| Total Distortion | |
| Developer: | Pop Rocket |
| Publisher: | Pop Rocket |
| Engine: | Macromedia Director |
| Release: | November 1995 |
| Genre: | Point-and-click adventure, music |
| Platforms: | Windows, Macintosh |
Total Distortion is a 1995 full motion video adventure game for Mac and Windows, developed by Pop Rocket.
The gameplay has the player as a music video entrepreneur in the "Distortion Dimension", a place where they fight "Guitar Warriors" in guitar battles. The goal of the game is to get fame points, make money, and film successful music videos. The game was also known for its sense of humor; the famous game over screen featured the enemy singing a song called "You Are Dead". One of the most distinctive features of the game was the sleep mode. When player went to sleep, a dream appeared which consisted of a minigame. If the player failed the dream sequence it would result in a nightmare, which decreased mental energy (an important stat in the game).
Six years before the player's journey to the Distortion Dimension begins, an alien artifact is discovered, which world governments learn is a device that can teleport any object anywhere interdimensionally, which revolutionizes industries on Earth. The technology, however, is not perfect, with more power being required the bigger the object being transmitted is, and organic beings being forced into a coma for six weeks upon teleportation, leading to life support systems being invented to allow for safe interdimensional travel. A pattern begins to emerge exploring other dimensions: Different forms of Earth's pop culture inhabited every dimension, causing speculation that the dimensions were created from the collective dreaming minds of Earth's youth. Present day, the player is a music video producer who is entrusted with 3 million dollars in inheritance from a dead relative. The game starts with the player risking all this money to set out for the Distortion Dimension, named for its abundance of loud guitar noise, for new and exciting music video material which could result in even larger profits, at the risk of a financial net loss, being stranded in another dimension, or death.[1]
The game was developed by Pop Rocket, a company founded in December 1991.[2] Originally slated for Q4 1993, the game was delayed until November 1995.[3] In North America the game was distributed by Electronic Arts.[4] [5] It was showcased at E3 1995.[6]
The programming of this game was headed up mostly by Joe Sparks, creator of Radiskull and Devil Doll and Spaceship Warlock.
It was critically acclaimed for being innovative and creative.[7]
The game sold over 100,000 units.[8]