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Geist (video game)
Encyclopedia
Geist is a video game for the Nintendo GameCube
video game console
, released on August 15, 2005, in North America, on October 7, 2005, in Europe, and on November 3, 2005, in Australia. The game was not released in Japan.
A prototype of the game was developed by n-Space
, who approached Nintendo
to be the game's publisher. Nintendo accepted, making Geist the second GameCube game published by Nintendo to receive an M-rating (the first being Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
). In the following years, Nintendo and n-Space worked closely on Geist. The game was first shown at the E3 2003 and was announced to be part of the GameCube's line-up for 2003. However, it was delayed for two years for fine-tuning. During that time, the game's genre changed from first-person shooter
to first-person action-adventure
.
The Geist franchise is currently owned by Nintendo, due to their contract with n-Space. At the moment, there are no plans for a sequel
. However, n-Space has announced they are working on a game for the Wii
.
scientist
and a member of a counter-terrorism
team sent to investigate the Volks Corporation. The team, called CR-2, sent Thomas Bryson, Raimi's best friend, to Volks Corporation for an undercover operation months earlier and now they have to get him out of there. After meeting up with Bryson, the alarm goes off and CR-2 is forced to battle their way out. On the way out, a monster appears and violently kills one of Raimi's squad members. At the end, one of the agents seemingly becomes possessed and kills the rest of the team with the exception of Raimi, who just gets badly wounded, and, as the latter later finds out, Bryson. It is not revealed what happens with the possessed agent though. Raimi is captured and his soul
is torn from his body by an experimental machine. Soon after, Alexander Volks himself puts Raimi into a machine to brainwash him, so he will become a new soldier for Project Z. However, the spirit of a young girl named Gigi blows the machine's power to save Raimi. She then teaches him the basics of being a ghost and Raimi sets out to get his body back and save Bryson. His new ghost abilities (possessing
other humans, animals and even inanimate objects) immediately prove to be essential if he wants to succeed.
Raimi damages the main piece of machinery used in the ghost separation in order to prevent Bryson's separation. In the chaos that follows, Rourke, the head of Volks' military
department, orders the computer operator to fire a "catalyst beam" at the machine, despite their loss of containment. Following his orders, the laser is fired. Suddenly the machine breaks down and a humongous monster emerges from the rift. Because people normally cannot see ghosts, this goes unnoticed by the members of Volks Corporation. They know "something" escaped, but that is said to happen all the time, thus no more precautions are taken than the regular ones. Raimi is not too far away, attempting to make it farther into the facility. He soon notices there are other beings free as well. Escaped creatures from the rift are roaming the compound
, killing everything that is not from their world.
Raimi manages to save Bryson and get a helicopter
to pick him up. They part ways, because Bryson has to go and inform his superiors of what is going on, while Raimi does not want to go without his body. However, when the helicopter takes off, Raimi's body, possessed by Wraith, takes the helicopter down with a rocket launcher
. Raimi follows him and ends up in a deserted mansion. There, he meets Gigi again. She then reveals to Raimi what her connection to Volks Corporation is. When she was alive, she lived with her aunt and brother in the mansion. Her brother is now the owner of Volks Corporation: Alexander Volks. Alexander was obsessed with the occult
and supernatural
when he was a young boy, often reading about it in books. One day he was reading a book in the big tree in the garden. Gigi tried to get his attention, but he told her to go away. She then climbed in the tree to get to him, but fell and died. Desperate, Alexander came up with the plan to use his knowledge about the occult to save his sister. He brought her to a "special place" (a seal to a demon
realm) and tried to bring her back to life using spells he found in his books. The ritual failed however, and instead of bringing Gigi back to life, turned her soul into a ghost. To make matters worse, Alexander himself became slightly possessed by an ancient demon (Volks' Demon), which gave him a symbol-like scar above his right eye. Unaware of both results, Alexander became a puppet of the demon. It is revealed that Volks' Demon wants to seize control over the world through Alexander and with all that Volks Corporation has to offer.
