System Shock (1994)

The game that started it all as far as story driven action and sci-fi shooters are concerned. Yes, we are talking about System Shock. At the time of its release, it garnered good reviews and slowly but surely built a cult following. System Shock is ahead of its time in many ways, blending cyberpunk elements with horror. Players take control of a nameless protagonist who wishes to put a stop to the nefarious AI SHODAN. It may be difficult for modern gamers to get into the swing of things, but it is worth it.

]]> 598903 https://gamingbolt.com/15-dead-video-game-series-that-should-come-back-as-shorter-experiences Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:46:43 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=569674 While the triple-A games industry still very much cares about bigger games that last hundreds of hours, it’s also warming up to the idea of shorter experiences. Whether they’re standalone follow-ups expanding on established titles or just small but dense titles, there are several franchises out there which could do with the same treatment. Let’s look at 15 of them here.

Deus Ex

It may sound counter-intuitive considering the scope of Mankind Divided and Human Revolution, but Deus Ex has always thrived on the number of choices it gives players. The different play styles, dialogues and approaches would fit well within the context of a tighter narrative and maybe encourage multiple playthroughs. As for what kind of story it would tell, given all the factions, conspiracies and whatnot, and whether it should feature Adam Jensen or a brand new character remains to be seen.

Silent Hill 2

Konami struck gold with Silent Hill when it was released in 1999 for the PlayStation One. However it would be the sequel, released a mere 19 months later, that cemented itself in the halls of horror gaming. Silent Hill 2 didn’t just give us iconic horrors like Pyramid Head – it explored the consequences of one’s actions, the confrontation of deep-seated trauma, and the manifestation of one’s inner nightmares. That it was impeccably paced, well-written and atmospheric as a whole also helped distinguish it among other classics.

Zombie Dogs – Resident Evil

While the very first meeting with a zombie, as it slowly turned around, revealing its mutilated face will stick with us, the dogs from Resident Evil 1 are way more memorable. The game starts with the main cast running from a pack of undead dogs, seeking shelter in the mansion. You know it won’t be the last time dealing with them, but you half-expect one to suddenly leap through a window as you’re walking down the corridor. Or even for a second one to join in.

Game over- always a sign of temporary setbacks, but some games and developers know how to have fun even in these dire circumstances. Sure, a plain old screen telling you that you’re dead or that you failed your objective does its job perfectly well, but why not have some fun while doing so? In this feature, we’ll be taking a look at fifteen games with some of the most creative and fun game over screens. Without further ado, let’s begin.

SEGA RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

If you remove the audio from this one, it’d pretty much be the most boring, drab, cookie-cutter game over screen of all time. It literally just says “Game Over” on a white screen. But it’s the audio that makes it so special. Because that screen is also accompanied with a weirdly cheerful person singing the very words on display. Why? We don’t know. Would we have it any other way? Absolutely not.

Xenomorph – Alien Isolation

Alien Isolation’s intelligent, menacing and nigh invulnerable Xenomorph is one of the more renowned stalkers in recent times. It can sense when you’re using the motion tracker nearby, will investigate any strange occurrences or noises made, and pounce on you when least expected. It even travels through the air ducts, making it all the harder to discern where it could be coming from. Yes, it’s scared of fire but limited flamethrower ammo means it won’t be long before it returns.

Shinobi

Of the many franchises that Sega has deigned to keep alive, Shinobi has been criminally left out. It’s a shame because in 2002, the developer had a chance to beat Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden to the punch with high paced ninja action and ultra violence. It unfortunately buckled under an (ironically enough) insane difficulty, lack of depth and poor level design. Shinobi 3D in 2011 attempted to reignite the 2D side-scrolling magic of old but it just couldn’t match the brilliance of the old-school Shinobi titles.

Do you guys remember Clock Tower? You do, right? It was that terrifyingly unsettling point and click horror adventure game series, back in the day. Well, now it is returning. In a manner of speaking. While no Clock Tower 4 has been announced (the Clock Tower IP rests with Capcom, which means that, much like all of their other classic and revered IPs, we will probably never see or hear from it again), we instead have Night Cry, which is being billed as the spiritual successor to Clock Tower.

To ensure that we are sold on this, and are not skeptical that the new game may just be trying to sell itself by riding on the coattails of a pretty popular product from earlier, we also got a thirty second live action teaser trailer that you can see above, with more information promised to us… soon.

Whenever that is, we will have it for you here, so stay tuned.

Coming to iOS, Android, and PlayStation Vita (… yes), Project Scissors is a new game from Nude Maker (that is, in fact, the name of a studio), that promises to be a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series of horror games.

The game is set on a cruise liner in the middle of the ocean (so a bit like Resident Evil Revelations), and it is aiming to deliver the ultimate horror game experience by transporting players into a virtual world of primal fear, suspense and mystery.

The game has a lot of horror cred going for it to begin with, what with channeling Clock Tower and everything, but apart from that, Masahiro Ito, the creature designer for the venerated Silent Hill franchise, has joined the project as the creature and prop designer of the project, while Takashi Shimizu, the famed director of the Ju-on film franchise and its Hollywood adaptation The Grudge, has also joined the project as a creative producer to make it the ‘ultimate J-horror experience’. In addition to story collaboration, Mr. Shimizu will also direct a live action teaser trailer for the game, to provide a glimpse of its terrifying world and to sell it to the players as the ultimate horror experience.

We’ll keep you posted on this game, so do stay tuned.