Introduction

Developer: Terminal Reality
Publisher: G.O.D.
Nocturne official page: http://www.nocturnegame.com
Nocturne demo: ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/3dfiles/games/nocturne_test.zip
Expected Release: Halloween 1999

Living up to the hype

"What movie are you watching?" That was the question asked to me by someone as I played the Nocturne press beta. The amazing thing is that I wasn't actually watching one of Nocturne's cut scenes when the question came up - I was playing the actual game! That's probably the reaction that Terminal Reality was aiming for when they started making Nocturne. Over the past several months, this website (see our previous Nocturne Preview and Nocturne Interview) and others have been gushing over the astounding visuals and exciting new technology. But a lot of questions remained unanswered. How would the gameplay be? Would the sounds be any good? And the all important question - what about the sizeable system requirements?

Cinematic shot

Meet Sturm and Drang

What is Nocturne?

OK so maybe you've been asleep for a while and you've missed out on all the hoopla. For the uninitiated, Nocturne is a third person, horror/adventure game from Terminal Reality. The game can rightly be described as cinematic - not just because of its stunning visuals, but also because of the game design. Unlike many recent third person games, Nocturne's camera stays stationary in each scene as the characters move around the screen, much like a movie or a tv show. However, other games that use this model have used flat 2D backgrounds for each scene. Not so in Nocturne: each background is completely 3D with interactive objects and intricate props to shoot up.

Door #1 or Door #2?

Nasty monster

You play the role of "The Stranger," an ass kicking special agent from Spookhouse, a secret government agency set up to combat the supernatural. You're dressed to kill with your three piece suit and matching trenchcoat and fedora (damn that's a sweet outfit). Accessories you ask? How about a pair of .45 caliber pistols? That's right, the Stranger does things John Woo style: we're talking two fisted action from a pair of serious hand cannons. They even have names - Sturm and Drang. There are many other weapons in the game but you'll always go back to your trusty pistols.