In the bustling era of video game development during the 90s, the UK-based company Team17 was known for its hit title Worms. But within its creative vaults lay a hidden gem that never saw the light of day—a game called Witchwood. Designed with an ambition to outrival the famed Legend of Zelda series, Witchwood was set to be a breakthrough RPG for Team17. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the game never progressed beyond its developmental stages.
In the early '90s, a smaller company named Synergy Software began conceiving Witchwood, and Team17 later signed on as the publisher, eager to push the game onto PC and consider potential console ports. Witchwood aimed to encapsulate the engrossing world and mechanics of Zelda but through a lens steeped in British folklore and history.
Synergy Software was essentially the brainchild of a set of developers and artists who found themselves jobless after the closure of Interceptor Micros' 8-bit budget label. Formed to keep this band of creatives together, Synergy initially embarked on work-for-hire projects. Witchwood marked their move towards more ambitious projects, driven by their own creative ideas.
Witchwood, named after its primary antagonist—a witch executed and returned from the dead as a malicious tree—had a vision that sought to refine and exceed the Zelda experience. The team at Synergy aimed to improve AI behavior, create more diverse NPC interactions, and establish a sense of permanence in the game's world. Players would take on the role of Pip, a hero on a quest to undo the witch's curses and restore peace to the land.
The British flavor of the game wasn’t just earmarked for the overarching plot; the characters and their dialogues, too, were infused with regional accents and cultural references. The game featured a range of detailed interiors and exteriors, captured enticingly in the few screenshots that exist today. However, despite their passion and admirable tech demos, progress on Witchwood was slower than Team17 had hoped.
The turning point in Witchwood's development happened when the popularity of Team17's Worms skyrocketed. This success led Team17 to review where to best allocate their resources. Unfortunately, they saw Witchwood as a project that lacked momentum and a clear finish line and decided to focus on titles that showed more promise. As Team17 invested in the burgeoning success of Worms, Witchwood became a slowly waning prospect.
The developers from Synergy, while disappointed, understood the business decision. The relentless pursuit to create an enriching RPG, reminiscent yet distinct from Zelda, had indisputably captured the hearts and imaginations of the team. But the practicality of the industry and the shifting focus of Team17 meant that Witchwood was relegated to the annals of ‘what could have been.’
Team17 eventually pulled the plug on Witchwood in 1995. After the cancellation, the talented folks at Synergy dispersed to various other ventures within the gaming industry. Yet, Witchwood persisted in gaming magazines and conventions a little while longer, as whispers of its potential and the mourning of its absence in the RPG world continued in the years that followed.
Even though Witchwood never came to fruition, its legacy endures in the stories of the people who built it and the imaginations of those who anticipated its release. The tale of Witchwood is a stark reminder of the harsh realities and unpredictability of the gaming business. It's a story of aspirations, trials, and surrender to changing priorities, but also of the enduring passion that game developers bring to their craft. With resources available now to explore the tech demo and related content, the story of Witchwood gains a new chapter—a posthumous exploration of what was and what could have been.
You must be logged in to post a comment!
