Black Dahlia (video game)

Last updated
Black Dahlia
Black Dahlia Coverart.png
Developer(s) Take-Two Interactive
Publisher(s)
Designer(s) Steve Glasstetter
Programmer(s) Greg Brown
Artist(s)
  • Jack Snyder
  • Mike Snyder
  • James H. Dargie
Writer(s) Patrick Freeman
Composer(s) Michael Bross
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: February 25, 1998 [1]
  • EU: 1998
Genre(s) Interactive movie, Point-and-click adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Black Dahlia is an interactive movie point-and-click adventure game that was released on February 25, 1998 by Take-Two Interactive. Black Dahlia is the last of the three Take-Two developed full-motion video-based adventure games, the other two being Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller and Ripper .

Contents

The story, while fictional, is inspired by the real life Cleveland Torso Murderer and the infamous murder of Elizabeth Short in Los Angeles.

This interactive movie point-and-click adventure game ties Elizabeth Short's murder to Nazis and occult rituals which the player has to investigate. The game featured two major Hollywood actors, Dennis Hopper and Teri Garr. [2]

Plot

Agent Pearson is the newest member of the COI, and is somewhat dejected to find the job not as glamorous as he was initially told. After being given a case where a local munitions manufacturer was invited to join the Brotherhood of Thule, an American branch of the Thule society, Pearson is puzzled by the apparent connections with Nazi occultism. Along the way he encounters Agent Winslow, apparently a bumbling Federal agent who is more concerned with his press appearance than solving cases.

After making a connection between the Brotherhood of Thule and the Cleveland torso murders, Pearson leads a local detective to the butchers lair after finding bizarre Gaelic documents left by his predecessor regarding a ritual involving Odin and a gemstone called the Black Dahlia, which is a key instrument that can render a ritual user the ability to control dreams.

Years later, Pearson is a member of the OSI, and recovers the Dahlia from a Nazi bunker, but it is quickly snatched away and then sold on the black market by a corrupt quartermaster. Following the Dahlia, Pearson again encounters Winslow, a Nazi SS operative following the final orders of Hitler to perform the Dahlia ritual.

Pearson pursues Winslow across the US, finally cornering him in a California home, where Winslow has just completed the final ritual murders regarding the Dahlia. After tearing out his own eye and performing the remainder of the ritual, the player has one choice with his pistol. If he shoots Winslow or hesitates, Winslow stabs himself, and possesses Pearson, becoming an American version of Hitler, and able to control large portions of the populace through their dreams. If Pearson destroys the Dahlia, Winslow dies and Pearson is blamed for the locals spree of killings, though he is overjoyed and content with having stopped the Nazi plot to take over the world.

Reception

The game received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. [3] However, Next Generation said, "The game seems as if it were made to sell hint books, and those who play without one are likely to end up bashing the computer in frustration." [12]

The game was a nominee for CNET Gamecenter 's 1998 "Adventure Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Grim Fandango . The staff wrote, "With its endless secret doors, encoded messages, locked boxes, and a little gunplay, Black Dahlia did not disappoint." [16]

In 2011, Adventure Gamers named the game the 63rd-best adventure game ever released. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Grand Prix Legends</i> 1998 video game

Grand Prix Legends is a computer racing simulator developed by Papyrus Design Group and published in 1998 by Sierra On-Line under the Sierra Sports banner. It is inspired by the 1967 Grand Prix season; teams included are Brabham, BRM, Eagle, Ferrari and Lotus. Two fictional teams called "Murasama" and "Coventry" replaced the other big names. The Japanese team possibly because of copyright claims. Whilst it is rumoured the other fictional team was included due to a misunderstanding.

<i>Starsiege</i> 1999 video game

Starsiege is a mecha-style vehicle simulation game developed by Dynamix and released in 1999. Starsiege is set in the Metaltech/Earthsiege universe, which contains its predecessors Earthsiege (1994), Battledrome (1994), and Earthsiege 2 (1996). This universe also includes action game Hunter Hunted (1996), strategy games Mission Force: Cyberstorm (1996) and Cyberstorm 2: Corporate Wars (1998). It also includes the sequelsStarsiege: Tribes and all subsequent Tribes titles. In 2015, this game and the rest of the Metaltech/Tribes series were released as freeware by Hi-Rez Studios, but Battledrome and the Cyberstorm series were not.

