Clive Barker's Jericho

Last updated

Clive Barker's Jericho
Clive Barker Jericho Cover.jpg
Developer(s) MercurySteam
Alchemic Productions
Publisher(s) Codemasters
Director(s) Enric J. Álvarez Benito
Producer(s) Rafael Martínez García
Clive Barker
Designer(s) Luis Miguel Quijada Henares
José Darío Halle Cano
Ignacio Abad Donado-Mazarron
Programmer(s) Carlos Rodríguez Butragueño
José Darío Halle Cano
José Antonio Martín Armayones
Artist(s) Juan Antonio Alcázar Redondo
Writer(s) Clive Barker
Composer(s) Cris Velasco, Allister Brimble, Anthony N. Putson
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: 23 October 2007
  • EU: 26 October 2007
  • AU: 7 November 2007 (PC)
  • AU: 8 November 2007
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

Clive Barker's Jericho is a horror first-person shooter video game developed by MercurySteam and Alchemic Productions and published by Codemasters. It is produced by Clive Barker. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007.

Contents

Gameplay

Jericho's core gameplay consists of leading the game's seven-man team codenamed Jericho, allowing control of all team members by jumping to each character during certain points in the game, through various environments that have been warped by the Firstborn while fighting off a variety of twisted creatures.

The game also features several quick time events where the player must press the corresponding buttons or keys shown on screen in order to successfully survive. Additionally, each team member has both a primary and a secondary attack, either in the form of an alternate fire such as a grenade launcher on a rifle, or a secondary weapon such as a sword or pistol that can be dual wielded. While the game is a first person shooter, the ability to control different members of one's squad adds a tactical element; players must determine which squad member is appropriate for each particular job. Not only does each squad member have different strengths and weaknesses, but they also each have a unique ability (or supernatural abilities in some cases). This allows the player freedom in choosing a playing style that suits them throughout much of the game. However, during certain instances, certain characters are unplayable.

The squad's supernatural abilities play a prominent role in the game. The character the player originally controls is a psychic healer (medic) with the ability to fully heal fallen comrades that are close to death. Other squad members have other powers, such as summoning a fire demon, slowing time, firing a guided bullet, and leeching life from enemies to add it to one's own. [1]

Plot

Premise

Certain depictions and ancient scriptures dictate a being created by God in His own image before the creation of Adam and Eve; according to legend, this being was abandoned by its own Creator. In the game's mythology, this being is called the "Firstborn". God was so disturbed by what He created that He banished it into the Abyss. God then started anew and went on to create humankind, giving the species two sexes, feelings, and love.

The Firstborn, too powerful for even God to keep from breaking into the mortal world, would make seven attempts to escape, each time taking back a piece of the earth to add to its domain and each time sent back to the Abyss. Fragments of time and space would form layers around this domain, linked to this world in the city Al Khali. These layers would entrap pieces of history within its walls, from the time of the ancient Sumerians to World War II. Over time, other great conquerors and civilizations would arrive to claim the city as their own. Eventually, the city was forgotten and buried by the sands of time.

The Department of Occult Warfare was created in the 1930s to combat the supernatural and unexplained. Another purpose was to meet Nazi Germany's own research into the paranormal. One of their most brilliant members, Arnold Leach, was recruited in 1962. However, his unscrupulous behavior and nature would eventually have him expelled. He was marked for assassination, and although the operation appeared to be successful, it seems that he may have survived.

The Jericho Squad is sent to Al-Khali to prevent Leach from opening the breach and unleashing the Firstborn upon mankind once again.

Story

The game's Jericho squad (l-r): Simone Cole, Abbey Black (crouching), Xavier Jones, Frank Delgado, Billie Church and Paul Rawlings Jerichosquadpic1.jpg
The game's Jericho squad (l-r): Simone Cole, Abbey Black (crouching), Xavier Jones, Frank Delgado, Billie Church and Paul Rawlings

The game begins with General Arnold Leach, a high-ranking member of a secret U.S. organization called the Department of Occult Warfare (DOW), being contacted by the Firstborn, a being that was imprisoned by God at the beginning of time in a patch of reality called the Box. The Firstborn convinces Leach to help it escape from the Box. Leach leaves the DOW, and spends the next twenty years committing acts of great evil to build up evil energy to cause a breach in the Box.

