Question ~1999 game, dark city, floating neon items, chemical disaster

[Subcontrary]

Hello! I can't remember the name of a game and it's driving me crazy! I posted this on the r/gaming and r/tipofmyjoystick forums but I haven't had any luck. If my description rings a bell for anyone you'll have my extensive gratitude!

In the part I remember, you had to drive around a dim and sinister city with bright neon items floating around. There was a time limit to the level, and if you didn't complete it in time, some kind of disaster befell the city, I think a chemical/gas leak/spill. Very vividly I remember a cutscene that takes place after you lose (the game was my sister's and she kept losing so we saw the cutscene numerous times). There are two people gradually disintegrating as a result of the chemical disaster, and there is a voiceover of a panicking news anchor broadcasting news of the disaster.

[Mod edit: changed title for clarity from "Circa 1999 Windows PC game, a dark city with floating neon items, if you take too long to beat the level there is a chemical disaster".]

 

[WoodenSaucer]

So you're driving the whole time? Is it a 3D game?

 

[Subcontrary]

So you're driving the whole time? Is it a 3D game?

Yes I believe it is 3D. My sister and I never got very far in the game because we kept losing and seeing that cutscene, but during the actual gameplay I recall driving left and right through alleys collecting bright and colorful floating shapes, then running out of time, then the "you lose" cutscene, then repeat!

 

[Brian Boru]

Are you sure it was a PC game? Sounds a bit more console platformer to me…

Setting is like Blade Runner or Fifth Element or similar, but the action is not those as far as I know.

 

[Subcontrary]

Are you sure it was a PC game? Sounds a bit more console platformer to me…

Setting is like Blade Runner or Fifth Element or similar, but the action is not those as far as I know.

I'm 98% sure it was PC, I remember playing it on my sister's computer. The only console we had was Nintendo 64 so there's a slight possibility that it was on that. In setting it was definitely reminiscent of Blade Runner and the Fifth Element but I don't believe it was either of those games!

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Other than collecting the dots, it sounds similar to either F-Zero X or Wipeout 64, both of which were on the N64.

Fzero

WipEout 64

 

[Subcontrary]

Other than collecting the dots, it sounds similar to either F-Zero X or Wipeout 64, both of which were on the N64.

Fzero

WipEout 64

It definitely wasn't F-Zero X, (which I was the emperor of!) and it wasn't Wipeout either! I'm quite certain it wasn't a racing game, more of an adventure/puzzle game, although in what I remember you were racing against the clock to prevent the chemical disaster.

 

[Pifanjr]

It definitely wasn't F-Zero X, (which I was the emperor of!) and it wasn't Wipeout either! I'm quite certain it wasn't a racing game, more of an adventure/puzzle game, although in what I remember you were racing against the clock to prevent the chemical disaster.

So was the racing thing a minigame? If so, do you remember anything about what the rest of the game was like?

 

[Subcontrary]

So was the racing thing a minigame? If so, do you remember anything about what the rest of the game was like?

I don't think it was a minigame so much as just a particular level with a time limit. I'm pretty sure it was one of the first levels, if not the very first. Sadly that's all I have been able to recall despite racking my brains!

 

[Pifanjr]

I don't think it was a minigame so much as just a particular level with a time limit. I'm pretty sure it was one of the first levels, if not the very first. Sadly that's all I have been able to recall despite racking my brains!

Do you remember what you were driving? And/or what the controls were like?

 

[PointnClicker01]

Maybe one of those?

• Beneath a Steel Sky
• The Neverhood
• Full Throttle
• 60 Seconds!

Here‘s also an overview of PnC adventures of the years 1997-1999, maybe you recognise one of them?

View: https://youtu.be/_XruJ80ny38

 

[Subcontrary]

Maybe one of those?

• Beneath a Steel Sky
• The Neverhood
• Full Throttle
• 60 Seconds!

Here‘s also an overview of PnC adventures of the years 1997-1999, maybe you recognise one of them?

View: https://youtu.be/_XruJ80ny38

I don't believe it was a point-and-click game: I remember there being basically a 3d environment the player was traveling through with floating neon items you could obtain if you drove into them, or miss if you drove past them. Thank you so much for all your help! I'm hopeful!

 

[Subcontrary]

Do you remember what you were driving? And/or what the controls were like?

If I am remembering correctly, the vehicle was some sort of three-wheeled kind of thing with a covered top.
I don't remember what the controls were like, but I don't think they were very complicated: I doubt it was beyond the arrow keys on the keyboard.

I really can't thank everyone enough for your help!

 

[PointnClicker01]

I don't believe it was a point-and-click game

Found two other driving-based games:
Quarantine or Carmageddon

Otherwise, I‘m out… but I‘d recommend you to browse through youtube: There‘s many game compilations with 90ies games to find. Maybe you‘re lucky!

 

[Brian Boru]

vehicle was some sort of three-wheeled kind of thing with a covered top

Sounds like a tuk-tuk, so maybe it's an oriental game.

 

[Pifanjr]

The closest game I've found so far is Shadow the Hedgehog, which does also have vehicles, a dark city and brightly coloured stuff to pick up.

View: https://youtu.be/EoBaw70VKqU

 

[WoodenSaucer]

It wasn't Hover, was it?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccPah6SgoAU&t=63s