Ballyhoo Studios

Atlantis
Atlantis The Lost Empire is a multiplayer action adventure game dedicated to Disney's animated film. Players search Iceland as part of a team of adventurers looking for an ancient book that holds the secrets of the lost city of Atlantis. There's journal guarded in an ancient Viking labyrinth by a group of dangerous keepers.

The title is designed to stand on its own as a major game release and to offer gameplay on the level of other contemporary, top-of-the-line first-person adventures. Though many elements of this title follow the conventions of a first-person shooter, the game's story and devices of interaction mean to welcome moviegoers and casual gamers alike to the often prohibitively intense world of fast-paced, first-person action.

To receive the inclusive "E" (for "Everyone") rating from the ESRB, Disney's Atlantis has to present this action-based gameplay in a non-violent, non-offensive context that hasn't really been seen before. To some degree, this results in predictable devices like a complete absence of blood or gore, enemies that simply fizzle away when defeated, and the use of terms like "tool" instead of "gun." To the extent this game semantically distances itself from a genre more typically aimed at a very particular adult audience, however, it also removes some of the atmosphere of fierce competition and general ruthlessness that is common in the community of first-person shooters, offering an experience which may be more approachable by gamers who normally favor a different style of play.

It should also be noted that many of these aspects of approachable first-person gameplay are inherently engaging and could be equally interesting in a title that was less concerned with remaining ultimately non-offensive. The game runs on a version of the ~Lilthtech 3D game engine, which is known for its ability to power smooth character interaction and believably "organic" environments. It should also be mentioned that while this release is fully intended as a primary experience in its own right, all of the characters and settings in the game were painstakingly modeled after the events and places in the movie, offering Atlantis fans a new way to experience the legend.