Die Hard Trilogy

Last updated
Die Hard Trilogy
Die Hard Trilogy Coverart.png
Developer(s) Probe Entertainment
Publisher(s) Fox Interactive
Platform(s) PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: September 18, 1996 [1]
  • EU: December 6, 1996 [2]
Windows & Sega Saturn
  • NA: January 21, 1997 [3]
  • EU: February 28, 1997 [4]
Genre(s) Third-person shooter
Light gun shooter
Driving
Mode(s) Single-player

Die Hard Trilogy is an action video game developed by Probe Entertainment, published by Fox Interactive and distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in North America and Electronic Arts in Europe for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows. The game is based on the first three installments of the Die Hard series of action movies, with each film entry being represented through a different gameplay genre.

Contents

The game was well received and would eventually become a PlayStation Greatest Hits and PlayStation Platinum game. Die Hard Trilogy also inspired a sequel entitled Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas . The sequel retained the three different playing styles but featured a spin-off storyline that was not connected to the movie series.

Gameplay

Die Hard

Die Hard is a third-person shooter. The player battles terrorists and rescues hostages in the Nakatomi Plaza, which is the setting of the first film in the series. [5]

Die Hard 2: Die Harder

Die Hard 2: Die Harder is presented as an on rails-shooter, where the player must stop terrorists who have taken over Dulles Airport from the second film.

Players control the crosshair with a gamepad, light gun, or mouse. Die Hard Trilogy was one of the few light gun games available for the PlayStation that was not compatible with Namco's GunCon/G-Con 45 controller or GunCon 2.[ citation needed ] However, it was compatible with Sega's Stunner light gun for the Saturn version. [5]

Die Hard with a Vengeance

In Die Hard with a Vengeance , the player goes on a joyride driving a taxicab, sports car, and dump truck throughout all of New York City and is tasked with finding and defusing several explosives before they can go off.

Development

The game was developed by a UK-based development studio, Probe Entertainment. The Die Hard with a Vengeance segment was developed first and was intended to be a standalone release, but publisher Fox Interactive insisted that the game should be more closely linked to the films, leading Probe to develop the other two segments. [6] Probe were developing Alien Trilogy at the same time. Since Alien Trilogy was being published by Probe's new owner Acclaim Entertainment, technology and experienced personnel were prioritized towards Alien Trilogy, leaving Die Hard Trilogy to be developed by a small team of young programmers and designers working with Probe's oldest equipment. [7]

Fox Interactive exerted little creative control over the project, allowing the Probe team to be unrestrained and improvisational in their designs. Lead programmer Simon Pick recounted, "There was no real design. We made it up as we went along. We knew the overall feeling we wanted and the various points we wanted to hit gameplay-wise. We had a design document, but it was written after the fact. We’d implement a feature and the designer would write it up to send over to Fox as an update." [7]

The inexperienced team found they had taken on more than they could comfortably handle by promising three games in one, forcing them to make technical compromises as they went along. [7] Initially the Die Hard 2 segment of the game was developed with polygonal enemies, [8] but they were later replaced with digitized sprites. For the Die Hard with a Vengeance segment, the team had wanted to use an authentic recreation of New York City, but found that when driving at 200 miles per hour, an accurate model of NYC felt too small and confining. [9] The larger models could not be built completely in RAM, so the team divided it into sections, designed a system to calculate which section to load next, and fixed the resultant errors by hand. [7]

The PlayStation was chosen as the lead platform because Pick strongly felt that it was the most powerful format of the time. In particular, he reasoned that the Saturn and PC versions would come out better if the programmers were trying to emulate impressive graphical effects on an extant PlayStation version than if they were designing the game around the hardware limitations of the Saturn. [9] In an interview during development, Pick elaborated on how the team intended to optimize the game for Saturn:

At the moment on PlayStation, we've got six or seven circular images which appear to make the lens flare effect, but maybe we'll just have two or three on Saturn version to keep the frame rate up. ... Frame rate is the main thing. We've got one guy coming over to us from Sega who's very clever. He's written a program which basically takes a polygonal model, and as it's rendering it looks at the size of the polygons; if they're very small it says "there's no point texturing this, let's do it flat in just one color," and this way it saves processor time and helps keep the frame rate up. We're going to reduce the detail of the models quite a lot, and reduce the texturing so the roads on Saturn will probably be flat shaded - so it's like a gray road rather than having textures. [9]

