The Untold Story of SiN Episodes
SiN Episodes: Emergence, which holds a special place in the memory of gaming enthusiasts, was only the first installment of a larger series when it was released in 2006. Ritual Entertainment planned to expand the world of SiN with nine installments, a “trilogy of trilogies.” Each installment would focus on a single character, gradually progressing the story, culminating in a grand finale showdown with Elexis Sinclaire. However, things didn’t go as planned; the project remained confined to a single installment. Years later, the studio’s former QA manager, Michael Russell, shared a behind-the-scenes look at these massive plans.
SiN Episodes’ Massive Plan
According to Russell, Emergence was merely the beginning of the Radek trilogy. The second installment would begin with Blade being held hostage in the same location as Viktor Radek. The two would unwittingly form an alliance to escape a gang hiding in an aquarium. In this installment, players would use a new weapon, the Capacitance Cannon, which draws electricity from various sources to solve environmental puzzles. The episode would end with a dam collapsing, partially submerging Freeport City. This would ignite a major chaos before concluding Radek’s story.
The second trilogy would feature Jessica Cannon. Jessica, who would assume a role similar to Half-Life 2’s Alyx Vance, would be featured in three episodes centering on her past and how she joined HardCORPS. Driving mechanics would return in this trilogy, and players would witness high-speed chases through the streets of Freeport. Furthermore, Blade’s body would gradually transform as he was further exposed to mutagens, creating dramatic gameplay effects.
The final trilogy would focus entirely on Elexis Sinclaire. According to Russell, Sinclaire was originally conceived as four distinct versions. Appearing physically, appearing as holograms, or emerging from Blade’s mind, the Elexises would represent different aspects of her personality. This complex structure was intended to both manipulate player perceptions and provide a grand finale to Elexis’s story.
Collapsed Projects Behind the Scenes
So why didn’t these grandiose plans come to fruition? According to Russell, the reason wasn’t sales, but rather bad luck and canceled side projects. Ritual was developing an expansion pack for Quake 4. However, Activision canceled the project after sales of the main game failed to meet expectations. A film adaptation was also contracted and even additional staff was hired. However, the project collapsed when the production company demanded a larger share at the last minute, leaving Ritual with a significant financial burden. These two major blows made development of a sequel to SiN Episodes impossible.
Sales figures weren’t bad; Russell says the second installment was 60 percent complete. However, financial problems limited the studio’s room to maneuver, and the project was shelved. Another factor was a misunderstanding of the “nine episodes” concept. At the time, players thought this meant splitting a single game into nine parts and found the pricing excessive. Ritual, however, originally planned to release all three episodes as a complete game.
An Unfinished Legend
SiN Episodes is still often referred to today as an “unfinished story.” However, Russell’s account reveals what players were missing. Had things gone well, the story of Blade and Jessica, Radek’s end, and Elexis Sinclaire’s multilayered plans could have combined to create a unique series in FPS history.
Today, SiN Episodes has earned its place in history with just a single episode. However, the grandiose plans behind it and the details that have never been revealed have made it one of the most intriguing “unfinished projects” in gaming. The question that always lingers in players’ minds is: If Ritual had continued on its path, would the FPS genre look very different today?