Raimi soon is captured once more and again, Volks Corporation attempts to brainwash him. Due to another attack from some monsters, Raimi manages to free himself and continues his search for his body. Eventually, he gets his body back when facing Wraith. Once Raimi destroys him, he goes on in an attempt to stop the Volks Corporation from killing and possessing the world leaders (Project Z). He manages to stop the attack and at the end, comes face to face with the possessed Alexander Volks. When Raimi kills Alexander's body, Gigi appears and gets pulled into Alexander's body by Volks' Demon. Raimi follows her (as a ghost) and ends up in some ethereal realm which could either be Alexander's psyche, or (part of) the world on the other side of the rift. Raimi kills Volks' Demon here and witnesses the reunion of Alexander and Gigi (both ghosts now). They thank him and fly away. Raimi escapes from the collapsing cave and is picked up by a helicopter. In the helicopter, he meets Bryson again, who survived the attack. He also sees Anna Richardson and Phantom again, two characters he has possessed for some time during the game. Apart from the happy ending, this is likely also an indication CR-2 has already started cleaning up Volks Corporation's mess.
, which in turn are divided in stages. Each level starts with a cutscene
and has one or more boss fights. The game saves automatically after each level.
A level is progressed through by completing its stages. A stage can be a period in the game in which the player has to puzzle
and/or fight
his way to a certain point or can be a boss fight. Upon completing a stage, a new checkpoint is reached.
As a disembodied spirit
, Raimi cannot interact with the physical world except through possession. Gravity still affects him though he floats and can elevate himself for short periods and he cannot pass through solid walls. Normally, his sight is blue/white, but when standing at the same spot as an object or creature, his sight turns red. Ghosts are invisible and intangible, though they can be seen by other ghosts and animals can sense their presence even when they are possessing something. Without a host, a ghost is a lot faster than the physical world and sees everything in slow motion
.
When Raimi possesses an object, such as a dog food bowl, he sees things from the object's perspective even if the device has no visual apparatus. He is able to provide some motive force on an ordinarily immobile object, activate electronics, and alter an object's appearance; for example, turning water from a possessed faucet red, or changing the reflection in a mirror. Creatures can only be possessed when badly frightened or startled. This is accomplished by performing a set combination of actions. Glimpses of a host's recent memories are sometimes gained immediately upon possession. Raimi has the same control over a host body that he would over his own. The only exceptions are an inability to make the host approach something which frightens him or her very badly, and the very difficult task of resisting something the host likes.
If a host is killed or destroyed, Raimi is unharmed and returns to his ethereal state. However, he cannot remain outside a host indefinitely; his spirit is continuously pulled towards the afterlife. Raimi can only anchor himself to the world by possessing something, though absorbing life from small plants grants him additional time in this world.
, while imps have binoculars
-shaped sight. For the most part, Raimi gets to possess guards who carry one weapon and an unlimited amount of ammunition
. Some weapons have a secondary function in the form of a grenade launcher
or infrared
scope
. Other possessable humans are professor
s, engineer
s and several people with different supportive jobs. They cannot do battle, but allow access to new areas and sometimes carry objects with them that may be needed to proceed. Human hosts have no memory of what occurs when Raimi possesses them. They recall only being badly frightened, and then suddenly being in a different room. They will not do anything or get less frightened when Raimi dispossesses them, so they can be possessed again at any time.
Animals also cannot be used for combat, but are vital to reach some areas. Due to their size, rats and dogs (rabbits and roaches in multiplayer) can crawl through some small holes and reach the room on the other side. Bats can fly to otherwise unreachable areas. Other animals are tools to make a human host possessable. The only exception to animals being useless for combat situations are imps, but they can only be possessed in the multiplayer mode.
Each host has a different ability. Some human hosts can sprint and others can crawl. This means a character that can sprint cannot crawl or vice versa and this goes for all abilities. In some cases, the L button activates the zoom
function. Most humans in the multiplayer mode have a different ability: jumping.
and are the diary entries of Giselle Tallant. By picking them up, the player learns a deeper part of the story.
. It has three different modes: Possession Deathmatch
, Capture the Host
and Hunt. Though these modes are common multiplayer modes, the ghost aspect gives them a unique touch. Possession DeathMatch is played between ghosts. Therefore, each player is invunerable until he/she possesses a host, after which the game plays as a normal deathmatch. To prevent players from staying a ghost, they have a timed ghost life. Capture the Host is a combination of deathmatch and capture the flag. Again, the battle is between ghosts. However, this time, kills made are not kept until the player dispossess the host on a base. There is also a key mode where a shield will surround the base and the players have to find the key to open it. Hunt is a hosts versus ghosts mode. The hosts, armed with anti-ghost weapons, try to kill the ghosts, while the ghosts try to get the hosts to commit suicide
by possessing the hosts and letting them walk into one of the various deathtraps. Hosts can attempt to free themselves from the ghosts' grasp. The first team to get rid of all their opponents' lives wins.