Eventually, a breach is made, and the DOW sends in a Special Forces team called Jericho to seal the breach. The leader of the squad, Captain Devin Ross, is killed by Leach, but he is still able to linger on as a ghost able to possess the other members of the squad. Being unable to seal it any other way, they enter the Box to close the breach from within.

Once inside, they must battle the souls of those who have breached the Box in the past; a Nazi officer, a fallen Catholic priest from the Middle Ages, a depraved Roman Governor, and six ancient Sumerian priests (Ninlil and Ki, Inanna and Enlil as well as Nanna and Utu, who were the first to banish the Firstborn but ultimately fell victim to its corruption). Jericho is aided by the souls of those who ultimately resealed the breach each time it was broken.

However when they finally reach the point at which they can seal the breach, the squad instead decides that they should kill the Firstborn rather than try to reseal the breach, as resealing would just result in them being trapped in the Box and endlessly tortured until the breach was opened again just like as happened with all their past allies. Traveling into the Firstborn's cavern, they find the creature in the middle of an island on a lake, with Leach bound to a nearby wall. Before Cole could identify the Firstborn's weaknesses, the Firstborn kills Cole and Jones and battles the surviving squad members. Jericho manages to defeat the Firstborn by targeting it each time it tries to duplicate any of the squad's abilities. Leach breaks free of his bonds; angered at the Firstborn's betrayal, he grabs it and carries it to a tunnel of light, causing the cavern to collapse. Jericho jumps into the water and swims to escape. They emerge from under the water in a vast ocean under an orange sky.

Reception

Clive Barker's Jericho received "mixed" reviews on all platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [2] [3] [4] Many critics praised the squad-based system, elaborate storyline, Clive Barker's dark style and soundtrack while criticizing the character AI, linear gameplay, abrupt ending and difficulty with certain game mechanics.

On the game's style, Eurogamer stated that "Clive Barker's contribution to the concept and narrative direction of the game will certainly help get the attention of horror fans" [8] while GameSpot noted its "gorgeously creepy visuals and sound". [11] Official Xbox Magazine praised the choice of characters, being "endless fun to switch tactics and experiment with different combinations of powers and weapons for crowd control". [19] However, reviewers complained about the in-game mechanics. Among their criticisms were the poor AI, whereby teammates would die often, requiring the player to heal them regularly. IGN stated: "If the Jericho members' intelligence level wasn't enough of a nuisance for you, there's the actual shooting itself"; [17] Jolt Online Gaming commented that the maps were too linear and close. [22] Despite this, GamePro gave the Xbox 360 version a score of 4.5 out of 5, saying that the game's "slick style, amazing graphics, and dark atmosphere really make it stand out". [23]

After being denied a rating in Germany [24] Jericho's uncut version got an 18+ rating [25] for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. In 2010, UGO included the game as the #6 in the article "The 11 Weirdest Game Endings". [26]

Cancelled sequel

Rumours about a sequel to Jericho were confirmed in 2007 when Clive Barker had announced his intention to make a sequel to the game. [27] The sequel project never came to fruition.

Related Research Articles

<i>Test Drive Unlimited</i> 2006 video game

Test Drive Unlimited is a 2006 racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Atari Melbourne House developed the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions. Being the eighteenth entry in the Test Drive series, Unlimited serves as a reboot of the franchise, discarding the continuity of the previous games. The game features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and the terrain is modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu that features over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of roads and highways.

<i>Wik and the Fable of Souls</i> 2004 video game

Wik and the Fable of Souls, also known in the Xbox 360 version as Wik: The Fable of Souls, is a platform video game developed by Reflexive Entertainment. The main character, Wik uses a combination of jumping and his long, grapple-like tongue to navigate the world. Accompanying Wik on his journey is a mule-like creature named Slotham. On each level the player must capture a set number of grubs and deliver them to Slotham, but getting the grubs to Slotham becomes more and more challenging through each chapter. There are various bugs that try to steal the grubs or directly harm Wik, and on some levels Wik can fall off the platforms into the abyss. Each level includes three gems; a ruby, an emerald, and a diamond, finding all of these throughout the course of the game is required in order to achieve the best ending.

