Before THQ bit the dust and went ultra-bankrupt, it was a publishing giant. It had numerous titles underneath its belt, and the future looked good. It also had a bin full of cancelled games, including one detective game with a supernatural edge to it that was being developed by People Can Fly back in 2006.
Speaking to Eurogamer, former People Can Fly leader Adrian Chmielarz gave details on Come Midnight, a game that he believes “would have been absolutely incredible”. “The problem with the game was that it was very hard to explain,” Chmielarz explained.
In a way that it mixed noire, survival-horror, adventure, thriller, love story… The closest I can give you would be a more streamlined LA Noire – LA Noire meets Uncharted, in a way. You are a private eye and you start a normal investigation, but it turns out that there are some otherworldly powers at work, and you can communicate with the dead.
Playing as a detective, gamers would have briefly died and gone towards the light before being pulled back to the world of the living. “And when he got back he actually kept that ability to see into the afterlife,” Chmielarz explained of the game, describing how the detective would be able to pull the final 30 seconds of viewable life from a corpse. “It was moody as f***,” Chmielarz said.
An incredibly moody game. Great narration, third-person perspective like Resident Evil mixed with LA Noire, and full of surprises.
So why did THQ pull the rug out from underneath this game? Because the game was too different, says Chmielarz:
There were shooty bits, you were fist-fighting, you were visiting shady places talking to people. But it all centred around the core idea of “what it would be like to be a supernatural detective in the ’40s.
I don’t want to spoil the concept about what it was really about, because the concept was also really cool, and a lot of people at PCF really regretted it when THQ cancelled it because it was something really different. But that was the problem: it was different.
THQ was reorganising, withdrawing from Europe. They were supposed to leave just one title and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was way more advanced at this point – close to release – and we were one-third in.
THQ seriously f***ed us over at this point. They just cancelled. ‘OK we’re just cancelling the game – see ya.’ It’s all corporate bulls***; three weeks before, they cancelled all communication – no phone calls, stopped answering emails. Absolute a**holes.
Thanks to that abrupt cancellation, People Can Fly was in serious financial trouble, and decided to pool their resources on a new Unreal engine game instead, eventually creating one of my favourite games of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation, Bulletstorm. Chmielarz again tried to push for Come Midnight to get some support, but the game was still considered “too different”.
Hopefully, Come Midnight can live once again in the future. Because clearly, the market is ready for a supernatural detective thriller by now.
Last Updated: May 21, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 21, 2014 at 13:37
Well at least we got Bulletstorm out of it, that game was fun as balls.
It would need to be more interesting than LA Noire, I finished it last weekend & it seriously felt like a chore. If it wasn’t for the awesome story I would have given up.
Admiral Chief in Space
May 21, 2014 at 13:47
Yeah, Bulletstorm was a true hidden gem for me
Johan du Preez
May 21, 2014 at 14:41
Yeh I know what you mean im still struggling through it, its very repetitive but the story is interesting.
Brady miaau
May 21, 2014 at 15:39
It WAS a chore. Not sure it only felt like one
Dean
May 21, 2014 at 13:47
This sounds like something that could be considered a Constantine game. Wonder if the guys repackaged it, they could get Marvel to fund it.
Viking Of Science
May 21, 2014 at 14:04
you mean DC/Vertigo right?
Dean
May 21, 2014 at 14:16
Damn it. Thanks for the correction
Umar_Zero
May 21, 2014 at 13:48
Must be nice to call a company that’s no longer in existence aholes
RinceofFuturePast
May 21, 2014 at 13:52
God forbid we have something new and different to choose from! http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEbUa6O0xyU/Uq4MZ8QvyLI/AAAAAAAAjus/9-UUjqrufSY/s1600/funny-gif-Mario-Bros-real-life-fire-jumping.gif
VampyreSquirrel
May 21, 2014 at 14:16
Mario lost his hat? I’ve never seen Mario lose his hat in over 20 years!
RinceofFuturePast
May 21, 2014 at 14:20
I call FAKE MARIO!
HisDivineOrder
May 21, 2014 at 18:21
Clearly, digital fakery.
Viking Of Science
May 21, 2014 at 13:56
Step One: Acquire Lovecraft Licence
Step Two: Insert Shoggoths and Cthulhu
Step 3: Profit.
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 21, 2014 at 13:58
That numbering seriously messes with my OCD tendencies.
Viking Of Science
May 21, 2014 at 14:03
Edit:
Step One: Acquire Lovecraft Licence
Step II: Insert Shoggoths and Cthulhu
Step 3: Profit.
Better?
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 21, 2014 at 14:04
diediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediedie
Johan du Preez
May 21, 2014 at 14:42
lol
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
May 21, 2014 at 15:39
Have you given The Secret World a chance?
Viking Of Science
May 21, 2014 at 15:46
Not Yet… Guess I should hey? I’ve heard good things, but I’m still wary of MMOs….
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
May 21, 2014 at 15:49
There is unfortunately not getting past the fact that it is an MMO, but that said I spent MANY hours playing it and it was more than worth the purchase price of the game. If you love Lovecraft then you will love The Secret World.
It is extremely sad that more people don’t play it. It really is done very well.
Viking Of Science
May 21, 2014 at 15:53
30 Euros is a lot of bundles though…. And remember YOU taught me how to Bargain hunt 😉
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
May 21, 2014 at 15:56
lol! The lowest I have seen TSW was for R180 I think somewhere… On Origin it sometimes hits close to R200 and I think is R250 atm.
I bought it for R399 and I don’t regret it at all. It was a rich story and epic gameplay. I would recommend to watch some gameplay etc…
In the end it was the ominous feel of the game that really got me and pulled me in! I am going to go and install it again tonight. You made me miss it now 😛
Viking Of Science
May 21, 2014 at 15:58
lol, I’ll follow some gameplay tonight then,,, And wait for 20:00 to see the next Humble Daily Bundle…
btw, Batman Arkham Origins is $8.99 in the humble store atm. I find it tempting….
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
May 21, 2014 at 16:00
I think it is going to hit below $5 in a Summer/Steam sale somewhere…
I still haven’t finished Arkham City yet =/ It isn’t bad, but I just kind of got bored of it. So I will probably see if I can pick Origins up for below $5 at some point.
Macy cook
May 21, 2014 at 14:16
awesome gaming laptops………………………i wishhhh http://bit.ly/1odHPCs
WeBlogTricks
May 21, 2014 at 14:30
hmmmmm
Brady miaau
May 21, 2014 at 15:39
I prefer Tex Murphy. A 1940’s detective in the future.
Enjoying Overseer. Made me laugh out load a good few times. Would have like to at least seen this.
Also, 2006, Stole from the Pie Maker, touch the dead type concept (concept, not exactly the same
Jonah Cash
May 21, 2014 at 16:23
Well there is this website called Kickstarter, I would help this game!!
ForXx
May 21, 2014 at 20:55
Is it just me or does sound a lot like Murdered:Soul Suspect coming out sometime?