When actors enter the world of video games, it is always interesting to see what projects they take on. This is especially true in the modern gaming landscape where actors take on direct roles in the medium. From Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk2077 to Norman Reedus in Death StrandingIt is not uncommon to not see any recognizable faces in AAA games. However, in the 90s, actor involvement in this area was not as pronounced as the two industries remained largely separate. This makes Robert De NiroTrying to make a video game in that era is so unusual. What kind of game did he make? You’d say something dark, maybe a crime thriller?

9: The last resort is unlike anything De Niro fans would expect from his foray into the video game world. A point-and-click adventure based on music with an all-star cast of musicians and actors was certainly not typical of Robert De Niro’s brand, but it worked… somehow. We’ll look at how 9: The last resort and why, despite the high praise it received from players, it was a failure at the time of its release.

9: The Last Resort Conspiracy and Robert De Niro’s Involvement

9: The last resort (1996) puts the player in the role of an heir to a hotel called The Last Resort, given to him by his late uncle Thurston Last. However, when the player arrives, he learns that the building has been taken over by a group of “nine muses” influenced by an imposter known as the Toxic Twins, making the hotel inhospitable to new visitors. The player aims to reconstruct a device called “The Muse Machine” to banish the twins and gain ownership of the property. 9: The last resort is a point-and-click adventure puzzle game that uses music as the main inspiration for stories and challengesThe game is reminiscent of titles like Myst with its casual exploration of a unique world.

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Robert De Niro founded Tribeca Interactive with Jane Rosenthalthe company that 9: The last resort as part of his larger initiative Tribeca Enterprises; the studio behind Robert De Niro’s outstanding films such as The Irishman (2019), Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), A story from the Bronx (1993) and Cape Fear (1991). De Niro reportedly played a key role in planning the game and assembling the star-studded cast. The game was Tribeca Interactive’s only ever completed project, making it De Niro’s only attempt to break into the world of video games.

Robert De Niro brought in an all-star cast

Robert De Niro used his influence to put together a fantastic cast of actors and musicians on the project. As a result 9: The last resort had a pretty eclectic mix of talent, including Cher, James Belushi, Christopher Reeve, Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Heche and Tress MacNeille. The “Toxic Twins” who cause chaos throughout the house and The game’s antagonists were voiced by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of AerosmithComposer Marco d’Ambrosio composed the music for the game. Although Cher and Aerosmith are in the cast, neither of them has any music in the game. The only vocals are by Jim Belushi.

The other exciting addition to the game came from Artist Mark Ryden, who explores the world of 9: The last resort. Still a household name in the arts due to his notable contribution to the “Lowbrow Art Movement” and “Neo-Surrealism” which were highly influential, Ryden is one of the most well-known artists of the 80s and 90s. This includes his iconic cover for the short-lived nu-metal band Jack of Jill for their album “Clear Hearts Grey Flowers” and his cover for Micheal Jackson’s “Dangerous”. Ryden worked with Aerosmith almost a decade earlier. 9: The last resort, when he designed the cover for their 1986 album “Love in an Elevator”.

The all-star voice cast and unique world inspired by the music and art of Mark Ryden showed that Robert De Niro’s foray into the video game industry was not a complete failure. The game is a unique gem and the fact that it is essentially forgotten and the feat that De Niro was able to accomplish under the helm of his production company for a first video game is barely appreciated makes it undervalued.

Why 9: The Last Resort failed despite acclaim

9: The last resort received great praise from criticswith GameSpot giving it 7.3 out of 10 and stating “If you’re still bragging about solving Myst in under 14 hours, you should give this game a try. It may not take as long, but it’s a much nicer and less confusing ride.” MacAddict also praised the game, calling it the “grooviest game made with Macromedia Director yet.” He concluded that “9: The Last Resort has all the hallmarks of a prestigious cult hit.” Reviews for the game that are still available online show PC Games giving it a B, Power Unlimited giving it 90/100, and South Florida Sun Sentinel giving it 4/4. The game was undoubtedly liked and praised for its unique approach, but it failed for several reasons.

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Despite its unique approach The gameplay was criticized as somewhat repetitive and occasionally buggy. However, this can also be attributed to the lower interest in point-and-click puzzle games, which are now oversaturated as many PC gamers tend to gravitate towards action-oriented titles. In addition, the team behind the project was not yet that familiar with the format, and Tribeca Entertainment’s lack of experience was a hindrance from the start. Movies based on video games were also a rarity, meaning the voice cast may not have been as attractive as expected. The game had high system requirements for the timewhich affects the overall marketability. Although the actual budget for the game has not been disclosed, the star cast and the hiring of Mark Ryden for the game world will likely be expensive. All of these elements make it unlikely that the game would reach its sales targets, which was reflected in the studio’s closure shortly thereafter.

If you are lucky, you can get a physical copy of the game, but the easiest way to experience 9: The last resort You can get it from the My Abandonware website.; always be careful when downloading games from the Internet.