Microsoft

Seraphim is a cancelled third person, 3D combat game that was in development in 1999 / 2000 by Valkyrie Studios (creators of Septerra Core) for PC, with a planned conversion for the original Xbox. The game was interesting and ambitious but sadly they never found a publisher and it had to be canned. As we can read from Seraphin’s original website:

Seraphim is a fast paced game of third person, 3D combat in which players not only battle on the ground, but soar through the air with abandon, laying waste to cunning enemies, and the surrounding environment. The player will assume the role of a fallen angel lord, called a Seraphim, whose titanic strength and arcane power can only be challenged by the vast armies, wondrous machines, ancient leviathans and powerful, rival angels that inhabit this fantasy world.

A dynamic, mission-based level design may find the player’s Seraphim raiding human settlements, assassinating dissident leaders, escorting important materials, or otherwise playing pivotal roles in massive battles. Disrupt the enemy supply lines, or take out your enemy’s new secret weapon as battle rages on around you! The player’s performance determines the outcome not only of the mission, but of the overall story as well.

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By completing objectives, the player gains points he may then use to customize his warrior, buying new spells and better weapons, or increasing his basic abilities, such as flight, spell casting or strength. Through this dynamic, yet simple RPG-styled point system, each player’s Seraphim will be unique, allowing him or her to carve out their own style of play. This aspect of the game will truly shine when players bring their personal creations to the multi-player battlefield.

The multi-player game will feature some standard favorites, such as capture-the-flag and king-of-the-hill, as well as many unique, Seraphim specific missions, like “gather the Lanuth Stones,” and “defend/destroy the mortals.” Also, an intriguing death-match system will allow players to import their single-player game characters to the multi-player arena, if desired. Alternatively, the player may choose to create a new character on the spot, specifically for multi-player. Simple character point-limits can also be set by the server to regulate the maximum strength of individuals or even of teams brought into the fray. This can lead to games with one all-powerful character on one team versus three or four less powerful opponents on a rival team!

Bottom line – whether in single or multi-player mode, players will get to control and experience, first-hand, the awesome powers of these immortal beings as they fight their way through the heart-pounding battles that rage in the skies over the world of Seraphim.

A playable prototype was completed in 2000. You can check Valkyrie Studios’ website at www.valkyriestudios.com for more info (still online as of February 2010).

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