Eternal Darkness wasn't the most popular GameCube title (in fact, its sales were nothing to brag about), but it was certainly one of the most beloved. And now it's getting a Nintendo Wii U / PC sequel called Shadow of the Eternals... as long as you help fund it, that is.
The story of Shadow of the Eternals will be told through 12 episodes, and the game has been dubbed a spiritual successor to its GameCube predecessor. A new studio called Precursor Games is already hard at work on the title (you can watch the trailer below), and it looks like Eternal Darkness director and former Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack is involved as chief creative officer.
In order for Eternal Darkness fans to get their wish and make Shadow of the Eternals a reality, however, they'll need to do some chipping in. Precursor Games plans to begin a crowdfunding campaign on Monday, May 6, looking to raise $1.5 million for development. Money raised beyond that goal will go toward the development of future episodes, new characters and other treats.
"We are overwhelmed by the level of interest for Shadow of the Eternals," a Precursor representative told IGN. "It did surprise us that some inaccurate information was leaked. However, we cannot wait for the official unveil on Monday with complete and accurate details through IGN and our website."
As for the story, probably the strongest aspect of Eternal Darkness on GameCube, here's what Precursor has described so far:
"When Detective Paul Becker is called to one of the bloodiest gang massacres in Louisiana state history, only two survivors remain from a brutal conflict between two rival cults. As Becker begins his interrogations of the suspects, their combined recollections will uncover the truth about the 'Eternals'."
"Featuring an ensemble cast of heroes and villains, Shadow of the Eternals will span over 2500 years of history throughout Egypt, England, Hungary, and the United States. Players will question the perception of reality as they try to balance the mechanics of combat, magick, and sanity events to progress through the adventure."
"Shadow of the Eternals will take players on a memorable journey throughout time; weaving historical fact with disturbing fiction to create an experience unlike any other."
The part about questioning the perception of reality seems to suggest that Sanity Effects will be making a comeback, which should please fans of the original title. Eternal Darkness would often mess with player expectation in interesting ways, such as suddenly muting their television screen, making the walls bleed or pretending their save file was being deleted.
More details about the game, including an interview with Dyack, will be published by IGN on Monday.
