In the early 2000s, 5,000 Ft. was working on an open-world Daredevil game for the PS2 called “The Man Without Fear,” based on the Frank Miller comic. Sadly, it was canceled in 2003.
Recently a prototype of this canceled Daredevil PS2 game has surfaced. The plot drew from “Elektra Lives Again,” with Kingpin’s supposed assassination triggering chaos in Hell’s Kitchen. Elektra, believed to be the culprit, was resurrected. The prototype showcases Daredevil in combat with both Kingpin and Elektra, alongside snapshot cutscenes depicting their history.
A Prototype Of A Canceled Daredevil PS2 Game Has Surfaced
Back in 2003, the development of Daredevil: The Man Without Fear was well underway. They had a solid storyline, detailed environments, and functional gameplay systems. However, due to internal conflicts and a lack of approval from Marvel, the game, which was initially delayed, was eventually scrapped.
According to the information revealed by a sales pitch from the 5,000 Ft. Studios site, the completed game was set to feature cool Hell’s Kitchen landscapes inspired by the original Daredevil comics. It would also include iconic Daredevil characters like Elektra, Bullseye, Kingpin, and the Hand, among others. Additionally, players could expect to wield unique weapons like the radar sense, billy club, and grappling hook.
Fast forward 20 years to Halloween, and Hidden Place stumbled upon a playable build. Thanks to Casuallynoted and an anonymous developer who contributed, a copy of the game was made available online. The only snag was that it lacked a PS2 license date, which is necessary to play it on the console or an emulator.
Fortunately, SolidSnake11 managed to get it up and running, offering us a tantalizing glimpse into what might have been.
The gameplay style is reminiscent of the Spider-Man games, granting you the ability to scale walls and cliffs. It also introduces a ‘spidey-sense’ equivalent called the “Shadow World,” allowing you to detect heat sources and other life forms in your vicinity.
While it’s largely a polished product, keep in mind that this build was still a work in progress, so there are some bugs. To uncover the full experience, fans might need to do some tinkering.
For those eager to try it out, a playable PC version of the Daredevil: The Man Without Fear prototype is now accessible for download. Alternatively, you can catch a glimpse of the gameplay in the YouTube video.
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