CEDAR FALLS - Phantom EFX and 8monkey Labs are undergoing an evolution taking them to ancient Rome, the Civil War, World War II and beyond.

The companies, based in Cedar Falls, announced Wednesday they are developing and publishing a video game called Darkest of Days. The project is for computers and Xbox 360.

And though Phantom EFX has produced video games since 1998, Darkest of Days is a far cry from what the company has done in the past.

Phantom EFX became the industry leader in producing casino parlor video games for PC and Mac with its lineup of Reel Deal games. According to Phantom's CEO Aaron Schurman, the company has such a large portion of the market share, the next closest competitor sells less than half as many units.

But Darkest of Days is at the opposite end of the spectrum from those casino games. The game is a first-person shooter aimed at the hard-core gaming audience. And its production quality, even in its infant state, is drawing the industry's interest.

"We are going to receive a cover mention and a two-page spread in the July issue of PC Gamer magazine, which is the leading national gaming magazine," Schurman said.

The complex time-travel story will throw gamers into the middle of historical events that changed the landscape of history. Schurman said the game will have five locations, including the Civil War battle of Antietam, the World War I battle of Tannenberg and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii. These events were among the darkest days in the history of mankind, hence the game's title.

"If you look at the gaming industry, futuristic stories do well - the Quakes, the Unreals," Schurman said. "But I think the reason why a game like Medal of Honor pushes past those is because people want to experience what it was like to be on the beaches of Normandy."

The story that will drive Darkest of Days' game play was constructed by Schurman several years ago, but Phantom was not in a financial position at that time to develop a game that strayed so far from its niche products. Now, with resources available, Phantom spun off 8monkey Labs to handle development.

From a large conference room in Phantom's studio with the words "War Room" etched across the doors, Schurman and 8monkey Director Mark Doeden played clips on a projection screen of the game in action. One of Darkest of Days' unique features is its ability to support hundreds of models acting independently on the battlefield. The clips revealed how this feature creates a frantic environment that captures the chaos of the bloodiest battles in history.

Many first-time developers lease their game engine - software that handles a game's graphics and physics - from a popular title, such as Quake or Unreal. However, to handle Darkest of Days' vast number of models, 8monkey developed its own engine from the ground up, aptly dubbed the Marmoset Engine.

"This game is three times the budget of anything we've ever done before," Schurman said. "The engine is extensive to make with the physics and the trees. And with the game play, it just doesn't feel like the Civil War if it's not frantic enough."

Phantom's experience with the Reel Deal series opened up distribution channels it could use to distribute Darkest of Days. However, Schurman said after meeting with other publishers at a variety conferences, Phantom hasn't ruled out a partnership with a larger publisher to maximize Darkest of Days' exposure.

Doeden said production is moving forward rapidly The game is tentatively scheduled to hit retail shelves by late summer 2008.

Contact Drew Andersen at (319) 291-1418 or drew.andersen@wcfcourier.com.