During the story mode, hidden collectibles can be collected in order to unlock more multiplayer levels and characters. The abilities of ghosts and most hosts are slightly different from the story mode. For instance, most soldier hosts can jump, instead of sprint or crawl. Also, roaches and imps can be possessed in the multiplayer mode, but not in the single player mode. Another difference is the presence of power-up
s, with various effects. The players can choose from a list of "advanced settings" to adjust the multiplayer mode to their wishes.
s) working for Volks Corporation. They are the first enemies he has to battle. Most of them are unaware of Raimi's presence and will not start shooting until the possessed host attacks them or ignores their orders. There are several different classes with different outfits and weapons. There is also a special kind of soldier known as Spirit Hunters. Spirit Hunters wear an orange suit that gives them the same speed as ghosts and allows them to see ghosts. They are armed with Spirit Hunter guns and Anti-Spirit grenade launchers, that harm both hosts and ghosts. They can also force a ghost out of its host and make the host temporarily unpossessable.
and attempt to kill everything that is not a monster. Volks Corporation has captured and studied several of them in an attempt to create new weapons. Though not intelligent, the monsters are very strong and capable of projectile and melee combat. Later, monsters become more common.
and a struggle for control starts. If Raimi wins, the Spectral Operative is thrown out of the host and flies off a little before attacking again. They can only be killed with Anti-Spirit grenades. There are also two genuine ghosts in the game, who both escaped from the rift.
/action game
with a unique feel to it. So, n-Space came up with the idea about making a game with an invisible man
as the protagonist
. From there, the concept changed from being an invisible person to being a ghost
.
After about eight months of work, n-Space finished the prototype
and sent it to Nintendo of America, from which it was sent to Nintendo
. Nintendo latched onto the game, and it was decided N-Space and Nintendo would work together to develop the game. After six months, object possession was introduced in the game after some suggestions from Shigeru Miyamoto
. Geist was first shown to the public at the E3 2003 and it was later stated that Geist would be released the same year. In the months after the E3 both companies realized they "weren't working on the same game"; N-Space had envisioned Geist to be a first-person shooter
while Nintendo (more specifically, Kensuke Tanabe) considered it to be a first-person action-adventure
. The adjustments caused the game to be delayed many times until it was finally released two years later in 2005
, but Geist was present at both the E3 2004 and E3 2005.
104.1 based out of Orlando
, Florida
, including members of The Shannon Burke Show, and The Monsters in the Morning
.
Two years later, while Geist was praised for its originality in ideas, gameplay and story, it was held back by a weak engine (IGN
: "Unfortunately, a game engine incapable of matching n-Space's ambitions occasionally hampers the experience") which meant Geist was unable to maintain a smooth frame rate
throughout the first-person shooter
sequences. The game suffered from sluggish shooter controls that were not on par with other first-person shooters of its time. Nintendo World Report
wrote: "There's a constant struggle with the controls that makes the game more frustrating than it should be" and IGN
called it "not exactly poor, but it certainly doesn't compare to better shooters on the market, either". Geist was also burdened by poor character animation
and AI
. Some reviewers were disappointed the game only allowed one scare tactic per person or animal and did not allow the player to be creative. Or as GameSpot
put it: "You'll wonder how the game might have been different if it gave you more freedom to accomplish your objectives".
Most reviews did praise the scare tactics for always being different and fun (Nintendo World Report
: "Figuring out how to scare hosts is a lot of fun, especially because the ways in which you scare them are often very inventive"). Although the animation was not considered especially good, the graphics
were praised. Altogether, the game was mostly placed in the "reasonable-to-good" range, with remarks as "Geist at least serves as an important reminder that an original game design and a first-person perspective aren't mutually exclusive. The shooter portions of Geist aren't all that special, but there's a lot more to this game than meets the eye" from GameSpot
and "The concept is refreshingly inventive and Geist is propelled into something much greater than a FPS clone" from IGN
, but also "Unfortunately, no sooner does Geist suggest it can blossom into something fresh and exciting that it’s undermined at every turn by a frustrating insistence on being nothing more than a mundane firstperson shooter" from Edge
.
Game Informer lists the game among the worst horror games of all time.
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, released on August 15, 2005, in North America, on October 7, 2005, in Europe, and on November 3, 2005, in Australia. The game was not released in Japan.
