Gorky 17

Lore & Background

The game's development began at least as early as 1997 under the working title Haunted City, which Adrian Chmielarz of Metropolis Software clarified had almost nothing to do with the game and 'just somehow stuck'. The game was rendered entirely using Real3D. The developers debated whether combat should be real-time, turn-based, or a combination of both. The final game features two modes: real-time exploration where players point-and-click to navigate and interact, and turn-based combat on a grid where characters move and use weapons with different tactical effects, such as the pistol firing only orthogonally and the rifle firing both orthogonally and diagonally. The game ends if any player-controlled character dies.

Reader's Guide

Gorky 17 received above-average reviews according to GameRankings. IGN rated it as 'decent', highlighting its mix of turn-based strategy, adventure, and RPG genres, with nicely drawn environments, fluid character animations, and captivating atmosphere. Criticisms included the lack of a line-of-sight mechanic and some interface flaws. Eric Bratcher of NextGen called it 'A groundbreaking title kept from four-star status only by the at-times unwieldy mechanics and some minimal balance issues.' The game spawned two sequels: Gorky Zero: Beyond Honor, a third-person isometric stealth action prequel, and Gorky Zero 2: Aurora Watching, a third-person stealth action sequel published in North America as Soldier Elite, whose English translation ignored ties to the Gorky titles and changed the protagonist's name from Cole Sullivan to White Fox.

Did You Know?

• The game was released as Odium in North America.
• The working title was Haunted City, which Adrian Chmielarz said had almost nothing to do with the game.
• The AmigaOS 4 version was demonstrated in a near-finished state at the Amiga 30th Anniversary Dinner in 2015.
• The English version of Gorky Zero 2 changed the protagonist's name from Cole Sullivan to White Fox.