Ubik (video game)
| Ubik | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Cryo Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Cryo Interactive |
| Composer(s) | Eric Los |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Windows |
| Release | 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Action, Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ubik is a 1998 video game by Cryo Interactive, based on the novel Ubik by Philip K. Dick.
Plot
[edit]In the year 2019, Joe Chip is working for Runciter Associates in Los Angeles, where he is tasked with preventing enemy companies from spying on his clients.
Gameplay
[edit]The player has to lead, train and equip a team of five combatants (including Joe Chip) and complete missions in 3D-rendered maps. Though the backgrounds are prerendered, players can choose from a limited number of different camera angles for each scene.[1] Shooting is a key aspect of the gameplay. The missions include killing all enemies, rescuing hostages and stealing corporate secrets.[1]
Production
[edit]The developers thought long and hard about how to translate Dick's work into a video game. Fans of the time associated him with the world of the Blade Runner movie, so the team felt compelled to stick to this. However, they wanted to avoid a wholly science fiction route and instead stay somewhat true to the book. They thought that Dick's 1960s description of the future was more in the tone of Starsky & Hutch, whereas they wanted to update this with a Blade Runner or Total Recall dark cynicism.[2] The PlayStation conversion was difficult due to the hardware not supporting z-buffering.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]John Saavedra of Den Of Geek thought the convoluted plot wasn't suitable for a strategy game.[3] Brutoom of Hardcore Gaming 101 thought that the game merged different genres together, and pushed creative boundaries.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "NG Alphas - Ubik". Next Generation. Vol. 3, no. 32. Imagine Media. August 1997. pp. 61–62.
- ^ Eric Los (2008-11-28), Making of Ubik - Cryo 1997, retrieved 2017-02-02
- ^ "Why Aren't There Any Good Games by Philip K Dick?". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
- ^ "Hardcore Gaming 101: Ubik". www.hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2017-02-02.