When the Ben Affleck-starring Daredevil landed in cinemas in 2003, the world of video games was very different. Comic book tie-ins were rampant and it was common for movies to be accompanied by middling-to-poor video game adaptations. 5000ft Inc.’s Daredevil was nearly one of those, but a series of increasingly unfortunate events, developer clashes and reported micromanagement meant the game never saw the light of day. Now, a new video is shedding light on the adaptation that could have been.
In a new YouTube video, PtoPOnline shared footage of the cancelled Daredevil game for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC in action, taking players through two major unfinished levels and showing off the combat, traversal and ‘x-ray vision’ systems.
The first level featured is a massive open world city filled with electrical wires and buildings to perch on. As Daredevil, players are able to grind these wires like in Tony Hawk and cross the city by travelling along them. Some are electrified and as PtoPOnline points out, this means you can easily die while you’re attempting to cross Hell’s Kitchen. You can also die instantly if you fall too far.
Daredevil‘s demo was allegedly obtained from a developer who included an early build in their resume for hiring purposes, so it’s still very unpolished, frequently bugs out and contains several unused and untextured segments. According to PtoPOnline, much of the gameplay also had to be reconstituted to access it because it was hidden behind a developer-created wall.
In the new footage, you can grab glimpses of the game’s x-ray vision mechanic, the inclusion of Bullseye as a playable character and the potential inclusion of Black Widow via the game’s unimplemented hint system.
It’s a fascinating look into a game we’ll never get to play, and it shows off a heap of unrealised potential. While the jank is clear in the early prototype, the movement, open world design and combat all look pretty awesome for a PS2-era game. If it had released, it certainly looks like it could have been a fun superhero adventure.
Outside of this footage, we haven’t heard much else from the cancelled Daredevil game. In 2016, Unseen64 unearthed early concept art and 3D models of characters like Echo, Hammerhead, Kingpin and Daredevil, as well as shots from the unfinished boxing ring level — but its history has long been shrouded in secrecy. Now, thanks to PtoPOnline, we have our best look yet at the game.
You can check out the new footage below:
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