Elysium

Elysium is a cancelled PC game by Cavedog Interactive. It was to be a third-person action-adventure fantasy RPG game.

Plot
The realm of Elysium is a dream world shared by sleeping people. A scientist named Galen Sheppard is the head of the Elysium Project. Their task is to explore the dreams of those sleeping.

Gameplay
You could play as nine different characters, each with their own story arc. These characters range from a Vietnam veteran to a scientist's dog. Some of the levels included space flight, battles with werewolves, and a warlord named Yvesrice.

There would be puzzles to solve in each episode. Items can be carried from one episode to another. You could play up to three characters per episode.

The RPG element came from stat development from the playable characters. Powering up characters can prepare them for tougher episodes. Combat can be toggled to be real-time or turn-based.

Being a dream world, there was to be magic and fantastical weapons aplenty. Spells are auto-suggested based on context, like a brightness spell in dark areas.

In all there was to be seven playable episodes. Each episode is individual and can be played in any order, but they do tie into each other. Each episode is roughly 5-20 hours long with only one ending per episode.

Development
Elysium was to be built on a new 3D engine. This was advanced software for the time, allowing for big open areas.

There were to be expansion packs in mind to expand on the characters and the world of Elysium. These were planned to be released over the next three to four years. The plan was to release over 40 expansions for a total of 500 hours of content.

A demo was planned to be released after the game shipped.

Cancellation
Several key staff like Chris Taylor and John Cutter left Cavedog or shifted focus to other topics. Elysium was cancelled in early 1999 due to lack of staff and resources. Game designer Neal Hallford planned to adapt the plot into novels but they never materialized.