Urban Runner

Urban Runner
Also known as: Lost in Town (original title/subtitle) Developer: Coktel Vision Publisher: Sierra On-Line Platforms: DOS, Windows Released in US: 1996 Released in EU: 1996 This game has unused cinematics. This game has unused sounds. This game has regional differences.

Urban Runner is an obscure FMV interactive movie that's a spiritual sequel to Lost in Time, another game by Coktel Vision, which Sierra snatched up at a point hoping for some profit. The budget ended up rising to 15,000,000 French francs (close to $2.5 million USD) and sold very poorly due to its heavy (for the time) hardware requirements.

You follow Max Gardner, a fairly clueless American journalist, and Adda, his definitely-not-backstabbing-girlfriend that he meets in a hotel, as they run around urban(?) France to uncover a NWO-style scheme by The Elite, a collection of eccentric and poorly dubbed villains, all while solving convoluted and sometimes obtuse puzzles. It's quite a unique experience, if nothing else.

Unused Sequences

There are several unused/alternate sequences in the game's data. Considering the general linearity of these sequences in the final product, there may have been more chances for the player to choose what to tackle first at one point in development, along with some potential RNG.

Intro/Basement

There are various unused video files pertaining to the Basement level and/or intro. Nearly all of these clips "reuse" footage from the intro and, in some cases, reuse footage from themselves.

BCLHOR has Max running around a part of the factory while being chased by Marcos' bodyguard, the first enemy of the game. There are two duplicate files of this scene, BCLHOR_1 and BCLHOR_2.

BCLTRIG is another clip of Max running from the same bodyguard, this time in a slightly different area. Max also talks about how he's running in circles. It also has two duplicates with similar naming as BCLHOR.

ESCNOR and ESCEST are near identical clips of Max running down some stairs into the first room of gameplay, minus different dialogue at the beginning (where there was none at all in the final product). The filenames seem to imply that the player could have picked two different directions to go if this were a playable sequence but, again, both videos play out the same way.

MXCGH1 and MXCGH2 have Max running to a door up some stairs along with some dialogue. The POV footage of Max running to the door outside is flipped horizontally in MXCGH2, but upon Max entering the building they both have the interior facing the same direction. MXCGH3 has a slightly different intro with Max already in the building, but all three of these clips play out the same as ESCNOR and ESCEST.

MXDRT2 is the most unique of the bunch, as it features an entire sequence that's never seen anywhere in-game. Max runs across the roof and hides behind some bumps along it while the bodyguard looks for him. Max is eventually spotted however and runs into the factory. Oddly, MXDRT3 seems to simply be MXCGH1 without any dialogue, which itself is an unaltered portion of the final product's intro with a new scene and no text overlaid on it.

Apartment

MXREVOL shows Max lunging toward a knocked out Eraser's revolver and "attempting" to get it out of his hand, only for Eraser to shoot him seconds later. Going for the revolver is the only correct choice in this sequence, and waiting too long will result in a different kill screen entirely even if you don't grab the film immediately, so it's unknown where this would have fit in if at all.

Squat

There are several unused clips that would have made the sequence slightly more dynamic if they were included in the game. As it is, the game will always have you deal with Betty first and then Johnny (who actually goes unnamed in-game due to the only time his name is said being cut).

LBTUMX has all three of the thugs walking up to Max and beating him up.

LOUBEL1 has Max taking care of Johnny first, after which he runs to the other room to deal with Betty next. MXFERM2 is the aftermath of this, which plays out similar to the in-game sequence minus the character switch of course.

TETE has Max standing in a corridor looking left and right, while MXCOULD and MXCOULG have him running right and left respectively.

Something of note with these clips is Betty's room is to the right here, while in-game Max will run to the left for both Betty and Johnny's room.

The Institute

Like the other levels' unused clips, these imply that there would have been some variation to the solution. As it is, the player must blow up the room inspector Van Dale is in, shoot Eraser with the laser weapon, and use the bug spray on Kevork in order to win. Otherwise, Max and Adda will be killed by whichever enemy is still alive.

EFENTRE2 has Eraser coming out of his room covered in wires and dust, meaning that his room could have potentially exploded at one point. This wouldn't kill him oddly enough if this clip is any evidence, so it's unknown how the player would deal with every enemy if this were implemented.

INSLAS1, as the name implies, has Adda killing the inspector last with a laser weapon, followed by Adda's demise playing out as it does in-game.

PIEDS may be an outtake of some kind, as it shows Kevork and his goons (only their legs) walking down a hall, but walking back after stumbling around for a second.

Unused Audio

Clip	File Name	Transcription	Notes
	HMX2-17	Max: "Ok, once is enough."	This could have referred to if the player tried to blind or hit Eraser twice in Apartment, but neither the flashlight nor the handball can be clicked again once they've been used.
	HMX2-21	Max: "He's blinded. Now's the time to try something."	In-game, Max will only say "I need to do something. Fast." if the player clicks on the blinded Eraser.
	HMX2-22	Max: "Yes, good shot. And now let's move fast."	Probably would have been used if the player clicked on Eraser after knocking him out...but all three areas of him you can click will lead to cutscenes.
	FAD18-21	Adda: "Ha! My little exploding cocktail wasn't enough for you?"	Likely referring to the unused exploded Eraser sequence referenced above.
	CRITU0	Weird, goofy laugh	The filename seems to share the same naming conventions as the bodyguards' comments in the Labyrinth level.

Regional Differences

To do: Thoroughly look into the Italian version of the game, because the only playthrough on Youtube may simply have emulation issues with music not playing/looping properly, as opposed to the game itself having these issues. Get good videos to show off these differences, also.

The Italian version of the game has Max talking far more frequently in the intro compared to the English version.