Take a peek at the Insomniac title that could have been

Coming off having just finished its last Spyro game (and having lost the rights to Universal), Insomniac Games had run into a problem in 2000 — what’s next?

The answer for them, at the time, was a game that was codenamed “I:5,” better known as “Girl With A Stick.” The title was to be a hardcore fantasy title, with both action and role-playing game elements. The vibe was heavily influenced by things like Mayan culture, with gameplay described as “Tomb Raider meets Zelda.”

But there was a problem — it just wasn’t any fun. When the decision to finally cancel the project was made, it’s said that most of the team at Insomniac (considerably smaller at the time than it is today) had felt relief. The studio had ultimately gone on to create a successful IP, Ratchet & Clank, which it continues to work on today.

It’s an interesting look at what could of been from one of the industry’s most celebrated developers, for sure. This kind of transparency, the intimate looks into the development process, is a great trend we’re seeing as of late. Insomniac has been doing it for awhile with its Full Moon podcast, and Irrational Games has recently opened up its doors to some interesting, revealing material as well. I can’t be the only one who wants more of this kind of stuff, right?

In any event, check out the video Insomniac produced, which features footage and artwork for the never-before-seen “I:5” project.