<i>Alone in the Dark</i> (2008 video game) 2008 video game

Alone in the Dark is a survival horror video game published by Atari Interactive and is the fifth installment of the series under the same name. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and Wii in Europe, North America, and Australia in June 2008. The PlayStation 3 version, titled Alone in the Dark: Inferno, was released in November 2008 and includes several enhancements from the other versions. The Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were released by Electronic Arts in Japan on December 25, 2008.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter</i> 2006 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) is a tactical shooter video game released for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows in 2006. As in previous Ghost Recon games, players command their team while neutralizing hostile forces and completing various mission objectives. These objectives can range from escorting friendly units across the map to rescuing hostages or taking out enemy artillery.

<i>Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII</i> 2006 video game

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is a flight combat video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. It was developed by Ubisoft Bucharest during the second fiscal quarter of 2006 for both the North American and European regions. The game features 46 different World War II fighter planes and allows the player or players to take part in several World War II events as a fictional squadron. Online support allows 16 players to take part in head-to-head and co-operative battles.

<i>Virtua Tennis 3</i> 2006 sports video game

Virtua Tennis 3, known in Japan as Sega Professional Tennis: Power Smash 3, is the second arcade game sequel to Sega's tennis game franchise, Virtua Tennis. The arcade version of Virtua Tennis 3 is powered by the PC-based Sega Lindbergh arcade system board. Ports for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 consoles are also available with a traditional collection of tennis minigames that the home versions of Virtua Tennis are known for. In 2009, Sega updated and re-created Virtua Tennis 3 in Virtua Tennis 2009.

<i>Just Cause</i> (video game) 2006 action-adventure game

Just Cause is a 2006 third-person action-adventure game set in an open world environment. It is developed by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios and published by Eidos Interactive, and is the first game in the Just Cause series. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The area explored during the game is described as being over 1,024 km2 (395 sq mi) in size, with 21 story missions and over 300 side missions to complete.

<i>FIFA 07</i> 2006 video game

FIFA 07 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label.

<i>World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions</i> 2006 video game

World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions is a video game based on the popular gambling tournament World Series of Poker and the second licensed WSOP video game released for home video game systems, after the World Series of Poker video game. It was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Battlestations: Midway</i> 2007 video game

Battlestations: Midway is a video game developed by Eidos Hungary and released in 2007 for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The Mac version of this game was developed by Robosoft Technologies, based out of India and published in July 2008 by Feral Interactive.

<i>BlackSite: Area 51</i> 2007 video game

BlackSite: Area 51 is a first-person shooter video game, released for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows on November 12, 2007 in North America, and PlayStation 3 on December 10, 2007. The game is mostly unrelated to the 2005 multi-platform game Area 51. The game was developed by Midway Austin and published by Midway Games.

<i>NHL 08</i> 2007 video game

NHL 08 is a video game released on September 11, 2007 in North America; the Xbox 360 version was supposed to be released on the same date as the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 versions, but was postponed for a day due to shipping issues. This was the first installment to be released on the PlayStation 3.

<i>Colin McRae: Dirt</i> 2007 racing video game by Codemasters

Colin McRae: Dirt is a simcade racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is the last of the series to be published before Colin McRae's death. It features new graphics, audio, physics engine, new vehicles and a new game engine called Neon which was co-developed between Codemasters and Sony Computer Entertainment. The game features a variety of off-road racing categories as well as World Rally Championship style events. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 in Europe on 14 September 2007, a day prior to Colin McRae's death. The sequel, Colin McRae: Dirt 2, was released in September 2009. A simplified version of the game was developed by Glu Mobile and released for Java ME devices in 2008.

<i>UEFA Euro 2008</i> (video game) 2008 video game

UEFA Euro 2008 is the official video game of the Euro 2008 football tournament, published by EA Sports. It was developed collaboratively by EA Canada and HB Studios and was released in Europe and North America on 18 April 2008 and 19 May 2008 respectively. The commentary was provided by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend.

<i>Stormrise</i> 2009 video game

Stormrise is a real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly's Australian studio and published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world.

<i>Top Spin 2</i> 2006 video game

Top Spin 2 is a 2006 tennis video game developed by Indie Built, MENT, and Aspyr and originally published by 2K and Superscape. It is the sequel to Top Spin and is followed by Top Spin 3.

