Technical demo
Ghost Rider was to be a 3D, side scrolling platform combat game set in a number of levels linked by a fully 3D bike-riding sub-game. The player will be able to play either the main character Ghost Rider, or his close ally Vengeance. Ghost Rider will fight his way through a number of levels, meeting a lot of the Marvel universe on the way and beating the crap out of them.
The player controls Ghost Rider, sometimes on foot, and sometimes on his bike. The objective of the game is to restore the “Circle of Baeloth” before the evil Lilith aided by Zarathos and Centurious get their hands on it and unleash the full power of their evil into the universe. Already they have a strong grasp on our dimension and Ghost Rider must fight his way through a vast array of evil creatures, set in a rapidly demonizing world, in order to succeed.
Ghost Rider will fight through fifteen exciting levels, both on foot and on his demonic flaming stunt bike. He will use as his weapons; his chain that moves with a life of its own, his own demonic strength, his hellfire and his soul searing penance stare
The game is played in a third person perspective, with Ghost Rider being a very high quality 3D rendered sprite. The action is set in a 3D world, where Ghost Rider follows a branching path that can take him in and out of the screen as well as left to right. As Ghost Rider moves in and out of the screen, the camera will follow him in true 3D, rotating round to maintain a consistent viewpoint, and zooming in and out of the level to follow Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider never reached alpha stage. A demo was created to showcase the 3D environment engine, lighting effects, algorithmically generated fire routine, algorithmically generated chain mechanic, and the developer's ability to capture the mood and feel of the licensed character. Ghost Rider was to use the Skeleton Warriors engine and was to be developed exclusively for PlayStation with a second platform to be determined (most likely PC). Other sites claim that Ghost Rider slipped through the cracks when Crystal Dynamics reorganized to become a developer rather than publisher/developer. While it is true that Crystal Dynamics did reorganize, someone within the organization tried to save Ghost Rider and pitched a plan and budget to senior staff. According to an unnamed source, it was turned down as they thought it would have to be true 3D to succeed (ala Gex 3D).
The PlayStation Museum was fortunate enough to play the exclusive demo of Ghost Rider. We are very impressed to say the least. The chain mechanics are truly amazing. The chain swings and whips with fluid motion and with ease. Being able to swing to higher levels was easy. The Ghost Rider's flaming skull is amazing. It will increase in flame with more power and the fire effect is breath taking. The gameplay feels similar to Castlevania which is a plus. It is a travesty that Crystal Dynamics didn't pursue the game. Enjoy the exclusive screenshots and video.
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