Hell Cab is a Point-and-Click Adventure Game for the PC, developed by Digital Fusion and released in 1993 by Time Warner's Interactive Media Group. The game focuses on you, a traveler arriving at an airport in New York City, whose connecting flight has been delayed. A seemingly friendly cab driver, named Raul, offers to give you a cab tour of the city while you wait. However, upon realizing that you don't have enough money to pay for the whole trip, Raul instead asks you to sign a contract before he agrees to take you anywhere. From this point on, the tour takes a slightly more interesting turn, with your very soul at stake.
Clues in the gamenote indicate the possibility of plans for a sequel, but it never materialized.
This game provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: Raul.
- Angel Unaware: The homeless bum.
- But Thou Must!: Once you find out that you are short of funds to pay Raul, he makes you fill out and sign a contract. There is no avoiding this.
- Also, when you get back from the Empire State Building for the first time, and he says he's never been to the top of it, your only choices to continue the conversation are "Huh" and "Now what?" - both of which simply take you to your next stop on the itinerary.
- When you first arrive at the Coliseum, you're supposed to approach the Emperor. However, you also have the option of turning and heading towards the gates. If you do try to leave, you will be intercepted by a spear-wielding guard who will warn you twice not to proceed further. He will not ask you a third time, however.
- Chekhov's Gunman: That homeless bum that keeps popping up everywhere? Being nice to him will pay off in the long run.
- Crazy Homeless People: A homeless bum will follow you throughout your adventure and ask you for money.
- Deal with the Devil: Remember when Raul forced you to sign that contract?
- Everything Trying to Kill You: From Roman soldiers and gladiators, to German soldiers and planes. And, if you're fortunate to survive until the final level, all forms of enemies appear in modern-day New York to try and prevent you from completing the game.
- Featureless Protagonist: There's no telling whether or not your character's a man or a woman, and Raul only ever addresses you as "amigo."
- Field Trip to the Past: And a deadly one at that, too.
- Foreshadowing: Doesn't that trident weapon look out of place in the Coliseum?Raul: I've never been up [the Empire State Building] myself, man, it's too high up there, too cold. I like low, warm places.
- Finish Him!: After defeating the gladiator in the coliseum, Emperor Nero orders you to do this. Killing him sends you straight to the Afterlife (only if you're low on Soul points; otherwise you pass the level), while sparing him lands you back in your cell.
- Game-Breaking Bug: While playing this game on any modern PC, players might encounter a pop-up error message stating that a video file could not be found. After so many attempts, the game will completely shut down.
- Game-Over Man: Losing all of your lives sees you riding the Hellevator to the Afterlife, where you are berated by a skull.
- Go into the Light: One of the ways to finish the World War I level. If you make it to the hospital, a ghostly image of a nurse will beckon you to approach her light in order for her to restore your soul.
- Guide Dang It!:
- The Gauntlet challenge in the Roman Coliseum has no definite "right" method of completing it. While one solution might work in one playthrough, it will NEVER be the same in another.
- The WWI level has more than one solution to completing. Good luck trying to work out what each one entails...
- And good luck figuring out which of the multiple solutions helps keep your soul intact.
- Also, you're supposed to withdraw money from the ATM after each level, but there is no visible indication that you have to do this in order to reach the final level.
- Have a Nice Death: Each time you die, Satan will mock you before sending you back.
- Hellevator: It bares such likeness to the ones found in the Empire State Building.
- Hell on Earth: The final level of the game sees you returning to modern-day New York city, but with all of the enemies from the previous levels in tow.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Try to leave the Coliseum as soon as you arrive...
- Karma Meter: Your actions affect how much of your soul you retain at the end of the game.
- Non-Standard Game Over: You can lose all three of your lives in one move, simply by committing a highly immoral act such as killing innocent people. You don't even get whisked off to Hell's reception area either.
- Our Time Machine Is Different: Raul's taxi cab will take you anywhere...or any time.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Take a look at Raul's reflection in the rear-view mirror.
- Rule of Three: You have three lives in this game. Lose them all, and it's game over.
- Satan: The devil himself will be waiting for you whenever you lose any of your lives. Of course, you have to knock on his door first.
- Unwinnable by Design: If you get to the end of the Jurassic period without enough money to pay Raul, you are unable to access the final level of the game. The real kicker comes when you discover that there's no possible way to retrieve the remaining money, and you have to start the entire game from scratch.
- Would Hit a Girl: When confronted by Nero in the coliseum over entertaining the audience, he gives you three choices, one of which involves throwing women to the lions. Choosing this one lands you a Non-Standard Game Over.
