Escape from Monster Manor

Escape from Monster Manor is a first-person shooter video game developed by Studio 3DO and published by Electronic Arts exclusively for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console. It was released in North America in 1993, in Europe in 1994, and in Japan on March 26, 1994, under the title Virtual Horror: Norowarate Yakata (バーチャルホラー 〜呪われた館〜, lit. "Virtual Horror: Cursed House").

Gameplay

Escape from Monster Manor is a single-player first-person shooter in which the player character explores a haunted mansion rendered in a 3D environment. The player must defeat spiders, ghosts, and other supernatural enemies to escape. The objective of each stage is to collect pieces of a sacred talisman and then navigate through twelve levels to reach the exit. The game does not use a conventional heads-up display (HUD); instead, the player's health is indicated by visible damage to the on-screen hand sprite, and ammunition is displayed as a bar on the gun sprite.

Development and Release

The game was primarily developed by Leo Schwab, a computing prodigy known for his Amiga screen hacks and animations in the 1980s and for developing Disney Presents: The Animation Studio (1990). Schwab joined Trip Hawkins at The 3DO Company and cited Wolfenstein 3D as the chief inspiration for the game. After several months working on a different 3DO project, Schwab and his team abandoned that effort and switched to the less ambitious Escape from Monster Manor to have a demo ready for that year's Consumer Electronics Show.

The game's source code was released on GitHub under the MIT License on August 7, 2022, accompanied by a live stream commentary from original developer Leo Schwab.

Reception

Contemporary reviews were mixed. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 6.75 out of 10, praising its well-rendered graphics and genuinely creepy audio while noting minor control issues. GamePro praised the frightening graphics and audio, nerve-wracking challenge, and strafing ability. Edge magazine praised the "look and feel" of the game but criticized the simplicity of the game design and gameplay, giving it a score of 5 out of 10 and comparing it unfavorably to DOOM. Sandy Petersen, reviewing the game in Dragon #204 (1994), gave it 2 out of 5 stars.

Technical Details