A prototype of the game was developed by n-Space
N-Space
n-Space is an American video game developer founded in 1994 by Erick S. Dyke, Dan O'Leary, and Sean Purcell. n-Space is focusing mostly on Nintendo consoles since 2001...
, who approached Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
to be the game's publisher. Nintendo accepted, making Geist the second GameCube game published by Nintendo to receive an M-rating (the first being Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a psychological horror action-adventure video game released for the Nintendo GameCube. Developed by Canadian developer Silicon Knights and originally planned for the Nintendo 64, it was first released and published by Nintendo on June 24, 2002 in North America...
). In the following years, Nintendo and n-Space worked closely on Geist. The game was first shown at the E3 2003 and was announced to be part of the GameCube's line-up for 2003. However, it was delayed for two years for fine-tuning. During that time, the game's genre changed from 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...
to first-person action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
.
The Geist franchise is currently owned by Nintendo, due to their contract with n-Space. At the moment, there are no plans for 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...
. However, n-Space has announced they are working on a game for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.
Storyline
According to the game's official website, it is set in the year 2005. John Raimi is a civilianCivilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and a member of a counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
team sent to investigate the Volks Corporation. The team, called CR-2, sent Thomas Bryson, Raimi's best friend, to Volks Corporation for an undercover operation months earlier and now they have to get him out of there. After meeting up with Bryson, the alarm goes off and CR-2 is forced to battle their way out. On the way out, a monster appears and violently kills one of Raimi's squad members. At the end, one of the agents seemingly becomes possessed and kills the rest of the team with the exception of Raimi, who just gets badly wounded, and, as the latter later finds out, Bryson. It is not revealed what happens with the possessed agent though. Raimi is captured and his soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
is torn from his body by an experimental machine. Soon after, Alexander Volks himself puts Raimi into a machine to brainwash him, so he will become a new soldier for Project Z. However, the spirit of a young girl named Gigi blows the machine's power to save Raimi. She then teaches him the basics of being a ghost and Raimi sets out to get his body back and save Bryson. His new ghost abilities (possessing
Spiritual possession
Spirit possession is a paranormal or supernatural event in which it is said that spirits, gods, demons, animas, extraterrestrials, or other disincarnate or extraterrestrial entities take control of a human body, resulting in noticeable changes in health and behaviour...
other humans, animals and even inanimate objects) immediately prove to be essential if he wants to succeed.
Raimi damages the main piece of machinery used in the ghost separation in order to prevent Bryson's separation. In the chaos that follows, Rourke, the head of Volks' military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
department, orders the computer operator to fire a "catalyst beam" at the machine, despite their loss of containment. Following his orders, the laser is fired. Suddenly the machine breaks down and a humongous monster emerges from the rift. Because people normally cannot see ghosts, this goes unnoticed by the members of Volks Corporation. They know "something" escaped, but that is said to happen all the time, thus no more precautions are taken than the regular ones. Raimi is not too far away, attempting to make it farther into the facility. He soon notices there are other beings free as well. Escaped creatures from the rift are roaming the compound
Compound (fortification)
In military science, a compound is a type of fortification made up of walls or fences surrounding several buildings in the center of a large piece of land...
, killing everything that is not from their world.
Raimi manages to save Bryson and get a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to pick him up. They part ways, because Bryson has to go and inform his superiors of what is going on, while Raimi does not want to go without his body. However, when the helicopter takes off, Raimi's body, possessed by Wraith, takes the helicopter down with a rocket launcher
Shoulder-launched missile weapon
A shoulder-fired missile, shoulder-launched missile or man-portable missile is a projectile fired at a target, small enough to be carried by a single person, and fired while held on one's shoulder...
. Raimi follows him and ends up in a deserted mansion. There, he meets Gigi again. She then reveals to Raimi what her connection to Volks Corporation is. When she was alive, she lived with her aunt and brother in the mansion. Her brother is now the owner of Volks Corporation: Alexander Volks. Alexander was obsessed with the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
and supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
when he was a young boy, often reading about it in books. One day he was reading a book in the big tree in the garden. Gigi tried to get his attention, but he told her to go away. She then climbed in the tree to get to him, but fell and died. Desperate, Alexander came up with the plan to use his knowledge about the occult to save his sister. He brought her to a "special place" (a seal to a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
realm) and tried to bring her back to life using spells he found in his books. The ritual failed however, and instead of bringing Gigi back to life, turned her soul into a ghost. To make matters worse, Alexander himself became slightly possessed by an ancient demon (Volks' Demon), which gave him a symbol-like scar above his right eye. Unaware of both results, Alexander became a puppet of the demon. It is revealed that Volks' Demon wants to seize control over the world through Alexander and with all that Volks Corporation has to offer.
