View source for Delta 4

{{short description|Defunct software developer known for The Town With No Name}}
{{about|the UK company|the space launch vehicle|Delta IV rocket|other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name                = Delta 4
| logo                = 
| type                = 
| industry            = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| fate                = Defunct
| founded             = {{start date and age|1984}}
| founder             = [[Fergus McNeill]]
| defunct             = {{end date and age|1992}}
| hq_location_city    = 
| hq_location_country = [[United Kingdom]]
| area_served         = 
| parent              = 
| website             = [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203111910/http://www.delta4.co.uk/ Delta4.co.uk]
}}
'''Delta 4''' was a British software developer founded by [[Fergus McNeill]], writing and publishing [[interactive fiction]].<ref name="su45">{{cite journal|date=December 1985|title=Hit Squad|journal=Sinclair User |issue=45 |url=http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/045/htsquad.htm|access-date=2007-11-27|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912124318/http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/045/htsquad.htm |archive-date=September 12, 2007}}</ref>

Delta 4 designed games between [[1984 in video games|1984]] and [[1992 in video games|1992]]. Some were self-published, others were released by [[CRL Group]], [[Piranha Software]], Silversoft, or On-Line Entertainment. Delta 4 were also credited with providing the code for Jonathan Nash's tape magazine ''[[Your Sinclair#YS2|YS2]]'' which was given away free with ''[[Your Sinclair]]'' magazine and published by [[Future plc|Future Publishing]].

== History ==
Delta 4 was formed by McNeill with a few friends whilst still at school. Their debut text adventure games were the ''Dragonstar'' trilogy ("...like ''[[Colossal Cave Adventure|Classic Adventure]]'' but without the interesting bits"<ref name="su45"/>) and two ''Holy Joystick'' comedy adventures, self-published in 1984. Gilsoft's ''[[The Quill (software)|The Quill]]'' was the design software.

Their first critical success was ''[[Bored of the Rings (video game)|Bored of the Rings]]'', inspired by the [[Bored of the Rings|''Harvard Lampoon'' novel of the same name]].<ref name="su45"/> Published in 1985, it received a ''[[Sinclair User]]'' Classic award.<ref>{{cite journal|date=July 1985|title=Adventure|journal=Sinclair User|issue=40|url=http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/040/advent.htm#bored |access-date=2007-11-27|quote=The humour can be fairly schoolboyish at times and there are a couple of occasions when it is both distasteful and unnecessarily unpleasant. On the whole though the game is great fun and well-produced too.|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812191800/http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/040/advent.htm|archive-date=August 12, 2007}}</ref> They also published ''[[Robin of Sherlock]]''.

In the early 1990s, Delta 4 developed several CD-based games. ''[[The Town with No Name]]'', ''Psycho Killer'' and ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' were all developed using D.U.N.E. (Developers Universal Non-programming Environment),<ref>{{cite web|title=D.U.N.E. (Developers Universal Non-programming Environment)|url=http://hol.abime.net/4314|website=Hall Of Light|access-date=12 December 2018}}</ref> and all games were panned by both critics and players.

== Games developed ==
*''Sherwood Forest'' (Delta 4, 1984)
*''The Dragonstar Trilogy'' (Delta 4, 1984)
*''Quest for the Holy Joystick'' (Delta 4, 1984)
*''Return of the Holy Joystick'' (Delta 4, 1984)
*''[[Bored of the Rings (video game)|Bored of the Rings]]'' (Delta 4/[[CRL Group]], 1985)
*''[[Robin of Sherlock]]'' (Silversoft, 1985)
*''Galaxias'' (Delta 4, 1986)
*''[[The Colour of Magic (video game)|The Colour of Magic]]'' ([[Piranha Software]], 1986)
*''[[The Boggit]]'' (CRL Group, 1986)
*''The Big Sleaze'' (Piranha Software, 1987)
*''[[Murder off Miami|Murder Off Miami]]'' (CRL Group, 1987)
*''[[The Town with No Name]]'' (Delta 4/On-Line, 1992)
*''Psycho Killer'' (Delta 4/On-Line, 1992)

=== ''Psycho Killer''  {{anchor|psycho_killer}}===
[[File:Psycho Killer screenshot.png|thumb|270px|The first out of many [[quick-time event]]s in ''Psycho Killer''. The player must click the brake to stop the car. If the player fails to do this in time, the protagonist drives into the idle car, making it explode and triggering a [[game over]].]]