<i>Blur</i> (video game) 2010 racing video game

Blur is a 2010 vehicular combat arcade-style racing video game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was developed by Bizarre Creations, published by Activision in North America and Europe, and published in Japan by Square Enix. The game features a racing style that incorporates real world cars and locales with arcade style handling and vehicular combat. Blur was the penultimate game developed by Bizarre Creations before they were shut down by Activision on February 18, 2011.

<i>Blacklight: Tango Down</i> 2010 video game

Blacklight: Tango Down is a dystopian cyberpunk-themed online multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Zombie Studios and published by Ignition Entertainment. The game was released on July 7, 2010 on Xbox 360 as a downloadable title, and was released on Microsoft Windows on July 14, 2010. The game was also released in late 2010 for the PlayStation 3. The PC version is the one to receive all three patches, where as the Xbox 360 received only the first two patches, and the PlayStation 3 version received no patches, being at retail, launch day version.

<i>Breach</i> (2011 video game) 2011 video game

Breach is a team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Atomic Games. It was announced on March 26, 2010 at PAX East 2010 for Windows PCs and the Xbox 360. Breach was distributed online for the Xbox 360 by Xbox Live Arcade, and on Windows by Steam. It features dynamic destructible environments and a cover system.

<i>Choplifter HD</i> 2012 video game

Choplifter HD is a video game developed by inXile Entertainment and released in 2012-2013. It is a 3D polygonal remake of the 1982 game Choplifter by Dan Gorlin. inXile hired Gorlin to serve as a design consultant for the game. As in the original game, players fly missions in a helicopter, defeating enemies and rescuing people. Originally released for Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the game was subsequently ported to the Ouya as well as Android devices. Choplifter HD was lauded for being true to the original, retaining the gameplay the series was known for, but was criticized for its high level of difficulty.

References

  1. ↑ "Clive Barker's Jericho". The Official Clive Barker Website.
  2. 1 2 "Clive Barker's Jericho for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Clive Barker's Jericho for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Clive Barker's Jericho for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  5. ↑ David Houghton (October 31, 2007). "Destructoid review: Clive Barker's Jericho (PC)". Destructoid . Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  6. ↑ Edge staff (December 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho (X360)". Edge . No. 182. Future plc. p. 91.
  7. 1 2 EGM staff (December 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho (PS3, X360)". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 222. Ziff Davis. p. 107.
  8. 1 2 Kristan Reed (October 24, 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
  9. 1 2 3 Matt Bertz (December 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho". Game Informer . No. 176. GameStop. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 JP Hurh (1 November 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho Review". Game Revolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Kevin VanOrd (October 29, 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  12. ↑ Gabe Graziani (November 15, 2007). "GameSpy: Clive Barker's Jericho (PC)". GameSpy . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ Gabe Graziani (October 26, 2007). "GameSpy: Clive Barker's Jericho (X360)". GameSpy. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Clive Berker's Jericho Review (PS3, X360)". GameTrailers . Viacom. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  15. ↑ Michael Lafferty (22 October 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho - PS3 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  16. ↑ Steven Hopper (23 October 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Charles Onyett (October 26, 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho Review". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  18. ↑ Rob Burman (October 19, 2007). "Clive Barker's Jericho UK Review (X360)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  19. 1 2 Logan Decker (25 December 2007). "Jericho". Official Xbox Magazine . Future US. p. 66. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Clive Barker's Jericho". PC Gamer . Future US. 25 December 2007. p. 84.
  21. ↑ "Review: Clive Barker's Jericho". PlayStation: The Official Magazine . No. 1. Future plc. 25 December 2007. p. 85.
  22. ↑ "Review: Clive Barker's Jericho (multi) (Incomplete)". Jolt Online Gaming . 18 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  23. ↑ Andy Burt (24 October 2007). "Review: Clive Barker's Jericho (X360)". GamePro . IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  24. ↑ David Houghton (September 25, 2007). "Surprise of the week: Jericho banned in Germany". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Clive Barkers Jericho - USK erteilt Altersfreigabe" Archived 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ K. Thor Jensen (3 December 2010). "The 11 Weirdest Video Game Endings (Page 2)". UGO . IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  27. ↑ Tim Wapshott (27 October 2007). "Vintage violence". The Times . Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2016.(subscription required)
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.