Raimi soon is captured once more and again, Volks Corporation attempts to brainwash him. Due to another attack from some monsters, Raimi manages to free himself and continues his search for his body. Eventually, he gets his body back when facing Wraith. Once Raimi destroys him, he goes on in an attempt to stop the Volks Corporation from killing and possessing the world leaders (Project Z). He manages to stop the attack and at the end, comes face to face with the possessed Alexander Volks. When Raimi kills Alexander's body, Gigi appears and gets pulled into Alexander's body by Volks' Demon. Raimi follows her (as a ghost) and ends up in some ethereal realm which could either be Alexander's psyche, or (part of) the world on the other side of the rift. Raimi kills Volks' Demon here and witnesses the reunion of Alexander and Gigi (both ghosts now). They thank him and fly away. Raimi escapes from the collapsing cave and is picked up by a helicopter. In the helicopter, he meets Bryson again, who survived the attack. He also sees Anna Richardson and Phantom again, two characters he has possessed for some time during the game. Apart from the happy ending, this is likely also an indication CR-2 has already started cleaning up Volks Corporation's mess.
Characters
- John Raimi is the protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Geist. He is 35 years old and an expert on biologicalBiological warfareBiological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
and chemical threatsChemical warfareChemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
. At the beginning of the game, he is contacted by CR-2 to assist in a mission to save his old college friend, Thomas Bryson. He is shot during the mission and wakes up strapped in a machine which soon separates his soul from his body. His body is stored somewhere in the compoundCompound (fortification)In military science, a compound is a type of fortification made up of walls or fences surrounding several buildings in the center of a large piece of land...
, later gets possessed by Wraith and is reunited with his Raimi's soul near the end of the game. Raimi's soul on the other hand first is subjected to brainwashing. Saved by Gigi, he goes on a quest to get back his body. He has to learn to think and act like a ghostGhostIn traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
in order to succeed. He also needs to help Bryson and Gigi, his only two allies in the compound and eventually, save the world from an ancient ghost-demon. It is implied at the beginning of the game that before he was separated from his body, he did not believe in the supernaturalSupernaturalThe supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
.
- Thomas Bryson is the 48-years old friend and mentorMentorIn Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
of John Raimi. Like Raimi, he is an expert on biological and chemical threats. At the beginning of the game, he is working undercoverUndercoverBeing undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
at Volks Corporation in order to find out what they are working on. It is not shown what happened to him when the mission to rescue him failed. During the first part of the game, it is revealed that he is next for the separation experiment. When Raimi prevents this, Bryson is brought back to the medical wing. The staff is ordered to let him die by not giving him the treatment he needs to stay alive as he is no longer useful. Again, he is saved by Raimi with whom he then tries to escape. When he eventually tries to leave with a helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
sent by CR-2, he already knows Raimi will not leave until he has his body back and he says goodbye.
- Gigi Volks is Alexander Volks younger sister and Raimi's mentor in being a ghost. She appears as a young girl, having died at the age of 5 (her aunt's diary entries indicate she was born in 1925 and died in 1930), who is completely green and, unlike Raimi and the Spectral Operatives, resembles her physical body. When she was alive, she lived with her aunt and brother in a big mansionMansionA mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
which later became part of the Volks Corporation compound. In one of her aunt's many diary notes, it's mentioned that her original parents died. She was turned into a ghost and trapped in this realm when her brother tried to revive her by using occultOccultThe word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
magicMagic (fantasy)Magic in fiction is the endowing of fictional characters or objects with magical powers.Such magic often serves as a plot device, the source of magical artifacts and their quests...
. She has haunted her old home for 75 years watching over her brother who was semi-possessed by an ancient demon during the ritual. Though she saved Raimi out of altruismAltruismAltruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
, she hopes he is strong enough to be able to help her brother.
