Doom 4
Id Software's Doom reboot had a long and troubled development cycle which saw it transform from a Call of Duty-inspired linear adventure set on Earth, to a self-aware retro throwback. Doom 4 looked very, very different from the game we have today, and featured a story-heavy campaign that looked at how modern society would deal with a demonic invasion. The game was heavily scripted and cinematic – an area Doom hasn’t really explored. As a result, it lacked the usual dark humour and character of previous titles in the series. This personality change ultimately led the development team to completely overhaul the game’s setting and story, while retaining certain mechanics like the Glory Kill system. We may never get to play a realistic take on the Doom series, but the latest game certainly delivers the adrenaline-fueled action we know and love.
StarCraft: Ghost
It’s easy to forget that StarCraft once spread its PC wings and attempted to branch out into the console market. After all, StarCraft 64 demonstrated that the popular sci-fi RTS could work on console, even if the control scheme had to be radically changed. However, StarCraft: Ghost aimed to take a different approach to the series. The title was announced on September 20, 2002, and was to be developed by Nihilistic Software for the Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. Unlike its real-time strategy predecessor, Ghost was a third-person shooter which aimed to give a more intimate view of the StarCraft universe. Players assumed the role of Nova, a Terran psychic espionage operative who utilized stealth to reach objectives. While the cinematics and general premise sounded interesting, Blizzard cancelled the game following the success of World of Warcraft and the development of StarCraft II.
Fallout Online
Fallout Online was an MMO set in the Fallout universe that was being developed by Interplay Entertainment (the Fallout series’ original creators) and Masthead Studios. Development began in 2009 and during its short run the team had managed to map out 65,500 square miles of terrain. According to Interplay the wasteland was populated with various objects and characters, while player-run towns, guild centres and social hubs would help grow communities. Meanwhile, combat, levelling, character development, item crafting, and skills had all been written and tested. Unfortunately, Interplay's rights to developing and publishing Fallout Online gave rise to a big legal dispute between them and new series producer Bethesda. Eventually, an out-of-court settlement was reached in January 2012 and the MMO’s development was shut down for good.
