Footage from an unreleased 2004 Daredevil game has been uncovered.
Video game preservation website Hidden Palace received the prototype from an anonymous developer who worked on the ill-fated project. The prototype then became playable thanks to the help of SolidSnake11, which is how we got the fun throwback footage below.
Daredevil: Man Without Fear - originally Daredevil: The Video Game during the early stages of production - was in development at 5,000 Ft Studios and publisher Encore for PC, PS2, and Xbox. It was originally pitched as a series of vignettes, taking our vigilante through his most iconic, sometimes Frank Miller-penned, comic book moments. Sony reportedly pushed some uncharacteristic design decisions on the game to coincide with their terrible live-action flick, which consequently made the budget balloon and eventually led to the game’s cancellation.
The video above looks like good old-school fun regardless, showing Daredevil in a third-person beat ‘em up scenario. The beginning shots compile various scenes throughout the game, showing big name characters like Elektra and Kingpin. The following gameplay snippet has our red hero punching foes and engaging in Tomb Raider-esque parkour around the concrete jungle. The ability to grind on rails doesn't scream “Daredevil Game,” though the abilities look fun anyway.
The footage also has a few lingering issues, probably since the game was, you know, unfinished. But what remains intact is probably what you’d expect from the time and probably something that the child version of me would fixate on until my eyes turned to mush. I even appreciate the “Shadow World” feature, which lets you see the world as Daredevil does: through sound.
Daredevil’s early attempt at breaking into games was unsuccessful, but it isn’t entirely over for Matt Murdock. The director behind Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 recently addressed fan theories about Daredevil with a cheek “stay tuned” tease. That’s as vague as hints come, but developer Insomniac Games could have something planned in the future with DLC, the “epic” threequel, or something else entirely.
Daredevil’s small screen return has been just as tumultuous, as Marvel Studios recently let go of the TV show’s writers and directors.