- Alexander Volks is the 86-year old head of Volks Corporation. During his childhood, he lived with his aunt and sister in a big mansion close to where he later would build Volks Corporation's compound. In one of his aunt's many diary notes, it's mentioned that his original parents died. He was obsessed with the occult and supernatural when he was a young boy, often reading about it in the books from his aunt's library. He was 11 years old when his sister died and he tried to revive her with arcane knowledge. From that day, he has been slightly possessed by a demon, who likely has influenced him to found Volks Corporation. As a mark of that day, Alexander has a scar above his right eye where the demon touched him. He has become quite cold through the years. The only time he is shown to still have some emotions is when he thinks about Gigi.
- Commander Rourke is Volks' right hand and called a mercenaryMercenaryA mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
by him at the beginning of the game. He has supervised the testing of military equipment at Volks Corporation for 15 years. Rourke is shown to have a bad temper and be incredibly aggressive and impatient. He threatens people a lot, kills one person for not listening and is stated several times to have injured other members of the staff. His personal assistant is said to get extra pay for taking the risk of working for Rourke. The only person he always behaves properly towards is his boss, though Rourke at one time states he would have ignored Volks' orders just for his own fun had Raimi not been tougher than he had expected. The only weak point Rourke has, are dogs: he suffers from severe cynophobiaFear of dogsCynophobia is the abnormal fear of dogs. Cynophobia is classified as a specific phobia, under the subtype "animal phobias". According to Dr. Timothy O. Rentz of the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders at the University of Texas, animal phobias are among the most common of the specific...
.
- Wraith is an intelligent demonic being that for a large part of the game possesses Raimi's original body. Along with Rourke, he is seen accompanying Volks (after Volks' possession) as one of his closest advisors. The real Raimi meets his body's new occupant several times during the game, who in turn tries to deter him at every opportunity. In their last encounter, Wraith leaves Raimi's body so he can crush it with a crane, but Raimi recovers it and defeats Wraith.
- Volks' Demon is the game's antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. He's a giant demonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
who, unlike the other ghosts, can directly influence the physical world. He appears to be a friend or ally of Wraith. When Giselle Tallant's husband, Joshua, died, Volks' Demon started talking to her. He pretended to be the spirit of Joshua and convinced Giselle to build a mansion near the seal to the rift and to keep expending it. By doing so, he hoped to be released in this world again when someone by accident would open the seal. This was first done by Alexander, but Volks' Demon only managed to get a part of him in this world, in the body of Alexander. Somewhere near this event, Giselle and the workers discovered an old, abandoned monasteryMonasteryMonastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. What Giselle found there caused her to question if the voice she had been hearing all those years was Joshua's. It is not revealed what happened to her, but years later, the semi-possessed Alexander is the boss of a huge corporation located on a huge terrain of which the mansion and monastery are part of. During the events of the game, Volks' Demon escapes completely possesses Alexander. When Raimi prevents Project Z's launch, and later kills Alexander's body, Volks' Demon pulls Gigi into Alexander's body. Raimi follows them and destroys Volks' Demon.
Gameplay
The game is divided in levelsLevel (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
, which in turn are divided in stages. Each level starts with a cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
and has one or more boss fights. The game saves automatically after each level.
A level is progressed through by completing its stages. A stage can be a period in the game in which the player has to puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
and/or fight
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...
his way to a certain point or can be a boss fight. Upon completing a stage, a new checkpoint is reached.
As a disembodied spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
, Raimi cannot interact with the physical world except through possession. Gravity still affects him though he floats and can elevate himself for short periods and he cannot pass through solid walls. Normally, his sight is blue/white, but when standing at the same spot as an object or creature, his sight turns red. Ghosts are invisible and intangible, though they can be seen by other ghosts and animals can sense their presence even when they are possessing something. Without a host, a ghost is a lot faster than the physical world and sees everything in slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
.
When Raimi possesses an object, such as a dog food bowl, he sees things from the object's perspective even if the device has no visual apparatus. He is able to provide some motive force on an ordinarily immobile object, activate electronics, and alter an object's appearance; for example, turning water from a possessed faucet red, or changing the reflection in a mirror. Creatures can only be possessed when badly frightened or startled. This is accomplished by performing a set combination of actions. Glimpses of a host's recent memories are sometimes gained immediately upon possession. Raimi has the same control over a host body that he would over his own. The only exceptions are an inability to make the host approach something which frightens him or her very badly, and the very difficult task of resisting something the host likes.
If a host is killed or destroyed, Raimi is unharmed and returns to his ethereal state. However, he cannot remain outside a host indefinitely; his spirit is continuously pulled towards the afterlife. Raimi can only anchor himself to the world by possessing something, though absorbing life from small plants grants him additional time in this world.