Reception

Die Hard Trilogy was a commercial hit, with sales above 2 million units by 2000. [19] [20] It became Probe's most successful release in terms of sales in the UK. [21]

The PlayStation version was positively reviewed. As of June 2017, it holds an 86% ranking at GameRankings. [22] Most critics considered the high value-for-money of getting three games in one to be Die Hard Trilogy's strongest point. [12] [13] [16] [17] A few even stated that none of the three component games were good enough to stand on their own, but the variety offered by the collection as a whole makes it exceptionally entertaining. [12] [16] However, the majority commented that all three component games are outstanding even on their own terms. [12] [13] [15] [17] GamePro presented a dissenting opinion; while they highly praised the game's addictive quality and sound effects, they argued that the three segments are ultimately just rehashes of (respectively) Resident Evil , Virtua Cop , and Twisted Metal . [23] The most common criticism was that the Die Harder segment requires the Konami light gun to be enjoyable, since the cursor when using the standard controller is slow and difficult to move. [12] [23] [16] The first segment of the game was particularly praised for its deep challenge, requiring players to out-think the enemy. [13] [16] [15]

Die Hard Trilogy was a finalist for the Computer Game Developers Conference's 1996 "Best Adaptation of Linear Media" Spotlight Award, [24] but lost the prize to I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream . [25] However, Electronic Gaming Monthly editors named it Action Game of the Year. [26]

The Saturn port also received mostly positive reviews, though it was often compared unfavorably to the PlayStation original. GamePro said the graphics are not as sharp as the PlayStation version's, especially in the Die Harder segment, but the gameplay is addictive enough to make this relatively unimportant. [27] Josh Smith stated in GameSpot that the sluggish controls and poor graphics, especially as compared to the PlayStation version, make the first two segments of the game nearly unplayable, since lining up shots in time is awkward and frustrating. However, he said that in the third segment the animation is actually better than the PlayStation version's, and that the fast pace and black humor of this segment make it worth buying Die Hard Trilogy all by itself. [14] Paul Glancey of Sega Saturn Magazine summarized, "Often when you see compilations like this there's ... one section that stands out as the one that the programmers thought of first and lavished the most attention on, but all three sections of Die Hard Trilogy have their fair share of thrills, great visuals and clever ideas." [18]

In Germany, the game was banned because of its extreme violence, especially being able to drive through harmless people with blood spilling all over the windshield.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Hexen: Beyond Heretic</i> 1995 video game

Hexen: Beyond Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by id Software distributed through GT Interactive on October 30, 1995. It is the sequel to 1994's Heretic, and the second game in Raven Software's "Serpent Riders" trilogy, which culminated with Hexen II. The title comes from the German noun Hexen, which means "witches", and/or the verb hexen, which means "to cast a spell". Game producer John Romero stated that a third, unreleased game in this series was to be called Hecatomb.

<i>Area 51</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

Area 51 is a light gun arcade game released by Atari Games in 1995. It takes its name from the military facility. The plot of the game involves the player taking part in a Strategic Tactical Advanced Alien Response (STAAR) military incursion to prevent aliens, known as the Kronn, and alien-created zombies from taking over the Area 51 military facility.

<i>Chaos Control</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Chaos Control is a rail shooter developed by Infogrames Multimedia and published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i, MS-DOS, Macintosh, Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1995. The game's cutscenes are rendered in a style reminiscent of anime.

<i>Primal Rage</i> 1994 arcade video game

Primal Rage is a fighting game developed and released by Atari Games to arcades in 1994. The game takes place on a post-apocalyptic version of Earth called "Urth". Players control one of seven large beasts that battle each other to determine the planet's fate. Matches feature many of the conventions of fighting games from the era, including special moves and gory finishing maneuvers. Ports were released for home consoles and personal computers. Efforts to perfectly emulate the arcade original have been unsuccessful due to the use of an unusual copy protection method. Toys, comics, a novel and other merchandise tie-ins were produced. More than 1.5 million copies of the game were sold.

<i>Virtua Cop 2</i> 1995 video game

Virtua Cop 2 is a light gun shooter arcade game, released in 1995 and developed internally at Sega by their AM2 studio. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1996, PC in 1997, and Sega Dreamcast in 2000. It was bundled with Virtua Cop in Virtua Cop: Elite Edition for PlayStation 2 in 2002.

