PC

Project Flame [PC] – Cancelled

Project Flame was a cancelled 2D run-and-gun game that began development in 2008, originally conceived as a Flash-based title with plans to expand onto PC, iOS, Android, and even consoles (Xbox 360 Arcade). Spearheaded by a Syrian developer based in the UAE alongside a small team of artists and programmers, the project reached a playable demo stage that showcased a couple of levels.

Unfortunately, by 2010, internal disagreements and funding issues led to the team’s dissolution and the eventual cancellation of the game. To preserve its existence, the developer later uploaded the demo to their Behance page, allowing others to experience a glimpse of what Project Flame could have been.

Credit: Huge thanks to TunisianRetroGamer for the discovery

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This video has a few beta differences. 

ESPionage [Beta] Xbox/PS2/PC/GameCube

Before it became known as Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, the game was originally titled ESPionage. In its early beta builds, it looked and played quite differently from the version that eventually hit the store. This was largely because Midway began showcasing the game while it was still in its alpha phase.

The game was indeed shown at E3 2003, where it was featured under the ESPionage codename. Thanks to footage and media from that event, we can catch a few rare glimpses of what the game looked like during its early development.

While the game was officially scheduled to release on the GameCube, that port was eventually cancelled.

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Beta differences:

  • Different HUD
  • Different character model
  • Different gun sounds
  • Different environment
  • Different running animation

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Severance: Blade of Darkness 2 [Cancelled?]

Severance: Blade of Darkness (or Blade: Edge of Darkness in Europe) was a brutal and atmospheric hack-and-slash released for PC back in 2001 by the now-defunct Rebel Act Studios. Years later, it got a remastered release on modern platforms, giving it a second life with old fans and curious newcomers alike.

While digging around the internet, I came across an old concept sketch that hinted at a possible sequel. It was originally posted on MercurySteam’s Facebook page but has since been deleted — and there’s almost no info about it anywhere else. Still, it seems like a follow-up was at least being explored at some point.

There’s not much else to go on right now, but if you happen to know anything about this lost project — or have more artwork or details stashed away — feel free to reach out. It would be great to uncover more about what could’ve been.

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Internal Affairs [PC/PS2] — Cancelled

Internal Affairs was an action-driving-based game in development by Attention to Detail in 2000. Internal Affairs was designed as a 12-mission character-based driving and action game, and would have been extended with downloadable monthly episodes via broadband. Each episode would reveal a new area of Phoenix City Island and a new part of the plot, which initially concerned tracking down a group of terrorists.

Internal Affairs was self-funded entirely by the folks at Attention to Detail. While working on the game, they had a tight timeframe to quickly find a publisher to secure the game’s future. Unfortunately, two attempts to secure a publisher fell through, and Internal Affairs continued to rely on self-funding until it was deemed not commercially viable to proceed with the project. In the end, the game was cancelled. Chris Gibbs, who was involved with Internal Affairs, shared the following:

“We had two successive publishing opportunities,” recalls Chris Gibbs, ATD’s managing director. “One fell through due to the publisher folding, the next when the subsequent publisher was acquired.”

Without publisher support and with the broadband part of the game in doubt due to the slow penetration of services, ATD couldn’t wait any longer to secure a third deal, and took a paying commission instead.

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Urban Chaos [PS1/PC/Dreamcast] – Beta

Urban Chaos is a fun 3D open-world beat’em up developed by Mucky Foot Productions and released by Eidos Interactive on the PlayStation, PC and the Sega Dreamcast. Although it wasn’t originally scheduled to appear at the E3 1998 show, Eidos was so impressed with a demo they saw a few days before the show that they eventually decided to show it off to the press. Many images from E3 1998 are unfortunately lost to time, but I did manage to preserve a few that I came across in magazines. Who knows, maybe there’s more out there.

The difference between the E3 1998 demo and the final release is interesting:

  • Different map design
  • Different D’arci Stern design
  • Slightly different graphics

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