{{Infobox video game
| state        = 
| italic title = no
| title        = Psycho Killer
| image        = Cover art of Psycho Killer (1992).jpg
| alt          = Cover art of MS-DOS version.
| developer    = Delta 4
| publisher    = On-Line Entertainment
| series       = 
| engine       = 
| platforms    = [[Commodore CDTV]], [[MS-DOS]]
| released     = 1992 (CDTV) and 1993 (MS-DOS).
| genre        = [[Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]], [[graphic adventure]]
| modes        = 
}}

''Psycho Killer'' is a [[Adventure game|graphic]] [[action-adventure game]] released by On-Line Entertainment in 1992 for the [[Commodore CDTV]].<ref name="mobygames cdtv">{{cite web|title=Psycho Killer Credits (CDTV)|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/cdtv/psycho-killer/credits|website=MobyGames|publisher=Blue Flame Labs|access-date=28 October 2018}}</ref> A version for [[MS-DOS]] was released in 1993.<ref name="mobygames dos">{{cite web|title=Psycho Killer Credits (DOS)|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/psycho-killer/credits|website=MobyGames|publisher=Blue Flame Labs|access-date=28 October 2018}}</ref>

The game involves the protagonist (unnamed in game but listed in credits as "John Schulz") going on a quest in order to save a woman (listed as "Sarah Collins") from a murderer ("Morgan James"), and to save himself. The graphics for the game were created using digitised still photographs that were taken in the suburbs of [[London]].<ref name="format i32"/><ref name="format i39"/>

Gameplay of ''Psycho Killer'' is restricted to a point-and-click interface, such as clicking certain arrows to go their respective direction.<ref name="format i32"/> There are multiple times in the game where the player must respond promptly to a [[quick time event]] in order to proceed to the next scene. Failure to do so can result in the game ending with the protagonist's death.<ref name="format i32"/><ref name="format i39"/>

{{Video game reviews
| rev1      = ''Amiga Format''
| rev1Score = 13%
| rev2      = ''Amiga Joker''
| rev2Score = 3/5
}}
In issue 32 of ''[[Amiga Format]]'', the reviewer gave the game 13% and complained of "poor gameplay",<ref name="format i32">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Amiga_Format_Issue_032_1992-03_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n25|title=Psycho Killer|department=CD Games|magazine=[[Amiga Format]]|issue=32|page=27|date=March 1992}}</ref> comparing it to an "interactive home movie" and asked who would want to play a game featuring a "spotty herbert who drives a [[Vauxhall Chevette]]". The game was reviewed again in issue 39 of the same magazine; the review gave it the same score,<ref name="format i39">{{cite magazine|last=Noonan|first=Damien|date=October 1992|title=Psycho Killer|url=https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/computerarchive.org/amiga%20format/Amiga_Format_Issue_039_(1992-10).pdf#page=38|url-status=live |department=Amiga CD Titles|magazine=Amiga Format|issue=39|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131042703/https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/computerarchive.org/amiga%20format/Amiga_Format_Issue_039_(1992-10).pdf#page=38|archive-date=January 31, 2019|pages=38, 41}} [https://archive.org/details/AmigaFormatIssue039199210_201901/page/n37 Alt URL]</ref> and complained again about the poor gameplay.

''Amiga Joker'' reviewed the game more positively. The magazine gave the game a 3/5,<ref name="joker">{{cite magazine|last1=Labiner|first1=Michael|last2=Löwenstein|first2=Richard|date=October 1991|title=Psycho Killer|url=https://archive.org/details/AmigaJoker199110/page/n57|magazine=Amiga Joker|pages=58, 59}}</ref> stating, "with a little bit of goodwill, the game could be described as a interactive movie". The magazine ended the review calling the game "the best pure CD game ever."

''Amiga Magazine'' also reviewed the game positively, but did not give a score. The magazine spoke about the "forgiving reaction time".<ref name="amiga magazine">{{cite magazine|last=van Rijn|first=Lawrence |date=January–February 1993|editor-last=van Die|editor-first=Jan|title=Psycho Killer|magazine=Amiga Magazine|issue=19|display-editors=etal|page=89}}</ref> The magazine also said that the game is well-tuned to the CDTV. The magazine complained that the mouse pointer was black which made it "impossible to see" during some scenes.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203111910/http://www.delta4.co.uk/ Official Delta 4 website]

[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in England]]