<i>Titanic: Adventure Out of Time</i> Point and click adventure game

Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is a 1996 point-and-click adventure game developed by CyberFlix and published in the United States and United Kingdom by GTE Entertainment and Europress respectively, for Windows and Macintosh. It takes place in a virtual representation of the RMS Titanic, following a British spy who has been sent back in time to the night Titanic sank and must complete a previously failed mission to prevent World War I, the Russian Revolution, and World War II from occurring. The gameplay involves exploring the ship and solving puzzles. There are multiple outcomes and endings to the game depending on the player's interactions with characters and use of items.

<i>Deathtrap Dungeon</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon is an action-adventure video game developed by Asylum Studios and published by Eidos Interactive for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows in 1998. It is based on the adventure gamebook Deathtrap Dungeon written by Ian Livingstone, and published by Puffin Books in 1984.

<i>FIFA 99</i> 1998 association football video game

FIFA 99 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It is the sixth game in the FIFA series and was released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

<i>Return to Krondor</i> 1998 video game

Return to Krondor is a role-playing video game set in Raymond Feist's fictional fantasy setting of Midkemia. A sequel to 1993's Betrayal at Krondor, it was released for Windows on the PC in time for the 1998 Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Within the game, the player commands a group of heroes with different attributes, strengths, and weaknesses which the player may upgrade over the course of the game.

<i>Future Cop: LAPD</i> 1998 video game

Future Cop: LAPD is a third-person shooter developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts and released first for the PlayStation, then Mac OS and Windows. Future Cop was originally developed as an installment of the Strike series.

<i>Baldurs Gate</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Baldur's Gate is a role-playing video game that was developed by BioWare and published in 1998 by Interplay Entertainment. It is the first game in the Baldur's Gate series and takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a high fantasy campaign setting, using a modified version of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) 2nd edition rules. It was the first game to use the Infinity Engine for its graphics, with Interplay using the engine for other Forgotten Realms-licensed games, including the Icewind Dale series and Planescape: Torment. The game's story focuses on a player-made character who travels across the Sword Coast alongside a party of companions.

<i>MechWarrior 3</i> 1999 video game

MechWarrior 3 is a vehicle simulation game, part of the MechWarrior series. It featured a new 3D accelerated graphics engine at the time of its release. The game contains over 20 missions, with access to 18 different mechs. A novelization called Trial Under Fire was written by Loren L. Coleman.

<i>Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit</i> 1998 racing video game

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit is a 1998 racing video game developed for PlayStation by EA Canada and Microsoft Windows by EA Seattle, and published by Electronic Arts. It is the third major installment in the Need for Speed franchise, incorporating police pursuits as a major part of gameplay. Hot Pursuit remains focused on racing using exotic sports cars, but features races that primarily take place in locations within North America, including varied settings and climates. Police AI is improved over the first game, utilizing several tactics to stop both the player and opponent. The PlayStation version was released on March 25, 1998, while the Windows version was released on October 12 the same year. The game received critical success, with praise for its graphics and customization options. It received a direct sequel in 2002 and a reboot in 2010.

<i>Mortyr</i> 1999 video game

Mortyr 2093-1944, also known as simply Mortyr, is a first-person shooter computer game published by Interplay and developed by Polish developer Mirage Media and released in 1999. One of the earlier Polish developed first-person shooters for Microsoft Windows, the game follows a son of a scientist transported back in time to World War II to avert the Axis victory and features levels set both in World War II and the future. The game received unfavorable reviews at its launch, with the game garnering some positive coverage from the Polish video game press and widely panned abroad.

<i>NHL 2000</i> 1999 video game

NHL 2000 is an ice hockey video game developed by Electronic Arts Canada. It was released in 1999 and was the successor to NHL 99.