<i>Croc: Legend of the Gobbos</i> 1997 video game

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos is a platform game developed by Argonaut Software, published by Fox Interactive and distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in North America and Electronic Arts internationally for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Taking place in the fictional setting of the Gobbo Valley, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos follows a young crocodile named Croc, who sets out to rescue a group of furry creatures known as Gobbos from the evil magician Baron Dante.

Actua Sports is a sports video game series published by Gremlin Interactive which competed with Electronic Arts EA Sports label during the second half of the 1990s, until Gremlin was acquired by Infogrames. The term "Actua" is a play on Sega's line of "Virtua" titled games, which included Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing and Virtua Striker.

<i>Die Hard Arcade</i> 1996 video game

Die Hard Arcade, known as Dynamite Deka in Japan, is an arcade beat 'em up video game released by Sega. It was the first beat 'em up to use texture-mapped 3D polygon graphics, and used a sophisticated move set by contemporary beat 'em up standards, often being likened to a fighting game in this respect. It also features quick time events, the ability to combine items to make more powerful weapons, and in two-player mode the ability to perform combined special moves and combos.

<i>Enemy Zero</i> 1996 video game

Enemy Zero is a 1996 horror-themed adventure video game for the Sega Saturn, developed by Warp and directed by Kenji Eno. Players assume the role of an astronaut who awakens from cryogenic sleep to find her spaceship overrun by invisible creatures who are hunting and killing the ship's crew. They must navigate through the ship in a combination of puzzle-driven exploration rendered in full motion video and first-person shooter sections rendered in real time, during which they must rely on sound to either avoid or kill the invisible enemies.

<i>PowerSlave</i> 1996 video game

PowerSlave, known as Exhumed in Europe and 1999 AD: Resurrection of the Pharaoh in Japan, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Lobotomy Software and published by Playmates Interactive Entertainment in North America, and BMG Interactive in Europe and Japan. It was released in North America, Europe and Japan, for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and MS-DOS over the course of a year from late 1996 to late 1997. On May 24, 2015, Powerslave EX, an unofficial remake of the PlayStation version appeared on GitHub. The MS-DOS version of PowerSlave was added to the GOG store on November 19, 2020.

<i>The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga</i> 1997 video game

The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga is a 1997 beat 'em up video game developed by Attention to Detail and published by Eidos Interactive for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The game is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Hulk, who must traverse through a series of levels and destroy enemies with an assortment of offensive and defensive maneuvers. The game features visuals created on Silicon Graphics workstations and a plot based on the Pantheon storyline from the comics. The narrative revolves around the Hulk joining the titular superhero team and fighting such adversaries as Piecemeal, Trauma, and the U-Foes. The game was negatively received for its gameplay, controls, visuals, and music, and has been ranked among the worst superhero-based video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Interactive</span> Defunct American video game publisher

Fox Interactive was an American video game publisher based in Los Angeles, California. The company published games based on 20th Century Fox properties, yet also published several original titles, such as Croc: Legend of the Gobbos.

<i>Maximum Force</i> 1997 arcade game

Maximum Force is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called Area 51/Maximum Force Duo that also included Area 51, and later ported the game to both the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn game consoles.

<i>Loaded</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Loaded is a science fiction-themed top-down multidirectional shooter developed by Gremlin Interactive and published by Interplay Productions. Loaded was released on December 15, 1995 on the PlayStation, and was ported to the Sega Saturn the following year. The game had origins in DC Comics as well as the more adult-orientated Vertigo Comics, and there was a small graphic novel based on the game. The six playable characters of the game are a combination of villains, anti-heroes, psychopaths, perverts, mutants, and flamboyant murderers. They are, however, the best hope to stop the intergalactic supervillain nicknamed F.U.B. and save the universe. The characters were created and designed with contributions from Garth Ennis of Vertigo Comics and Greg Staples of 2000AD.

<i>Alien Trilogy</i> 1996 video game

Alien Trilogy is a first-person shooter video game developed by Probe Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment in 1996 for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and MS-DOS platforms. The game is based on the first three movies in the Alien film series. One of the first games developed by Probe following their acquisition by Acclaim, it debuted Acclaim's much-hyped motion capture technology. The game was well-received by critics, who praised its recreation of the films' atmosphere and its gameplay depth compared to other first-person shooters, and was a commercial success.

<i>Krazy Ivan</i> 1996 video game

Krazy Ivan is a mecha first-person shooter video game developed and published by Psygnosis. It was released for Windows, Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1996.

