Certainly more than any other big publisher, Ubisoft can still surprise us with unlikely games. Consider today's announcement of Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a 2D game blending puzzles, action, and caring for a dog on the battlefields of World War I. It's made on the UbiArt Framework by a small team at Rayman Legends developer Ubisoft Montpellier.

Valiant Hearts follows five characters across WW1, including a prisoner of war, a nurse, and a pilot. And their dog. The dog's a combination of AI chum and playable character, helping them all out. While it sounds and looks a bit jolly at times, it's still, well, still The Great War.

"We're not aiming to be a 'war game' but rather a game about five characters whose lives become intertwined within the setting of the First World War," Ubisoft said. "Players will have the opportunity to become these 'unsung heroes' and experience moments of bravery and intense action, as well as touching and even comical moments."

Valiant Hearts is due on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and unspecified current-gen consoles some time from January to March 2014. Have a gander at the announcement screenshots and trailer: