Exhumed (video game)
Encyclopedia
PowerSlave, also known as Exhumed in European territories and in Japan, is a first-person shooter
developed by Lobotomy Software
and published by Playmates
Interactive Entertainment. It was released in the US, Japan, and Europe for the Sega Saturn
, Sony PlayStation, and PC
over the course of a year from late 1996 to late 1997.
ian city of Karnak
in the late 20th century. The city has been seized by unknown forces, with a special crack team of hardened soldiers sent to the valley of Karnak, to uncover the source of this trouble. However on the journey there, the player's helicopter is shot down and the player barely escapes. The player is sent in to the valley as the hero to save Karnak and the World. The player finds himself battling hordes of evil creatures including mummies
, Anubis
soldiers, scorpion
s and evil spirits. The player's course of action is directed by the spirit of King Ramses, whose mummy was exhumed from its tomb by these evil creatures.
formula. Familiar elements from the genre, such as collecting keys to open doors in a level, are present.
As the game progresses, the player character picks up a number of artifacts which give him new abilities. Such abilities include being able to jump higher, levitate, breathe underwater, walk in lava, walk through force fields and jump further to reach previously inaccessible areas of the maps. In a similar fashion, there are a number of key symbols (Power, Time, War and Earth) that can open sealed doors in previously visited areas. In the console versions, each map is connected together by a world-overview map in a similar manner to Super Mario World
.
Weapons
Artifacts
Hidden in the games are 23 Team Dolls, each for someone who worked on the game. The rewards are different for each version.
The PlayStation exclusively has Dolphin and Vulture modes. Dolphin mode allows the player to swim faster and jump out of water and is unlocked after 10 dolls. Vulture mode, unlocked after 14 dolls, allows the player to continually jump in midair, thus giving the feel of flying. These effects are visible by hieroglyphs in the top left corner (symbolized by a dolphin
and a vulture
).
The Sega Saturn
version rewards the player with Lobo-flight mode for collecting all of the Team Dolls, by restarting the game with the completed save. This allows the player to fly, very similar to swimming, but in midair. Also, on the NTSC Saturn version, collecting all 23 dolls gives access to the hidden game Death Tank
.
Owners of Duke Nukem 3D
on the Saturn can access the sequel, Death Tank Zwei, if they have a save game of PowerSlave or Quake saved on either the system backup RAM or a RAM cart.
, shortly followed by a release on the PlayStation, with tweaked gameplay, added architecture, some different levels, and other changes. Both these versions are based on Lobotomy Software's SlaveDriver Engine and feature a true 3D world, similar to Quake. It is worth noting that the same engine was used to power the Sega Saturn
versions of Duke Nukem 3D
and eventually Quake.
Besides some changes in the levels (extra rooms in one version that's not in another, added architecture on the PlayStation), the levels Amun Mines, Heket Marsh, Set Palace, Cavern of Peril, and Kilmaat Colony are almost completely different between the two versions. There are exclusive powerups on the Sega Saturn
such as the All-Seeing Eye, Invisibility and Weapon Boost. Also exclusive to the Sega Saturn
is the ability to bomb-boost, which is similar to rocket jumping in other FPS games.
Sprites were represented in 2D, similar to games such as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D
. The game features coloured dynamic lighting too, but only in the console versions.
Level progression is non-linear, letting the player go to any previous unlocked level at any time. Extra exits to new levels and parts of levels are only accessible after getting the many different abilities, very similar to the Metroid series. This adds more of an exploration aspect that's not traditionally seen in FPS games.
as one of their games to show off the power of the Build engine
. During this time, the game was known by its working title Ruins: Return of the Gods. Apogee Software
released screenshots of the early working version with a slideshow of another of its published titles, Mystic Towers
. 3D Realms eventually dropped the title, which was then picked up by Playmates Interactive Entertainment and published.
The US release title Powerslave is a reference to the Iron Maiden
album of the same name
, which also features an Egyptian-themed cover.
Voice narration in the game was performed by Don LaFontaine
, also known as "The Voice-Over Guy".
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
developed by Lobotomy Software
Lobotomy Software
Lobotomy Software was an American video game company, best known for the game PowerSlave as well as the successful Sega Saturn ports of Duke Nukem 3D and Quake.The company is no longer active.-History:...
and published by Playmates
Playmates Toys
Playmates Toys is a Costa Mesa, California toy manufacturer and a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Playmates Holdings Ltd , which was founded in 1966.-Proprietary brands:*Amazing Dolls*Amazing Pets*Kinder-Garden Babies*R.E.V.s*Waterbabies*WOW Pals...
Interactive Entertainment. It was released in the US, Japan, and Europe for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, Sony PlayStation, and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
over the course of a year from late 1996 to late 1997.
Synopsis
PowerSlave is set in an area around the ancient EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian city of Karnak
Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II . Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is located near Luxor, some...
in the late 20th century. The city has been seized by unknown forces, with a special crack team of hardened soldiers sent to the valley of Karnak, to uncover the source of this trouble. However on the journey there, the player's helicopter is shot down and the player barely escapes. The player is sent in to the valley as the hero to save Karnak and the World. The player finds himself battling hordes of evil creatures including mummies
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
, Anubis
Anubis
Anubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa...
soldiers, scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s and evil spirits. The player's course of action is directed by the spirit of King Ramses, whose mummy was exhumed from its tomb by these evil creatures.
Gameplay
Throughout the game, gameplay follows a standard first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
formula. Familiar elements from the genre, such as collecting keys to open doors in a level, are present.
As the game progresses, the player character picks up a number of artifacts which give him new abilities. Such abilities include being able to jump higher, levitate, breathe underwater, walk in lava, walk through force fields and jump further to reach previously inaccessible areas of the maps. In a similar fashion, there are a number of key symbols (Power, Time, War and Earth) that can open sealed doors in previously visited areas. In the console versions, each map is connected together by a world-overview map in a similar manner to Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
.
Weapons
- MacheteMacheteThe machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
: Standard melee weapon - RevolverRevolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
: Standard handgun - M60M60 machine gunThe M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
: Standard machine gun - AmunAmunAmun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu , was a god in Egyptian mythology who in the form of Amun-Ra became the focus of the most complex system of theology in Ancient Egypt...
Mines: Grenades - FlamethrowerFlamethrowerA flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
: close combat weapon - CobraCobraCobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
Staff: Shoots magical homing snake missiles - The Ring of RaRaRa is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
: Unleashes deadly red, bouncing fireballs (only Saturn and PlayStation versions) - The Sacred Manacle: Shoots partly homing blue lightning flashes
Artifacts
- Sandals of Inkumpet: Increase jump height
- SobekSobekSobek , and in Greek, Suchos was the deification of crocodiles, as crocodiles were deeply feared in the nation so dependent on the Nile River...
mask: Breathe underwater for 50 seconds without damage - Shawl of IsisIsisIsis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
: Allows the player to slowly float down after jumping - Protective anklets: Allows the player to walk on swamp without damage, and lava with little damage
- Kilmaat scepter: Opens green forcefields on contact
- HorusHorusHorus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
feather: Allows the player to levitate after jumping
Secrets
Throughout the game (PSX and Saturn versions), there are eight pieces of a radio transmitter. These must be assembled in order to receive the "good ending", whereby the player becomes an immortal, rather than being buried with the dead, only to be excavated years later. However, the PC version's endings was different: In the good ending, the player gets stuck in the aliens' spaceship. The game's bad ending, which showed Earth being destroyed, can be earned if player lose all lives in the last level, or failed to complete the last level in 15 minutes.Hidden in the games are 23 Team Dolls, each for someone who worked on the game. The rewards are different for each version.
The PlayStation exclusively has Dolphin and Vulture modes. Dolphin mode allows the player to swim faster and jump out of water and is unlocked after 10 dolls. Vulture mode, unlocked after 14 dolls, allows the player to continually jump in midair, thus giving the feel of flying. These effects are visible by hieroglyphs in the top left corner (symbolized by a dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
and a vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
).
The Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
version rewards the player with Lobo-flight mode for collecting all of the Team Dolls, by restarting the game with the completed save. This allows the player to fly, very similar to swimming, but in midair. Also, on the NTSC Saturn version, collecting all 23 dolls gives access to the hidden game Death Tank
Death tank
-Saturn version:Death Tank is a 2D multiplayer versus shooter, set on a hilly terrain. Although similar to Scorched Earth, Worms, or Gunbound the gameplay is real time instead of turn-based. It supports up to 7 differently-colored tanks with a range of weapons to battle it out...
.
Owners of Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
on the Saturn can access the sequel, Death Tank Zwei, if they have a save game of PowerSlave or Quake saved on either the system backup RAM or a RAM cart.
Console
The first version of game to be released was on the Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, shortly followed by a release on the PlayStation, with tweaked gameplay, added architecture, some different levels, and other changes. Both these versions are based on Lobotomy Software's SlaveDriver Engine and feature a true 3D world, similar to Quake. It is worth noting that the same engine was used to power the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
versions of Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
and eventually Quake.
