The Crossing From Arkane Studios Might Have Combined Single Player With Multiplayer. This Game Could Have Revolutionized Industry
Arkane Studios is a team known for original ideas and games with a unique identity. One of their canceled projects was The Crossing, mixing two realities and two game modes.
The history of Arkane Studios is a real treasure trove of gems, which, if given a chance by fate and had their releases, could have left a lasting mark on the history of the video game industry. I'm, of course, referring to The Crossing, which could have sparked a revolution in the industry. However, if it had succeeded, we might not have had the opportunity to play Dishonored, and one of the more intriguing aspects of Deathloop might have gone unnoticed. Let's lean over and see what could have emerged from under the wings of Arkane Studios.
CrossPlayer Mode
The Crossing was to be created around a mechanic called CrossPlayer by the developers. They planned to combine the single-player campaign and the competitive multiplayer mode into one. People progressing through the story would have to be on their guard, as they could encounter enemies controlled by other players at any moment. It would work the other way around, because the victory of the "other side" wouldn't be predetermined, even despite their advantage in numbers.
The developers' idea was to make multiplayer players significantly weaker than the armed-to-the-teeth people playing the main story mode. While most of the time both groups played independently, they would regularly encounter "critical points" where they would run into each other, facing the necessity of fighting a fierce battle for life and death.
Nevertheless, this game concept would demand an unusual approach from the devs, particularly the level designers. On one hand, the maps had to be constructed in such a way that players wouldn't have to stay in one place for too long and could not analyze the movements of their opponents before engaging in combat. On the other hand, the creators would have to keep multiplayer players near critical points so that they could immediately step into action when one of the "single ones" appeared nearby.
Balancing the gameplay posed a significant challenge, as admitted by representatives of Arkane Studios in the video The Untold History of Arkane from the Noclip channel on YouTube. This is one of the reasons why, at some point in the development, they decided to hire Max Hoberman, to whom Halo 2 owed its matchmaking. Hoberman's task was to develop a player-matching system that would effectively pair people of similar skill levels against each other.
Paris 2.0
The title The Crossing referred not only to the original idea for the gameplay, based on the interpenetration of modes but also to the plot, the heart of which was the motif of mutually penetrating realities. The game was supposed to take us to Paris... or rather, two versions of the French capital. The first variation would depict a modern metropolis where the government has lost all authority, and chaos, anarchy, and lawlessness reign on the streets. The second one looked much more original.
The creation of "Paris 2.0" was supposed to be associated with scientific experiments involving special portals enabling time travel and making changes in history. In this way, an alternative version of the city would have been created, controlled by the Templar Order, and saved from collapse in 1307. The soaring, Gothic architecture, armor, and cold weapons straight from the Middle Ages would mix there with advanced technology. Victor Antonov himself - the architect of City 17 from Half-Life 2 - was to ensure that the game world would be consistent, while at the same time being pleasing to the eye and memorable.
With a gun and a sword
Unlike many other games of Arkane Studios, The Crossing doesn't feature supernatural abilities. Their place would be taken by a wide range of guns, explosives, and gadgets, as well as melee weapons. Exploration would be facilitated by a rope with a hook, which would allow access to hard-to-reach and high-altitude places. The gameplay itself would evoke associations with what we know from other projects by the studio, so while there would be nothing to stop you from rushing into battle with a battle cry on your lips, it would often be a better option to act quietly and take down enemies by surprise.
Slippery slope and project suspension
Although such an idea for a game could work on the imagination, it caused developers quite a few problems related to both gameplay balance and... searching for a publisher. As it turned out, the publishers were afraid of the high development costs (which were estimated at 15-20 million dollars), challenges generated by the need to develop an effective player selection system, and also the fact that being released exclusively on PC, the game wouldn't be able to earn money. For this reason, over time a decision was made to create a version for Xbox 360.
As a result, Arkane Studios managed to find only one potential publisher for The Crossing. Unfortunately, working with it turned out to be problematic, and the negotiations led to a budget reduction and a change in some concepts. The developers were very close to signing a contract; although they later called it "the worst ever," if they hadn't done so, the company's accounts could have started to look empty. To date, Arkane Studios has spent around a million dollars out of its own pocket on The Crossing. However, in the end, the cooperation didn't happen. The studio received a proposal to work with Electronic Arts and Steven Spielberg on LMNO, which meant they no longer had to "grasp at straws" and enter into an unfavorable arrangement just to avoid closure.
As a result, in May 2009 the news broke about the fact that work on The Crossing has been suspended. Interestingly, the raging crisis at that time was blamed for such a state of affairs. As Raphael Colantonio, then head of Arkane Studios, said:
A few months ago, an unforeseen financial difficulty arose and we had to end work on The Crossing. Since then, we have been focusing entirely on two other projects.
Not all of me will die
In October 2016, ZeniMax, which in the meantime became the owner of Arkane Studios, registered a trademark The Crossing. However, 8 years have passed since that moment, and there is no new version of the game in sight.
Although, this doesn't mean that players didn't have the chance to see how this title could look like... at least some of its aspects. Dunwall paints a vague picture of Paris ruled by the Templars in Dishonored. Victor Antonov watched over both metropolises, and that is clearly visible. Besides, the characters in The Crossing were supposed to be presented in a caricature style, which could be confused with the one known from Corvo Attano's adventures.
The theme of other players infiltrating single-player games could be tested in Deathloop, where those playing as Julianna Blake had the opportunity to hunt down players controlling the main character – Colt Vahn.
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