Advent Rising

Lore & Background

The game's story was created by Donald and Geremy Mustard, with dialog and screenplay by Orson Scott Card and Cameron Dayton. Card's influences are noticeable in terminology carried over from Ender's Game, such as 'vids', 'Buggers', and 'ansible' (the latter coined by Ursula K. Le Guin and added by Donald Mustard). The plot follows protagonist Gideon Wyeth, who escorts human ambassadors to meet the alien Aurelians, who view humans as gods and warn of the genocidal Seekers. After an attack, Gideon escapes to the planet Edumea, aids Marines, and learns of humanity's untapped mystical powers. He trains with Aurelians, battles Seekers, and eventually confronts a being called a Koroem that claims responsibility for the genocide. Gideon kills it using a mystical ability, opening a portal that drags him to an ice planet where a horned creature called 'The Stranger' beckons him.

Reader's Guide

Advent Rising is significant as an ambitious but commercially unsuccessful attempt to launch a sci-fi game trilogy. Its development involved notable science fiction writer Orson Scott Card, and the game featured a unique 'flick targeting' system. The Xbox version received average reviews due to bugs and camera issues, while the PC version, released months later, was slightly better received after many glitches were fixed. A $1 million contest to find hidden symbols was canceled due to fairness concerns. The game's failure led Majesco to cancel the planned sequel and the PSP side story Advent Shadow, and to refocus on handheld games. A five-issue comic series, Advent Rising: Rock the Planet, ran from 2005 to 2006, set ten years before the game. In 2006, Donald Mustard expressed willingness to finish the series if he held the rights. The game later gained Novint Falcon support in 2008 and is playable on the Insignia revival service for original Xbox online functionality.

Did You Know?

• The game's script was co-written by Orson Scott Card, who incorporated terms from his Ender's Game series such as 'vids' and 'Buggers'.
• A $1 million contest to find hidden symbols in the game was canceled in August 2005 due to fairness concerns.
• A five-issue comic series, Advent Rising: Rock the Planet, was published from October 2005 to November 2006, set ten years before the game.
• The planned PSP side story Advent Shadow was canceled in January 2006 due to Majesco's financial difficulties and the poor sales of Advent Rising.