Citizen X (video game)

Citizen X was a canceled game developed by Digital Pictures for the Sega CD. It was later released by Oldergames through Good Deal Games in 2004.

Story

A terrorist group with world domination plans has attacked your city with a lethal toxic gas. They're threatening to unleash more havoc unless their demands are met.

You, as the main player have been scouted out by a government anti-terrorist unit to take them out, as the only person exposed to the toxin who hasn’t died yet. Your mission, find the anti-toxin and stop the terrorists before they make good on their threats.

Descending into the city's sewer system, you must trek through the various tunnels, uncover clues, find the anti-toxin and defeat the terrorists, all within a 15-minute time frame.

Game Play

Altering their previous style of 100% full-motion video, Digital Pictures had designed this to be a 2-D side scrolling platform adventure, with short FMV cut-scenes mixed in to tell the story.

Cancellation

There are many possible reasons as to why it was not released within the original lifetime of the Sega CD/Mega CD platform.

• The recent lawsuits and U.S. Congressional hearings on violence in video games, particularly focusing on their previous title Night Trap, made making such a highly controversial game like Citizen X game less desirable for fear of more lawsuits and making a bad situation much worse. The short article in Electronic Gaming Monthly with pics of the violent video and the 'drug dealing clown' only exacerbated Digital Pictures worries.

• Another suggests that there were several bugs in the game that couldn't be worked out in a reasonable time-frame. Combining this with the aforementioned Congressional hearings, would make such a time frame even more tightened.

External links

Citizen X overview on KickPunchBlock

Citizen X Promotional Page at Good Deal Games