Call of Cthulhu: Destiny's End
Encyclopedia
Call of Cthulhu: Destiny's End was a third-person
survival horror video game that was in production at British
developer Headfirst Productions
. It was planned as a sequel
to the 2005 game Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
.
and PC Windows (planned already as a sequel to Dark Corners of the Earth, even as this repeatedly-delayed game would be eventually released only nearly three years later), when they heard about Guillermo del Toro
's project to adapt H. P. Lovecraft
's At the Mountains of Madness
(as of 2010, the development of this film has not started yet). The game got eventually either cancelled or merged with the other Cthulhu project by Headfirst Productions, Call of Cthulhu: Tainted Legacy for PlayStation 2
, which was originally scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2004.
The gameplay in the game also evolved form first-person shooter
of Dark Corners to the Resident Evil 4
-style over-the-shoulder third-person shooter
, but with exploration and melee combat resembling these in the Silent Hill
series (like in Alone in the Dark 2008 reboot).
in December 2005. Headfirst Productions itself went into liquidation as of March 2006, and the game is now thought to be vaporware
.
In 2011, UGO.com included it on their list of canceled games that "could have been some of the greatest games of all time."
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
survival horror video game that was in production at British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
developer Headfirst Productions
Headfirst Productions
Headfirst Productions was a British video game studio established by father and son Mike and Simon Woodroffe in 1998. The studio was an independent developer of games for both the console and PC market.- Games :...
. It was planned as a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 2005 game Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a Lovecraftian horror first-person action-adventure game developed by Headfirst Productions and published by Bethesda Softworks in 2005, in conjunction with 2K Games. The game was released for the PC and Xbox systems; the Xbox version is officially...
.
Story and gameplay
Destroyed by a government raid in 1928, the mysterious town of InnsmouthInnsmouthInnsmouth is a fictional town in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, part of the Lovecraft Country setting of the Cthulhu Mythos.Lovecraft first used the name "Innsmouth" in his 1920 short story "Celephaïs" , where it refers to a fictional town in New England...
was left to fester in ruins for nearly 80 years. The two central characters, Emily and Jacob, return to search for the truth as they unveil the horrors of the town's past. Destiny's End will break new ground in the field of survival horror by featuring innovative co-operative gameplayCooperative gameplayCooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
whereby two players can each assume the role of one of the main protagonists at any time in the game and work together to overcome their deepest fears. Players will have to use both characters to defeat their enemies thanks to fantastic co-operative fighting combos. Featuring a blend of fierce action, combat and exploration, gamers will journey into a world of malevolence and horror with "Call of Cthulhu: Destiny's End."
Development
Destiny's End began in 2002 as Call of Cthulhu: Beyond the Mountains of Madness for XboxXbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and PC Windows (planned already as a sequel to Dark Corners of the Earth, even as this repeatedly-delayed game would be eventually released only nearly three years later), when they heard about Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
's project to adapt H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's At the Mountains of Madness
At the Mountains of Madness
At the Mountains of Madness is a novella by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, written in February/March 1931 and rejected that year by Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright on the grounds of its length. It was originally serialized in the February, March and April 1936 issues of Astounding Stories...
(as of 2010, the development of this film has not started yet). The game got eventually either cancelled or merged with the other Cthulhu project by Headfirst Productions, Call of Cthulhu: Tainted Legacy for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, which was originally scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2004.
The gameplay in the game also evolved form first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
of Dark Corners to the Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
-style over-the-shoulder third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
, but with exploration and melee combat resembling these in the Silent Hill
Silent Hill
is a survival horror video game series consisting of seven installments published by Konami and its subsidiary Konami Digital Entertainment. The first four games in the series, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, have been developed by an internal factor, Team Silent...
series (like in Alone in the Dark 2008 reboot).
Vaporware
Destiny's End was originally signed for release in March of 2005, but the publisher, Hip Interactive, for the project fell on financial troubles and declared bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in December 2005. Headfirst Productions itself went into liquidation as of March 2006, and the game is now thought to be vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
.
In 2011, UGO.com included it on their list of canceled games that "could have been some of the greatest games of all time."