Prisoner of Ice
Encyclopedia
Prisoner of Ice is a 1995 computer game based on H. P. Lovecraft
's Cthulhu Mythos
, particularly At the Mountains of Madness
. The game, like its predecessor Shadow of the Comet
, is an adventure game
.
In 1997, the game was released on Sega Saturn
and PlayStation exclusively in Japan
.
, primarily around Antarctica. It concerns a young American
officer, Lt. Ryan, who has been assigned to a British
submarine
, the HMS Victoria, for special missions.
As the game begins, the submarine is fleeing the Antarctic after rescuing a Norwegian
who has recently escaped from a secret German
base in the Antarctic (it is later revealed that the base is built atop the Ancient Ruins mentioned in At the Mountains of Madness). Along with the Norwegian, the sub has picked up two "top secret" crates, stolen from the Nazi base.
Late in the game, Ryan meets John Parker, the central character from Shadow of the Comet, and reveals the links between the two games. Narackamous, the main antagonist of Shadow of the Comet, also returns. He appears to have returned to life after being seemingly killed by Parker in Shadow of the Comet.
The game has a choice of endings, though there is little difference between them.
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 Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
, particularly 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...
. The game, like its predecessor Shadow of the Comet
Shadow of the Comet
Shadow of the Comet is a computer game in the adventure game genre. The game is based around H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos...
, is an adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
.
In 1997, the game was released on Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation exclusively in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Plot
Prisoner of Ice takes place in August 1939, one month before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, primarily around Antarctica. It concerns a young American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
officer, Lt. Ryan, who has been assigned to a 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...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, the HMS Victoria, for special missions.
As the game begins, the submarine is fleeing the Antarctic after rescuing a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
who has recently escaped from a secret German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
base in the Antarctic (it is later revealed that the base is built atop the Ancient Ruins mentioned in At the Mountains of Madness). Along with the Norwegian, the sub has picked up two "top secret" crates, stolen from the Nazi base.
Late in the game, Ryan meets John Parker, the central character from Shadow of the Comet, and reveals the links between the two games. Narackamous, the main antagonist of Shadow of the Comet, also returns. He appears to have returned to life after being seemingly killed by Parker in Shadow of the Comet.
The game has a choice of endings, though there is little difference between them.