Introduction

Developer: Terminal Reality
Publisher: G.O.D.
Nocturne official page: http://www.nocturnegame.com
Expected Release: Halloween 1999

Scaring the Bejeezus out of you

Scary games are back and they're back with a vengeance. Some older gamers may remember a series of horror/adventure games called "Alone in the Dark" which featured 3Dish scenes and a story revolving around zombies, haunted houses and the like. That series was a big success, but for a long while, developers seemed to forget about creating involving storylines and chilling atmospheres like the ones in Alone in the Dark. The first person shooters and real time strategy genres took the gaming world by storm, and horror/adventure was forgotten for a while. All of a sudden, everyone was out to create the next Doom/Quake clone or Warcraft 2/C&C clone.

Svetlana and the Stranger

Werewolves in the shadows

Recently, with the arrival of games like Thief, Half-Life, Aliens vs. Predator, and System Shock 2, it's looking more and more like developers are returning to the idea of scaring the player. 3D sound technologies have played a role in the revival, and the aforementioned games have done the job of engrossing gamers into an environment where they are constantly on edge, wondering "what's going to jump at me next and where is it going to come from?"

Moonlight filters thru the forest canopy

Stay out!

What about 3rd person?

The problem with the other games is that they're all first person. Third person adventure games are an entirely different dynamic and give players more of a cinematic feel. They also give the developer a lot more freedom with backgrounds to create a more rich and detailed setting. Additionally you get to see "yourself" on screen in 3rd person titles, so in a sense, you can create more of a connection with the protagonist since he/she is always visible to you. Terminal Reality recognizes all of these assets and wowed every publication with their 3rd person horror game, Nocturne. From what we've seen at E3, downloadable movies, and screenshots, Nocturne looks like it's ready to kick down the doors and bring the horror/adventure genre back into vogue.