<i>Space Bunnies Must Die!</i> 1998 video game

Space Bunnies Must Die! is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Pulse Entertainment, which renamed itself Jinx midway through development, and published by Ripcord Games on October 27, 1998 for Microsoft Windows 98. The player character is truck stop waitress and rodeo performer Allison Huxter, who must save the world and her abducted sister from an invading race of mutant bunnies from space.

<i>Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny</i> 1997 video game

Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny is a 1997 action role-playing game, second installment of the Lands of Lore series, a sequel to Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. It brought about a drastic change in gameplay style from its predecessor, opting away from the original's D&D turn-based style in favor of more action elements. A sequel, Lands of Lore III, was released in 1999.

<i>Janes WWII Fighters</i> 1998 video game

Jane's World War II Fighters is the 1998 combat flight simulation video game. Set in the European theatre of operations during World War II, it is part of the Jane's Combat Simulations franchise. The game was considered a commercial failure, and contributed to the end of the Jane's Combat Simulations line.

<i>Janes Longbow 2</i> 1997 video game

Longbow 2 is the sequel to Jane's AH-64D Longbow from Jane's Combat Simulations. The game was developed by Origin Systems with executive producer Andy Hollis on board, and released by Electronic Arts on November 13, 1997.

<i>Virtual Pool 2</i> 1997 video game

Virtual Pool 2 is a 3D, first-person sports simulation video game developed by Celeris and released by VR Sports on behalf of Interplay Productions in 1997. It is the third release of the Virtual Pool franchise of computer simulations of pool games developed by Celeris. VP2 is the second main series title in the Virtual Pool series, and would later be released alongside Virtual Pool 1.

<i>F1 Racing Simulation</i> 1997 video game

F1 Racing Simulation is a racing simulation game, developed for Microsoft Windows by Ubi Soft in 1997. The game is based on the 1996 Formula One World Championship, and is the first of the Racing Simulation games made by Ubisoft, being the predecessor to Racing Simulation 2, which was released in 1998.

<i>Heavy Gear</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Heavy Gear is a 1997 computer game made for the Windows 95 operating system, based on the Heavy Gear role-playing game. A sequel, Heavy Gear II, was released in 1999.

<i>Links LS 1999</i> 1998 sports video game

Links LS 1999 is a video game developed and published by Access Software for Microsoft Windows in 1998, and is part of the Links video game series.

References

  1. ↑ "News for February 25, 1998". Online Gaming Review. February 25, 1998. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
    "February 25, 1998: "...a plethora of new titles should be hitting stores today, including...Black Dahlia..."
  2. ↑ Kaiafas, Tasos (July 16, 1997). "Garr Joins Hopper in Black Dahlia". GameSpot . Archived from the original on January 28, 1999. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Black Dahlia for PC". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ Fournier, Heidi (May 19, 2002). "Black Dahlia review". Adventure Gamers . Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ Peters, Terry. "Black Dahlia - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  6. ↑ Dembo, Arinn (April 2, 1998). "Black Dahlia". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  7. ↑ Royal, Tim (April 2, 1998). "Black Dahlia". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on March 24, 2005. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  8. ↑ Scorpia (July 1998). "Black and Blue (Black Dahlia Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 168. Ziff Davis. pp. 154, 157. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  9. ↑ Garcia, Thomas (April 1998). "Black Dahlia Review". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 19, 2004. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  10. ↑ Dulin, Ron (April 14, 1998). "Black Dahlia Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Black Dahlia". GameStar (in German). Webedia. April 1998.
  12. 1 2 "Black Dahlia". Next Generation . No. 44. Imagine Media. August 1998. p. 98. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  13. ↑ Poole, Stephen (July 1998). "Black Dahlia". PC Gamer . Vol. 5, no. 7. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 8, 2000. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  14. ↑ Rose, Paul (May 1998). "Black Dahlia". PC Zone . No. 63. Dennis Publishing. p. 86. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  15. ↑ Harlan, Megan (May 8, 1998). "Black Dahlia". Entertainment Weekly . No. 431. Time Inc. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  16. ↑ Gamecenter staff (January 29, 1999). "The CNET Gamecenter.com Awards for 1998! (Adventure)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on December 17, 2000. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  17. ↑ AG staff (December 30, 2011). "Top 100 All-Time Adventure Games". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.