<i>Grid Runner</i> 1996 video game

Grid Runner is an action game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Microsoft Windows in 1996. It is frequently described as a cross between tag and capture the flag, but the playing field is a maze-like grid which the players can manipulate to an extent. Players can either compete against each other in one-on-one matches or take on a series of AI opponents in the game's story mode. Grid Runner was first announced under the title "Eurit".

<i>Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2</i> 1995 video game

Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2, known as Thunderstrike 2 in North America, is a 1995 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Core Design for PlayStation, Sega Saturn and MS-DOS. It is the sequel to Thunderhawk AH-73M.

<i>Swagman</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Swagman is a 1997 action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive in Europe for the Sega Saturn and in North America for the PlayStation. In the game, players assume the role of Zack and Hannah to free the imprisoned Dreamflight fairies and stop the villain Swagman from unleashing his horde of monsters upon the world, whose inhabitants cannot wake up from their nightmares. The title was developed in conjunction with other projects at Core Design, taking influence from the works of Tim Burton. Versions for both the 32X and Atari Jaguar CD were announced but not released. It was received with mostly positive reception from critics.

References

  1. ↑ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES -- Sept. 16, 1996". 1999-02-24. Archived from the original on 1999-02-24. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  2. ↑ "Christmas Games Guide". Computer Trade Weekly. No. 616. United Kingdom. 2 December 1996. p. 43.
  3. ↑ "FOX INTERACTIVE'S BREAKTHROUGH GAME 'DIE HARD TRILOGY' EXPLODES". Bloomberg.com. 1997-01-17. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  4. ↑ Lomas, Ed (March 1997). "Checkpoint - The month's events and software releases at a glance. Feb-March". Computer and Video Games . No. 184. Future Publishing. p. 53.
  5. 1 2 Fulljames, Stephen (February 1997). "Yippeeeee-kai-ay, Muddy Funsters!". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 16. Emap International Limited. pp. 54–57.
  6. ↑ "To Die For". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 7. Emap International Limited. May 1996. pp. 50–55.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "The Making Of: Die Hard Trilogy – how a team of underdogs created three movie tie-ins at once". Edge . Future plc. 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on June 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Die-Hard with a Saturn! Die Hard Trilogy". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 5. Emap International Limited. March 1996. p. 10.
  9. 1 2 3 "Die Hard Trilogy". Next Generation . No. 17. Imagine Media. May 1996. p. 84.
  10. ↑ "Die Hard Trilogy (PlayStation) Review". Archived from the original on 15 November 2014.
  11. ↑ "Die Hard Trilogy (PC) Review". Archived from the original on 15 November 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Review Crew: Die Hard Trilogy". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 86. Ziff Davis. September 1996. p. 26.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Sterbakov, Hugh (December 1, 1996). "Die Hard Trilogy Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  14. 1 2 Smith, Josh (January 14, 1997). "Die Hard Trilogy Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 "Die Hard Trilogy". IGN . November 21, 1996. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stayin' Alive". Next Generation . No. 23. Imagine Media. November 1996. p. 268.
  17. 1 2 3 PSM 10
  18. 1 2 Glancey, Paul (March 1997). "Review: Die Hard Trilogy". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 17. Emap International Limited. pp. 68–69.
  19. ↑ "GoDaddy Corporate Domains - Protected". Archived from the original on 2002-03-02.
  20. ↑ "Video Game video". smh.com.au. February 26, 2000. Archived from the original on October 22, 2000. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  21. ↑ Dring, Christopher (2019-04-12). "Revealed: The most successful UK game developers". GamesIndustry.biz . Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  22. ↑ Die Hard Trilogy for PlayStation – GameRankings
  23. 1 2 Scary Larry (June 1996). "ProReview: Die Hard Trilogy". GamePro . No. 93. IDG. p. 54.
  24. ↑ Staff (April 15, 1997). "And the Nominees Are..." Next Generation . Archived from the original on June 5, 1997. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Spotlight Awards Winners Announced for Best Computer Games of 1996" (Press release). Santa Clara, California: Game Developers Conference. April 28, 1997. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011.
  26. ↑ "The Best of '96". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 92. Ziff Davis. March 1997. p. 88.
  27. ↑ The Rookie (April 1997). "Saturn ProReview: Die Hard Trilogy". GamePro . No. 103. IDG. p. 87.
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.