Besides some changes in the levels (extra rooms in one version that's not in another, added architecture on the PlayStation), the levels Amun Mines, Heket Marsh, Set Palace, Cavern of Peril, and Kilmaat Colony are almost completely different between the two versions. There are exclusive powerups on the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
such as the All-Seeing Eye, Invisibility and Weapon Boost. Also exclusive to the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
is the ability to bomb-boost, which is similar to rocket jumping in other FPS games.
Sprites were represented in 2D, similar to games such as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
. The game features coloured dynamic lighting too, but only in the console versions.
Level progression is non-linear, letting the player go to any previous unlocked level at any time. Extra exits to new levels and parts of levels are only accessible after getting the many different abilities, very similar to the Metroid series. This adds more of an exploration aspect that's not traditionally seen in FPS games.
PC
The PC version of PowerSlave is quite different from the console versions.- The PC version runs on the Build engineBuild engineThe Build engine is a first-person shooter engine created by Ken Silverman for 3D Realms. Like the Doom engine, the Build engine represents its world on a two-dimensional grid using closed 2D shapes called sectors, and uses simple flat objects called sprites to populate the world geometry with...
, licensed from 3D Realms3D Realms3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
. The version used is a slightly earlier version, written sometime before Duke Nukem 3DDuke Nukem 3DDuke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
. - The HUD interface is different; featuring an ammo counter, lungs (oxygen levels) for swimming and animated mana and blood vessels.
- Players have usable ManaManaMana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
energy that can cast spells once the spell has been acquired (e.g. collecting a torch allows the player to use energy to illuminate dark areas). - Ammo is not universal. Instead of blue orbs usable for all weapons, separate ammo is needed.
- Some sprites are different (e.g. M60 machine gun), sprites are larger and more animated in general.
- Audible words are used for the player character instead of grunts.
- Grenades are used instead of AmunAmunAmun, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu , was a god in Egyptian mythology who in the form of Amun-Ra became the focus of the most complex system of theology in Ancient Egypt...
mines. - Mummies fire a "white skull" attack, or a partly homing red one, that when hit, turns the player into a mummy momentarily, additionally with the most powerful weapon in the game (mummy staff).
- Checkpoints are placed throughout the level by indication of golden scarabs.
- Saving is automatic between levels.
- Red spiders are used instead of blue scorpions (also known as Terranians).
- The light sourcing from the Slavedriver engine is not used; the Build engine's own light sourcing is used instead; the game also uses "fake" dynamic lighting where sectors light up as projectiles or "glowing" objects in general pass through.
- Levels are conducted in a more linear format. Players can replay previously completed levels, but later stages may only be played after completing the level prior.
- The Manacle of Power fires a lighting cloud above the enemy, rather than firing lighting bolts from the player's hands.
- Most of the artifacts from the console versions are not present (except the Sobek Mask, which is a spell).
- The Saturn version's powerups are included as spells (invisibility, invincibility and double damage).
- The Ring of Ra weapon is not included.
- Weapons pause to reload after a certain number of shots fired.
- Some enemies have different death animations when killed by fire/grenades, bosses have longer death animations.
- There are extra lives instead of health extensions.
- The Amnit enemies are not included; instead there is the giant Ammut miniboss which has ramming and biting attacks.
- There is humor, compared to the console versions. An example was in the good ending where the player character mutters "Damn, those alien bastards. How the Hell could I get out of this ride?".
Development
At one point, the PC version was to be released by 3D Realms3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
as one of their games to show off the power of the Build engine
Build engine
The Build engine is a first-person shooter engine created by Ken Silverman for 3D Realms. Like the Doom engine, the Build engine represents its world on a two-dimensional grid using closed 2D shapes called sectors, and uses simple flat objects called sprites to populate the world geometry with...
. During this time, the game was known by its working title Ruins: Return of the Gods. Apogee Software
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
released screenshots of the early working version with a slideshow of another of its published titles, Mystic Towers
Mystic Towers
Mystic Towers is a computer game created by Australian developer Animation F/X and published by Manaccom domestically and Apogee Software internationally. It stars Baron Baldric, a geriatric wizard with a magic staff and an array of amusing mannerisms, who must quest through twelve towers and rid...
. 3D Realms eventually dropped the title, which was then picked up by Playmates Interactive Entertainment and published.
The US release title Powerslave is a reference to the Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
album of the same name
Powerslave (album)
Powerslave is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 3 September 1984 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US ....
, which also features an Egyptian-themed cover.
Voice narration in the game was performed by Don LaFontaine
Don LaFontaine
Donald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine was an American voiceover artist famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers. His nicknames included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God"...
, also known as "The Voice-Over Guy".