Host abilities
The abilities of hosts differ. The most noticeable is the way the world is seen through the eyes of the host. For instance, most animals see the world in several shades of greyGrey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
, while imps have binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects...
-shaped sight. For the most part, Raimi gets to possess guards who carry one weapon and an unlimited amount of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. Some weapons have a secondary function in the form of a grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
or infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
scope
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
. Other possessable humans are professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s and several people with different supportive jobs. They cannot do battle, but allow access to new areas and sometimes carry objects with them that may be needed to proceed. Human hosts have no memory of what occurs when Raimi possesses them. They recall only being badly frightened, and then suddenly being in a different room. They will not do anything or get less frightened when Raimi dispossesses them, so they can be possessed again at any time.
Animals also cannot be used for combat, but are vital to reach some areas. Due to their size, rats and dogs (rabbits and roaches in multiplayer) can crawl through some small holes and reach the room on the other side. Bats can fly to otherwise unreachable areas. Other animals are tools to make a human host possessable. The only exception to animals being useless for combat situations are imps, but they can only be possessed in the multiplayer mode.
Each host has a different ability. Some human hosts can sprint and others can crawl. This means a character that can sprint cannot crawl or vice versa and this goes for all abilities. In some cases, the L button activates the zoom
Zoom lens
A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length lens...
function. Most humans in the multiplayer mode have a different ability: jumping.
Collectibles
In Geist, the player can find two kinds of collectibles as a side-quest. They are called Ghost Collectibles, because they have to be picked up as a ghost, and Host Collectibles, because they have be picked up when possessing a host. Ghost Collectibles look like Gigi's teddy bearTeddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
and are the diary entries of Giselle Tallant. By picking them up, the player learns a deeper part of the story.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer section of the game is played with up to four human players and up to seven botsComputer game bot
A bot, most prominently in the first-person shooter types , is a type of weak AI expert system software which for each instance of the program controls a player in deathmatch, team deathmatch and/or cooperative human player. Computer bots may play against other bots and/or human players in unison,...
. It has three different modes: Possession Deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
, Capture the Host
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
and Hunt. Though these modes are common multiplayer modes, the ghost aspect gives them a unique touch. Possession DeathMatch is played between ghosts. Therefore, each player is invunerable until he/she possesses a host, after which the game plays as a normal deathmatch. To prevent players from staying a ghost, they have a timed ghost life. Capture the Host is a combination of deathmatch and capture the flag. Again, the battle is between ghosts. However, this time, kills made are not kept until the player dispossess the host on a base. There is also a key mode where a shield will surround the base and the players have to find the key to open it. Hunt is a hosts versus ghosts mode. The hosts, armed with anti-ghost weapons, try to kill the ghosts, while the ghosts try to get the hosts to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by possessing the hosts and letting them walk into one of the various deathtraps. Hosts can attempt to free themselves from the ghosts' grasp. The first team to get rid of all their opponents' lives wins.
During the story mode, hidden collectibles can be collected in order to unlock more multiplayer levels and characters. The abilities of ghosts and most hosts are slightly different from the story mode. For instance, most soldier hosts can jump, instead of sprint or crawl. Also, roaches and imps can be possessed in the multiplayer mode, but not in the single player mode. Another difference is the presence of power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s, with various effects. The players can choose from a list of "advanced settings" to adjust the multiplayer mode to their wishes.
Humans
The biggest group of enemies Raimi faces are humans (soldierSoldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s) working for Volks Corporation. They are the first enemies he has to battle. Most of them are unaware of Raimi's presence and will not start shooting until the possessed host attacks them or ignores their orders. There are several different classes with different outfits and weapons. There is also a special kind of soldier known as Spirit Hunters. Spirit Hunters wear an orange suit that gives them the same speed as ghosts and allows them to see ghosts. They are armed with Spirit Hunter guns and Anti-Spirit grenade launchers, that harm both hosts and ghosts. They can also force a ghost out of its host and make the host temporarily unpossessable.
Monsters
Several monsters have escaped from the rift and the labsLaboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
and attempt to kill everything that is not a monster. Volks Corporation has captured and studied several of them in an attempt to create new weapons. Though not intelligent, the monsters are very strong and capable of projectile and melee combat. Later, monsters become more common.
