Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock

Last updated

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock
Doctor Who, The Eternity Clock Cover Art.jpg
Cover art for the game
Developer(s) Supermassive Games [1]
Publisher(s) BBC Worldwide
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (physical media)
Producer(s) Angela Hunt
Writer(s) David Bryher
Engine Unreal Engine 3 [2]
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 (PSN), PlayStation Vita
ReleasePlayStation 3
23 May 2012 [3]
PlayStation Vita
10 October 2012 [4]
Microsoft Windows
15 November 2012 [5]
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock is a 2012 action-adventure video game based upon the BBC television series Doctor Who . It was intended to be the first of a series, [6] but it was announced in 2013 that the sequels have been put on hold. [7]

Contents

It was released in digital stores by BBC Worldwide and in physical media in Europe for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Synopsis

Setting

The game primarily takes place within the Doctor's time-travelling TARDIS, the high-security Stormcage Containment Facility prison of the 52nd century, and locations within and under London across different time periods.

Chronically, the game takes place at some point after the Eleventh Doctor's introduction in the Doctor Who series 5 episode "The Eleventh Hour", but before the Doctor Who series 6 finale episode, "The Wedding of River Song" (as his "death" within that episode is alluded to as still impending, in-game).

Characters

Matt Smith and Alex Kingston reprise their respective roles of the Eleventh Doctor and River Song. [8] Players encounter iconic Doctor Who villains like Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians, and the Silence. [9]

Plot

The Doctor and River Song travel across space and time in an effort to save Earth by gathering pieces of the Eternity Clock, an object that is a record of everything that has or will ever happen in all of existence.

Development

The game had previously been confirmed for release on 30 April 2012, but was later postponed to 23 May 2012.

Reception

According to review aggregating website Metacritic, the PS3 version of the game received an average review score of 39 out of 100, based on 21 reviews. [10]

The game received a 3.5 out of 20 from the Australian game critics Stephanie Bendixsen and Gus Ronald on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television program Good Game: Spawn Point , later describing what they truly wish a Doctor Who game would be like. [11]

IGN editor Mike Bell gave The Eternity Clock a 5.5 out of 10 stating that "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock is a game that is filled to the brim with good intentions and does a lot of things right, but that even the Pandorica couldn’t fix the amount of technical issues present." [12]

Developers have responded to some criticisms and released an update. This update addresses bugs, AI issues and adds additional save locations. [13]

References

  1. "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock". Supermassivegames.com. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  2. "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock powered by Unreal Engine 3". Eurogamer.net. 22 February 2012.
  3. "The Eternity Clock will be released globally for PS3 on the 23rd May via PSN. #DoctorWhoTEC". twitter.com.
  4. "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock on PS Vita next week". Blog.eu.playstation.com. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  5. "Twitter / DoctorWhoTEC: We're happy to announce that". Twitter.com. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  6. "BBC Worldwide set to launch major new Doctor Who gaming franchise". BBC Worldwide. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2012. Two further Doctor Who console game titles are planned to follow this release with details to be announced next year.
  7. "'Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock' planned sequels cancelled by BBC". Digital Spy. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013. Originally planned as a trilogy of releases, executive vice president of digital entertainment and games Robert Nashak revealed that the Eternity Clock series has been put on hold.
  8. "BBC Worldwide set to launch major new Doctor Who gaming franchise". BBC Worldwide. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  9. "The CURSE of WHO: WHY has there never been a decent videogame with the Doctor?". theregister.co.uk.
  10. "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock". Metacritic.
  11. "Good Game Spawn Point - Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 October 2018.
  12. "Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Review". IGN. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  13. "Twitter / DoctorWhoTEC: Patch update for Doctor Who". Twitter.com. Retrieved 1 July 2013.