Hopes of an Everlasting Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem remaster have been raised by an intriguing remark from Nightdive Studios.
The gifted group at Nightdive are port and remaster specialists who’ve beforehand dusted off dozens of basic video video games for re-release. These embrace varied titles within the System Shock, Quake, Doom and Turok franchises, plus Heretic + Hexen and Thief: The Darkish Venture.
Now owned by Atari, Nightdive has discovered an viewers with its enhanced ports, which generally obtain a lick of visible paint whereas remaining true to their unique kinds. And, in fact, Nightdive does this in collaboration with the video games’ unique improvement studio the place potential.
May long-lost basic Everlasting Darkness be subsequent? Responding to a fan request through social media yesterday on the twenty fifth anniversary of the GameCube, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick had this to say: “Everlasting Darkness is one among my all-time favorites and it deserves the therapy I do know Nightdive Studios is able to,” Kick wrote. “Hold your eye on our Deep Dives…”
Right here, Kick is referring to the studio’s prolonged movies it releases through YouTube, discussing the varied initiatives it has taken on. Absolutely this can be a suggestion that Everlasting Darkness will probably be subsequent?
Maybe, although, it is price remaining cautious till something is formally introduced. Nightdive has tried to work on Nintendo-published video games earlier than, however has by no means fairly acquired shut sufficient. In 2022, Kick commented that the Mario maker “all the time get[s] gun shy working with third-party builders,” regardless of discussions to work on an array of its video games. Certainly one of these was a remaster of the N64 basic Goldeneye 007 that Nintendo in the end determined in opposition to — solely to drop the unique on Nintendo Swap On-line as a substitute. Nonetheless, Kick has lengthy maintained that Everlasting Darkness is his favourite Nintendo recreation he’d like Nightdive to work on.
Developed by Silicon Knights, the survival horror journey launched for the GameCube again in 2002 and have become a cult basic for Nintendo followers who have been impressed (and suitably freaked out) by the sport’s creepy sanity mechanics, which Nintendo itself locked down with a patent.
Everlasting Darkness sees gamers controlling an array of characters all through historical past, every of which may descend into insanity for those who’re not cautious. The psychological results of this are then skilled by the participant, from refined noises and skewed digicam angles, to visible results similar to bleeding partitions or transferring statues. At its most excessive, the sport begins breaking the fourth wall, showing to reset progress or mute gamers’ TVs. It is sufficient to make you wish to go mad on function, simply to see how wacky the sport will get.
However regardless of sturdy critiques, Everlasting Darkness bought comparatively poorly. Plans for a sequel have been mentioned for years, although varied points inside Silicon Knights hampered progress, and a later push for a religious successor through a crowdfunding marketing campaign additionally fell by the wayside. Silicon Knights in the end shut down in 2014, whereas Nintendo’s patent for the sport’s sanity system is now believed to have lapsed.
Is it lastly time to descend into insanity as soon as extra? This is hoping.