Disruptor (video game)
A 1996 first-person shooter with psionic powers.
Disruptor is a first-person shooter released for the PlayStation in 1996. It marks the debut title from developer Insomniac Games, with distribution handled by Interplay Productions. Critics gave the game favorable reviews, but it sold poorly, falling far short of the company’s sales targets.
In terms of gameplay, Disruptor follows the conventions of the first-person shooter genre, but adds a set of special abilities known as "Psionics," which function like psychokinesis. Five psionic powers are available: Shock, a short-to-medium-range electrical attack costing five psionic points; Drain, which uses one point to weaken an enemy while generating small orbs that restore psionic energy; Heal, an expensive ability that restores health; Blast, a costly, high-damage sphere that produces psionic-replenishing orbs from slain foes and can later be upgraded by a character named Eve to penetrate walls; and Shield, a temporary, high-cost protective barrier.
The story follows Jack Curtis and Troy Alexander, new recruits in the LightStormer Corps who receive psionic implants after completing training. Jack’s performance places him on par with his older brother and commanding officer, Blake Curtis, as well as their late father, a celebrated LightStormer and friend of United Nations President Krieger. Blake receives an emergency call about Cryo-Pirates seizing a space station in Jupiter’s orbit, and orders Jack to activate its self-destruct sequence. A mysterious girl named Eve observes Jack’s actions. President Krieger takes notice, orders an endorphin boost for Jack, and sends Troy on a special assignment. Another call comes from Triton, a moon of Neptune, where a terraforming colony has been overrun by hostile aliens; Jack is sent to eliminate them. Upon returning, he learns Troy was killed on Mars while searching for a mysterious psionic orb. Jack retrieves the orb despite limited equipment, but is denied rest by Krieger. He is then sent to Antarctica to wipe out escaped test subjects from Triton and retrieve their genetic databank, followed by a mission to Jupiter’s moon Io to retake a colony from Jovian gangsters. Krieger congratulates Jack and sends him to New Atlantis for rest, but the colony is overrun by hostile mechs and a reactor coolant leak threatens destruction.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Disruptor
- Developer
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher
- NA · Universal Interactive Studios · EU · Interplay Productions
- Producer
- Michael John
- Designer
- Ted Price / Craig Stitt / Alexander Hastings / Brian Hastings
- Programmer
- Alexander Hastings / Brian Hastings
- Composer
- David Bergeaud
- Writer
- Peter Hankoff
- Artist
- Ted Price / Craig Stitt / David Ehlers / Travis Price / Martin Bruinsman
- Platforms
- PlayStation
- Released
- NA · November 20, 1996 · EU · December 1996
- Genre
- First-person shooter
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Disruptor started its development as a 3DO game, since the 3DO was the only commercially viable CD-based console at the time, and development kits for it were available at very low prices. According to Ted Price, Insomniac presented Disruptor to virtually every available publisher, being rejected by each one, before Universal Interactive agreed to adopt the game. Midway through development, it became apparent that the 3DO would not be a success, and the alternative platforms Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation became available, leading Universal to recommend switching Disruptor to the PlayStation. Universal's executive producer Mark Cerny nonetheless saw the 3DO as a key step towards the game's arrival, remarking, 'The whole reason Disruptor exists is because an enthusiastic hobbyist could start development on 3DO, since it had cheap development hardware. We saw the prototype running on 3DO and agreed to fund development on PlayStation.' After Universal Interactive took on publication, Insomniac had a six month deadline to deliver their first playable build of the game. As the novice developer struggled to meet this deadline, Universal offered Insomniac Games free office space in their Los Angeles headquarters, which gave them easy access to equipment and advice from Universal's more experienced developers.
Reader's Guide
Disruptor was well received at the time of its release, with a GameRankings score of 80% based on six reviews. Critics widely praised the unique and impressive weapons, the challenging and strategic gunplay, the clean and sharp graphics, the situation-sensitive soundtrack, and the variety of mission objectives and level environments. Crispin Boyer of Electronic Gaming Monthly called it 'the best-looking 3-D game on the PlayStation.' GamePro's Scary Larry said that the scarce supply of ammunition and the need for precision aiming might make the game dauntingly difficult for beginners at the genre, but that the gameplay was compelling enough that even those who do not enjoy the challenge would be drawn back to it. A reviewer for Next Generation concluded, 'Well-balanced, with good control, nice graphics, on-the-fly strategy, secret areas, and good sound, Disruptor gives the player everything new that it can within a genre saturated with mediocrity.' IGN said that the game was above average for the Doom clones seen on the PlayStation. The game sold about 200,000 copies, and was considered a commercial disappointment.
Did You Know?
- Disruptor was the first game developed by Insomniac Games.
- The game originally started development for the 3DO console before switching to PlayStation.
- Insomniac was rejected by virtually every publisher before Universal Interactive agreed to adopt the game.
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