Stolen is an obscure stealth game developed by Blue52 and published by Hip Games. The game was originally intended as a PlayStation 2 exclusive, but Sony abandoned the project. Blue52 eventually found a publisher, and the game was released in 2005 for the PS2, Xbox and PC.
Before the game’s release, it went through several changes, which I’ll demonstrate below. From the build dated April 5th,2004, we can observe the following differences:
Different HUD (HP, Map, Visibility Meter)
Different Gadget Icon
Whereas in the July 26, 2004 build, the only differences I noticed are the following:
Different HUD (closer to the final release layout)
Different suspicion music (it sounds like a soft version of the final release)
April 2004 Build
July 2004 Build
Early Concept Artwork
Anya Romanov, the game’s protagonist, went through several iterations along with Breeze, the game’s main villain. Below, we can observe some of the early sketches:
Spawn: Armageddon is a relatively fun action-adventure game based on Todd McFarlane’s iconic Spawn comic book. The game adapts from issues 1 to 99 of the Spawn comic book series. However, before the game’s final release, we can notice a few differences from the E3 2003 preview trailer of the game.
The differences are as follows:
Different HUD (Guns, Necroplasm, HP)
Different healing pick-up up icons
Different Spawn attacks
Different gun sfx
Guns make some enemies float in the air (similar to DMC 2)
Alter Echo was a strange, ambitious beast—an action-adventure title that dared to fuse multiple gameplay systems into something boldly experimental. It had style, ideas, and a confident strut all its own. But despite all this, the game didn’t walk away with awards. THQ’s gamble didn’t pay off commercially, and Alter Echo quietly faded into obscurity—at least for a while. Years later, it would resurface as a cult favourite, remembered by those who stumbled onto it as something genuinely ahead of its time.
But before Alter Echo became the shape-shifting, time-bending spectacle it’s now remembered as, it went through some major changes in its earliest form.
Back in its early development days, the game looked—and played—differently. The camera system mirrored that of Devil May Cry, relying on fixed cinematic angles to introduce players to action. Nevin, the game’s protagonist, was also nearly unrecognisable: a different face, a different suit, and different visual effects altogether. It was only after internal feedback from a THQ producer, who pointed out the visibility issues caused by the original camera, that Outrage made a drastic shift. The decision not only overhauled the game’s visual design but also impacted its performance, cutting the framerate from the intended slick 60 frames per second down to 30.
With the new direction in place, Alter Echo moved to a fully controllable 3D camera, and Nevin received his final redesign. His allies, Arana and Stom, still wore the original red/orange suits late into development—until the team finally settled on their now-iconic bluish armour for the retail release.
Apart from the visual differences, in the early E3 trailers shown, the time dilation for Nevin was much slower than the final release. There were different gunshot and slashing effects as well as different icons for the Time Dilation. The HUD colour was different. The running and jumping animations for Nevin were also different. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive gallery of the early changes, and more!
Early Footage of Alter Echo Build:
Later Build:
Videos:
Fan-documentary containing insights from Lead Designer Andy Crosby
Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance was Cavia and Capcom’s attempt to revolutionize the beat’em up genre and win over the American market. It took heavy influence from crime and mafia films, and it’s evident throughout the game’s environments and narrative. However, Cavia and Capcom ultimately failed to deliver what they envisioned.
The game began development in late 2003 and was released in 2005 for the Xbox and PS2. Before its final release, a few changes were spotted in early builds. Here are the differences:
IGN videos and E3 2005 Previews:
Enemies have a different HUD on top (purple)
Enemies didn’t have a HUD originally
Destructible environment was removed
The Money icon position is in a different spot
Dirt effect when slaming enemies to the ground
Excessive blood effect during intense fights
The camera angle when throwing the enemy off the walkway in the Train Station area (seen at 1:53) doesn’t change.
Different clothing and hair text in shop.
The Buy sign is different
Brighter lights for cities in early builds
Pressing the circle or B button to pull off the special attack didn’t deplete your health
The notoriety symbol uses Raven’s Jacket instead of the Skull
Tatsuya Minami Interview:
Different interrogation text color
The text showing “recruit your enemy” is in a different position
Name texts are different for both the player and the enemy
Beat Down Trailer
Raven’s VA is different
Call screen is different
Different texts across the game altogether
The wanted meter uses a policeman’s face in this trailer and the word “caution” near it. The final build uses a police badge instead
Different logo of the game
Again, the special attack doesn’t deplete your health
Breakable environment
Images of early builds, along with three concept arts
YouTube video documenting the commercial and critical performance of the game
Dead to Rights was a fantastic third-person shooter inspired by many Hong Kong and action noir thrillers. The game sold more than 500k copies in its prime and was well-received by critics and players alike. This article takes a trek back to the past, covering some of the changes as seen in the E3 2001 footage.
Some of the changes are the following:
Different running animation
Different combat moves
Different clothes
Different environment
Special finishing moves are absent from the final game
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