This could have been the third Deus Ex. Project: Snowblind is a cyberpunk shooter from Tomb Raider creators
Deus Ex almost got a third installment years before the release of Human Revolution. However, Crystal Dynamics' masterpiece ultimately went in a different direction, evolving into a cyberpunk shooter called Project: Snowblind.
Even though the a sequel to it in 2003, which, although successful, was considered inferior to the original in many ways (in short, it was somewhat simplified, which didn't sit well with the fans). Meanwhile, under the wings of Eidos Interactive, another project set in this universe was also in the works.
The game, which was developed by Crystal Dynamics studio, then mainly known for the Project: Snowblind, a cyberpunk shooter that hit PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in 2005. Let's find out what made it warmly welcomed by players and reviewers, despite some issues.
Not entirely linear FPS
Unlike Deus Ex, which focused equally on RPG elements and shooting, Project: Snowblind was a straightforward shooter. The game was divided into missions where we did classic tasks like rescuing hostages, covering allies, infiltrating enemy bases, and just having epic shootouts.
Nevertheless, the legacy of this project manifested itself in the construction of subsequent levels, which allowed us to solve the problems in various ways. For example, you could get to the enemy's base through the front door with a battle cry on your lips or quite the opposite - through the side entrance, quietly, without causing unnecessary alarm. Even though the stages were linear, many of them had alternative paths, like ventilation shafts that could be used to gain an advantage over opponents.
The campaign consisted of several missions, although it wasn't that long. According to HowLongToBeat, completing it took only 6 hours. The competitive multiplayer mode came to the rescue, slightly extending the interaction with this title.
Shoot first, ask questions later
Despite everything, the intense firefights were a common occurrence in Project: Snowblind. The game provided us with a wide range of firearms, which included a pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle, and plasma cannon. We could upgrade each weapon, and they also had an alternative firing mode, which made us more effective in battle.
Their complement consisted of various combat gadgets, such as different types of grenades, autonomous drones, Kinetic Kicker (a kinetic weapon, which with a wink could be considered a distant relative of the Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2), as well as Icepick enabling hacking of security systems, cameras, control s, and patrolling robots (and allowing to take control over the latter). So as you can see, there was no room for boredom here... and that's not all.
Just like in every cyberpunk game, Project: Snowblind also gave us a wide range of implants to enhance the possibilities of the main character. Thanks to them, the main character could do things like slow down time, create a temporary shield protecting him from bullets, become invisible, or see the world in infrared. We unlocked further reinforcements as we progressed, gradually becoming an increasingly effective killing machine.
Project: Snowblind also allowed us to take control of various vehicles and machines. On the battlefield, it was possible to use cars and armored vehicles, as well as big mechs. From time to time we could use stationary cannons and rifles.
And what about the plot?
The story told in Project: Snowblind didn't live up to that of Deus Ex, but it could still be enjoyable. The game painted a grim vision of the year 2065, in which Hong Kong fell victim to an attack from the so-called Republic, a regime led by General Yan Lo. The main character of the game, Nathan Frost, is a soldier in the peacekeeping forces. The protagonist got injured in a fight and, just like in the movie Robocop, he probably would have died if it wasn't for the experimental "therapy" that turned him into a human-machine hybrid. Thanks to nanotechnology, he was turned into a super soldier, with the mission of stopping the Republic before things go too far.
As a fun fact, it's worth mentioning that the title "snowblind" comes from medicine and is also used in pop culture and military contexts to describe loss of visibility or electronic system disruption, for example, due to an electromagnetic pulse attack.
Uncut diamond
Crystal Dynamics focused on preparing the version for PlayStation 2, while the task of porting Project: Snowblind to Xbox and PC was entrusted to Nixxes Software. Even though the game looked good on consoles, players complained about the graphics quality not meeting the standards of the time. On top of that, the game had some optimization issues, which could cause it to lag even on more powerful computers from that time.
The game's console origins, which might not have been to everyone's liking, were also evident in the save system, permitting saves only after missions or at specific locations. However, it wasn't a big problem, as the described game was rather easy.
Franchise with potential
Although Project: Snowblind had its flaws, it was able to provide quite a lot of fun, which is reflected in the ratings received by this game. On Metacritic, this title has an average score of 76-79/100 from industry media, depending on the platform. Unfortunately, the described production was not able to start a new series, partly because after its launch, Crystal Dynamics almost completely focused on the development of the Tomb Raider series.
How to play Project: Snowblind today?
At the time of writing these words, Project: Snowblind is available on Steam for $5.99. Prices for used copies of the PC version on disc start at one buck. The Xbox edition costs around 6 dollars, while the PS2 version is $12.
If you want to play on PC, be sure to install the Widescreen Patch mod, which allows you to enable high widescreen resolutions in the game.
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