisher = Real World Multimedia |released = 1997 |genre = [[Adventure game|Adventure]] |modes = [[Single-player]] |platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS]] }} '''''Ceremony of Innocence''''' is a [[CD-ROM]]-based game released in 1997. It used a mystery narrative based on the ''[[Griffin and Sabine]]'' novel by [[Nick Bantock]]. The title was taken from the poem "[[The Second Coming (poem)|The Second Coming]]" by Irish poet [[W. B. Yeats|William Butler Yeats]].

== Plot == ''Ceremony of Innocence'' has an elaborate mystery game format to tell the story of Griffin, a young English artist, and Sabine, a woman from a (fictional) [[South Sea Islander|South Sea Island]]. The game takes the form of a series of postcards sent between the two, which the player must explore to continue.

== Development == The work was produced by Peter Gabriel's Real World label by a team led by producer Gerrie Villon and creative director/chief designer Alex Mayhew. Joining them was a team of internationally renowned artists specialising in 3D character models, clay-modelling, precision metalwork, pastel painting, and pencil drawings, plus [[computer-generated imagery]]; among them were Joan Ashworth, Ruth Lingford, Bedric Glaser, Jeff de Boer, and Jonathan Hodgson.

Over 100 different artists, animators and musicians involved in the game's production. The core team of animators were from Realworld Multimedia.<ref>[http://realworldmultimedia.com/ Realworld Multimedia]</ref> Dan Blore, Brian Short and Karolyn Pike, all of whom had previously worked on Peter Gabriel's ''EVE'' CD-ROM,<ref>[http://www.valazza.com/eve/ ''EVE'' CD-ROM]</ref> joined forces with Realworld's programmers Michael Dean,<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldeandigital/ Michael Dean]</ref> Darren Umney, Sam Deane,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.elegantchaos.com/sam |title=Sam Deane |access-date=2013-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015233243/http://www.elegantchaos.com/sam |archive-date=2011-10-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Matt Thurling, Peter Fierlinger, [[Joshua Portway]], Chris Wright, Sam Clegg, Andy Lovelock, David Bateman and Robert Mettler.

The game features voice acting by [[Paul McGann]], [[Isabella Rossellini]] and [[Ben Kingsley]].

== Reception ==

=== Accolades ===

''Ceremony of Innocence'' was awarded the EUROPRIX 98 Overall Winner,<ref name=europrix>{{cite web|title=The EUROPRIX 1998 Winners|url=http://europrix.org/europrix-classic-archives/1998|publisher=EUROPRIX|accessdate=27 September 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209032437/http://europrix.org/europrix-classic-archives/1998|archivedate=9 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> and two [[BAFTA]]s in 1998 for Best Moving Image and Best Sound.<ref name=bafta1>{{cite web|title=Interactive - Moving Images in 1998|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1998/interactive/moving-images|website=bafta.org|publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|accessdate=2015-09-27|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927130759/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1998/interactive/moving-images|archivedate=2015-09-27}}</ref><ref name=bafta2>{{cite web|title=Interactive - Sound in 1998|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1998/interactive/sound|website=bafta.org|publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|accessdate=2015-09-27|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927131139/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1998/interactive/sound|archivedate=2015-09-27}}</ref>

=== Reviews ===

{{video game reviews

| PC = true | MAC = true

| MW_MAC = 3.5/5<ref name=MW>{{cite magazine|magazine=Macworld|title=Ceremony of Innocence|date=December 1999|last=Breitzer|first=Frith|pages=94|url=https://archive.org/details/Macworld9912December1999/mode/2up?q=%22ceremony+of+innocence%22}}</ref>

| rev1 = ''Arcade'' | rev1_PC = 5/5<ref name=AR>{{cite magazine|magazine=Arcade|issue=1|date=December 1998|last=James|first=Chris|title=Ceremony of Innocence|pages=150|url=https://archive.org/details/Arcade_Issue_01_1998-12_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n151/mode/2up}}</ref>

}}

J.C. Herz of the ''[[New York Times]]'' praised the sophistication and nuance of the game's presentation, finding it "technically impressive" and emotionally engaging.<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|website=New York Times|last=Herz|first=J.C.|title=Bringing Extra Passion to a Fine Romance|date=20 August 1998|accessdate=21 March 2026|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/08/circuits/game-theory/20game.html}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825184708/http://realworldmultimedia.com/portfolio/cdrom/Ceremony_of_Innocence/ |date=August 25, 2011 |title=Official website }} *[http://www.mobygames.com/game/ceremony-of-innocence ''Ceremony of Innocence''] at [[MobyGames]]

[[Category:1997 video games]] [[Category:Adventure games]] [[Category:Classic Mac OS games]] [[Category:Single-player video games]] [[Category:Video games based on novels]] [[Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[Category:BAFTA winners (video games)]]