Preserving video games is a challenging endeavor. The issue is not solely due to outdated technology or deteriorating game data, but also involves game companies themselves.
When specific projects are rendered obsolete or terminated, games are frequently cataloged far from gamer eyes. Such games remain hidden from the public, often, forever. However, the fate of The Sacred Pools, a multi-million dollar ‘erotic thriller’ that was in development at Sega during the 1990s, is rewriting this narrative.
The Sacred Pools was infamous for it’s erotic content in a 1990s that was finding its way with sexually liberating content, but also famous for it’s role in the advent of Full-motion Video (FMV). Sega wasn’t the first in for FMV, but it was in the original mix of games looking to leverage the new media.
The Sacred Pools was based in the land of Amazonia, a place of “temptation and danger” and “power and seduction,” as Sega eloquently described it. The women in Amazonia were minimally covered fitting an erotic narrative.
Oddly, given the nature of the content, one might expect The Sacred Pools was a sensation. But instead, it flopped. And it was a $3 million Sega investment flop. In the 90s. That’s not good.
But alas, The Sacred Pools has risen from the bleak world of forgotten failures and is slowly becoming a popular game. One might say it’s the Shawshank Redemption of gaming given the movies failure to deliver in theater revenue but has scored huge in cable TV. OK, that’s a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea.
The game’s interface remains a throwback (I mean, its the original game). There’s a pixelation to the graphics, a chop to the audio, and the fonts feel very Atari.
The Sacred Pools erotic side reveals itself in the retro video clips of women, often in panic mode, delivering narrative. The game begins with a woman describing your mission.
Erotic thriller? Yes, but there’s not nudity, just skimply dressed women. The game is dark and makes attempts at jump scares that in today’s world, probably don’t work on most people.
Like this bro.
Being honest, maybe those jump scares worked in the 1990s. Its hard to place yourself back in that time to know. But there nothing like today’s gaming jump scares. Here’s our all-time top jump scares list for horror games. Those will rock your world.
The Sacred Pools ultimately exist in some oddball alternative universe.
The Sacred Pools was bad in the 1990s, its bad today. But that’s not the overarching point in playing it. The point is to experience a retro game that took a shot at erotic gaming. It’s to lend a little nostalgia to those of us who may have grown up in the 90s.
Retro, but a disaster, but nostalgic. If you dig throwback gaming, you’ll get a kick out of the return of The Sacred Pools, but we doubt you play it too, too long. Unless you’re into pixelated graphics, comical audio, and a narrative that’s trying way too hard.
There’s a lot o The Sacred Pools reviews popping up on YouTube if your curious as to the game’s vibe.