Riverhillsoft

Riverhillsoft was a Japanese game development and publishing studio founded in 1982. It was one of the companies that played a significant role in the development of Japanese computer adventure games and later went on to create games for consoles such as the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC Engine and other systems.

One of the studio’s best-known franchises was the detective series J.B. Harold, which began with the game Murder Club. Players take on the role of detective J.B. Harold and, through interviews, searching for evidence and investigating, gradually uncover the perpetrators of various crimes. The series spawned several sequels and appeared on various computer and console platforms.

For fans of the original PlayStation, Riverhillsoft is best known for OverBlood. This sci-fi survival horror game, released in Japan in 1996, takes players into a mysterious research complex. The protagonist wakes up with no memory and must discover both his identity and the cause of the events that have befallen the facility.

OverBlood combines exploration of a fully 3D environment, logic puzzles, combat and survival elements. The game was one of the early 3D survival horror titles on the PlayStation and was later followed by a sequel, OverBlood 2.

Another notable title is Doctor Hauzer, a horror adventure game originally released for the 3DO. The player explores the mansion of the mysterious archaeologist Dr Hauzer, solves spatial puzzles and tries to survive the traps hidden within the building. The game was notable for its use of a fully polygonal 3D environment at a time when many adventure games still relied predominantly on pre-rendered graphics.

Riverhillsoft also created other adventure and detective games, such as the titles in the Todo Ryunosuke Detective Diary series. The studio was known for its emphasis on story, mystery, investigation and experimentation with new technologies.

In later years, Riverhillsoft ran into financial difficulties and ceased operations in 2000. Some of its staff subsequently went on to work for other Japanese games companies.

Thanks to titles such as OverBlood, OverBlood 2, Doctor Hauzer and the J.B. Harold series, Riverhillsoft remains an interesting part of the history of Japanese adventure games and early 3D horror games.