Ghosts
Other ghosts have been created by Volks Corporation, as part of Project Z, and are called Spectral Operatives. They have Raimi's abilities: they cannot do direct damage, but they are fast and can possess the same host another ghost is currently possessing. When doing so, they attempt to get Raimi's host body to commit suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and a struggle for control starts. If Raimi wins, the Spectral Operative is thrown out of the host and flies off a little before attacking again. They can only be killed with Anti-Spirit grenades. There are also two genuine ghosts in the game, who both escaped from the rift.
- Wraith: Its true form is nearly transparent. It appears to have a black, hunched, insectoid body with elongated spines. For a long time, it possesses Raimi's body. He appears to have the same abilities as the Spectral Operatives and Raimi.
- Volks' DemonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
: Unlike other ghosts, it appears to have some physical abilities. He is the final boss and is fought in a strange realm.
Development
Work on Geist officially started in 2002. N-Space learned that Nintendo was interested in a first-person shooterFirst-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...
/action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
with a unique feel to it. So, n-Space came up with the idea about making a game with an invisible man
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
as the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. From there, the concept changed from being an invisible person to being a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
.
After about eight months of work, n-Space finished the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
and sent it to Nintendo of America, from which it was sent to Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. Nintendo latched onto the game, and it was decided N-Space and Nintendo would work together to develop the game. After six months, object possession was introduced in the game after some suggestions from Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
. Geist was first shown to the public at the E3 2003 and it was later stated that Geist would be released the same year. In the months after the E3 both companies realized they "weren't working on the same game"; N-Space had envisioned Geist to be a 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...
while Nintendo (more specifically, Kensuke Tanabe) considered it to be a first-person action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
. The adjustments caused the game to be delayed many times until it was finally released two years later in 2005
2005 in video gaming
-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....
, but Geist was present at both the E3 2004 and E3 2005.
Voices
Most of the voices done in the game were radio personalities from WTKS-FMWTKS-FM
WTKS-FM 104.1 is a FM radio station airing a talk radio format during the work week. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast from Cocoa Beach, Florida , and serves mainly the Orlando and Central Florida areas.Most of the programs are designed to appeal to...
104.1 based out of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, including members of The Shannon Burke Show, and The Monsters in the Morning
The Monsters In The Morning
The Monsters in the Morning is a talk radio show on WTKS-FM Real Radio in Orlando, Florida, USA, XM Radio Channel 152 and via the Iheartradio app for mobile devices. It is a morning show that runs from 6 am-11 am ET. The show is a mix of current events, comedy, and stunts. Discussions involve the...
.
Reception
Geist was Nintendo's E3 2003 surprise, as it was not a new title from one of their old(er) franchises and no rumours about it had been going around before the E3 2003. In general, people were enthusiastic about the demo.Two years later, while Geist was praised for its originality in ideas, gameplay and story, it was held back by a weak engine (IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
: "Unfortunately, a game engine incapable of matching n-Space's ambitions occasionally hampers the experience") which meant Geist was unable to maintain a smooth frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
throughout the 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...
sequences. The game suffered from sluggish shooter controls that were not on par with other first-person shooters of its time. Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report is a Nintendo-specific video game website that covers Nintendo's current consoles, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Wii.-History:...
wrote: "There's a constant struggle with the controls that makes the game more frustrating than it should be" and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called it "not exactly poor, but it certainly doesn't compare to better shooters on the market, either". Geist was also burdened by poor character animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. Some reviewers were disappointed the game only allowed one scare tactic per person or animal and did not allow the player to be creative. Or as GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
put it: "You'll wonder how the game might have been different if it gave you more freedom to accomplish your objectives".
Most reviews did praise the scare tactics for always being different and fun (Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report is a Nintendo-specific video game website that covers Nintendo's current consoles, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Wii.-History:...
: "Figuring out how to scare hosts is a lot of fun, especially because the ways in which you scare them are often very inventive"). Although the animation was not considered especially good, the graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
were praised. Altogether, the game was mostly placed in the "reasonable-to-good" range, with remarks as "Geist at least serves as an important reminder that an original game design and a first-person perspective aren't mutually exclusive. The shooter portions of Geist aren't all that special, but there's a lot more to this game than meets the eye" from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and "The concept is refreshingly inventive and Geist is propelled into something much greater than a FPS clone" from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, but also "Unfortunately, no sooner does Geist suggest it can blossom into something fresh and exciting that it’s undermined at every turn by a frustrating insistence on being nothing more than a mundane firstperson shooter" from Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
.
Game Informer lists the game among the worst horror games of all time.