https://blackgirlnerds.com/why-we-need-a-remake-of-the-classic-urban-chaos/

The fifth generation of home video game consoles brought about many of the firsts to the world of gaming. This includes widespread real-time 3D graphic rendering, analog controls, CD-ROMs as standard game media, full-motion video, and a massive diversification of the video gaming genres. The original PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64 collectively gained more than 4,000 mainline gaming titles during this era, a few of which were groundbreaking and influenced the industry in subsequent generations.

1999’s Urban Chaos was one such game, as it broke new ground by featuring one of the first Black woman video game protagonists: Officer D’arci Stern. As such, the cultural impact of this gaming gem can’t be overstated. In an era in which game releases such as Max Payne and Final Fantasy VII are being remastered and remade left and right, this particular gem of the late ’90s emerges as a prime candidate for a revival.

Urban Chaos was set in the fictional Union City at the turn of the millennium. In the role of D’arci Stern, the player navigates the crime-driven and corrupt world of Urban Chaos as a representative of law-and-order, engaging in hand-to-hand combat and investigative missions. The game is set in largely free-roaming maps. While it isn’t a truly open-world game, it most certainly resembles open-concepts, as you can easily switch between indoor and outdoor environments and even switch areas with relative ease.

Considering that the protagonist D’arci Stern was a police officer fighting crime, the game involved combat that relied on a rather complex fighting system, allowing players to use weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Stern’s arsenal included guns but also kicks, punches, throws, sliding tackles, knives, and baseball bats, all of which were at the player’s disposal during missions. Those who wanted to immerse themselves further into the gameplay could arrest their enemies, which would ultimately make the populace more friendly towards the cops.  

The free-roam environments, though not as big as those in modern games, did include indoor areas, people to talk to, fights to intervene in, and several additional missions. The other missions included hostage rescues, suicide prevention, and many other activities that might require police assistance. In short, the game had well-developed driving and combat mechanics before Grand Theft Auto 3 was a thing, as well as a strong and independent woman lead, who fortunately wasn’t as sexualized as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider.  

Introducing an African American woman lead in the late ’90s was a bold movie in more ways than one. The world of gaming, which has been dominated by male protagonists, has seen its fair share of women stars. However, none of them escaped rampant sexualization within the gaming industry and culture of the time. A woman explorer threading the caves and dungeons in shorts? Really? We’re looking at you, pre-2013 Tomb Raider.

But D’arci was more than just a character. She was a statement: a strong, competent, and complex character who broke the previously established stereotypical mold for representation in gaming. She was portrayed as a no-nonsense rookie cop who’s not afraid to get dirt under her fingernails if that meant that bad guys would end up behind bars. This rendered her quite refreshing as a character. The groundbreaking portrayal of her character was mirrored in the game’s reception: Urban Chaos for PC received high praise for both its character design and the overall design and narrative.

It’s worth noting that not everyone shares fond memories of this game. Following its release on Microsoft Windows in 1999, the game was also released for the original PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast right on the cusp of the 2000s. However, the game didn’t fare as well on consoles due to technical limitations that hindered performance and player experience. As a result, many age-old reviews of this game on PC vs. console talk about it as if they’re talking about two entirely different and separate releases.

But the truth is that Urban Chaos deserves a modern remake or a complete overhaul due to the cultural impact it had upon its release. Not only did it introduce a fantastic African American woman protagonist, but it also proved a strong point that law enforcement can actually arrest bad guys without killing them. This would provide a really strong message in today’s “Defund the police” era. A new remake could benefit from the current graphics and gameplay that have limited the original while also introducing D’arci Stern to a whole new generation of gamers.

The gaming world has evolved quite a bit over the past three decades. Re-imagining the gritty world of Union City in stunning detail is now more a question of budget rather than technological limits in gaming. However, representation in gaming, with respect to African American woman leads, still makes for a rather short “best of” list. Apart from the recently released Forespoken, the decades-old Urban Chaos, and Assassin’s Creed Liberation — which we’ll cover in a subsequent story — there are not a lot of African American lady leads in gaming.

That should change. Urban Chaos definitely deserves a place in today’s gaming world, and its portrayal of African American woman protagonists makes it ripe for a revival and perfect as an icebreaker.