Killing Time | |
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Developer(s) | Studio 3DO (3DO) [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] |
Publisher(s) | The 3DO Company [lower-alpha 3] |
Director(s) | Larry Reed Al Tofanelli |
Producer(s) | JuliAnn Juras Appler |
Programmer(s) | Larry Reed |
Artist(s) | Al Tofanelli |
Composer(s) | Robert Vieira |
Platform(s) | |
Release | |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single player |
Killing Time is a horror-themed first-person shooter video game developed by Studio 3DO. Originally an exclusive for their 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console, it was later remade for the Windows platform in 1996 by Logicware and for the Macintosh after the 3DO system was discontinued. On July 23, 2015, ZOOM Platform announced the release of an updated version of Killing Time exclusively for their store. The update work was done by Jordan Freeman Group and published by ZOOM Platform and Prism Entertainment. [4]
The player takes on the role of a former Egyptology student, trapped within the estate of a wealthy heiress on Matinicus Isle, Maine. In 1932, during the night of the Summer Solstice, heiress Tess Conway, while attempting to use a mystical Ancient Egyptian Water-Clock which purportedly grants eternal life, vanished, along with many of her society friends. The player's objective is to find, and destroy, the Water-Clock, and discover the secrets of the estate, all while beating back the many horrors that now occupy the island from beyond the grave.
Throughout the game the plot is slowly revealed to the player through numerous cut scenes performed by live actors. An unusual aspect of the game is that live action full motion video characters also sometimes overlap with the real time gameplay, without breaking to cut scenes. [5]
It was announced on June 6, 2024 that a remaster of the game was being developed by Nightdive Studios under the name Killing Time: Resurrected. [6]
The gameplay follows the standard set by most first-person shooters with the player using an assortment of weapons. These include a crowbar, dual-pistols, a shotgun, a Thompson submachine gun (Tommy-gun), Molotov cocktails, a flamethrower, and a magical Ankh which can be used to wipe out many enemies at a time. The game does not come with any form of multiplay. To beat the game one must collect a number of vases spread throughout Matinicus Isle, each containing a symbolic part of Tess Conway's spirit. These vases also grant one-time per playthrough power ups. Some sections require the player to strafe, crouch, or jump. The game takes place on a rather large, nonlinear island, with no load times in between sections. Enemies defeated and items taken are permanent for the duration of a playthrough, with guarded weapon caches scattered throughout the island.
The player character is a college student out to discover the mystery behind a missing Egyptian artifact. The ancient "Water-Clock of Thoth" had been discovered by his Egyptology professor, Dr. Hargrove, but the artifact went missing soon after a visit by the expedition's patron, Tess Conway. Tess is the heiress of her family's estate on Matinicus Isle, where she keeps her friends, and pawns close by so that she might gain the true power of the Water-Clock. As the game progresses, the player finds out that Tess has used a number of people to gain what she desires, but at a price. Something went horribly wrong, transforming everyone on the entire isle into either restless ghosts, demons or the undead. In the opening cinematic on all versions of the game, Boldt Castle located on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands region of the Saint Lawrence River is used as the visual representation of the Conway Estate.
The game's original release came as a red CD. Players found a glitch in the game that happens in the clown stage.[ citation needed ] The screen becomes pixelated and obscures the view of the entire area. The publisher allowed purchasers to mail them their red copy for a fixed version of the game, which appears on a black disk. Since so few purchasers sent in copies, the red version remains fairly common, but the black version is rare.[ citation needed ] The 3DO Game Guru includes a save file patch which fixes the bug.
In 1996 Acclaim Entertainment acquired the rights to release three Studio 3DO games for the PlayStation, Saturn, and PC, including Killing Time. [7] [8] However, while Acclaim did publish the other two games for those platforms, they did not do so with Killing Time, even though a release date was announced [9] and it was advertised in magazines [10] and on the back of some manuals on games published by the company.
On July 23, 2015, ZOOM Platform announced the release of an updated version of Killing Time exclusively for their store. The update work was done by Jordan Freeman Group and published by ZOOM Platform and Prism Entertainment. [11]
The game was also re-released onto gog.com on November 10, 2016. [12]
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2022) |
Publication | Score |
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Next Generation | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The original 3DO release received mostly positive reviews. Critics for both Next Generation and GamePro praised the fast game engine and combination of intense first-person shooting with brain-stimulating adventure elements. [16] [17] GamePro also approved of the stylish visuals and music and especially the use of real-life weapons for the player's arsenal, though they criticized the need to use button combinations to change weapons or look up and down. [17] Next Generation complimented the humor and concluded, "In short, Killing Time is the bastard child of Doom and 7th Guest , and it works." [16]
The game was awarded the 3DO Adventure Game of the Year. [18] In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the 3DO version 2nd on their "The GamesMaster 3DO Top 10." [19]
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There's a new first person perspective shoot 'em up out on the 3DO machine this week entitled Killing Time.
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