City of the Daleks (video game)

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City of the Daleks was the first episode of the video game Doctor Who: The Adventure Games. The player had the ability to play as the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. According to executive producer Piers Wenger, the story can be considered an additional episode of series 5.

At the time of its release, it was marketed as "the first episode of series 1" of The Adventure Games. However, a full series 2 never materialised due to early cancellation.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor's TARDIS materialises in 1963 — and London is in ruins. The Daleks have seized control of time and the only chance of saving Earth lies in a desperate quest to Kaalann, the capital city of Skaro, the Daleks' home planet — before time catches up with Amy, the last survivor of the human race!

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Act one[[edit] | [edit source]]

In the TARDIS, The Doctor and Amy discuss their plans to visit 1963 London and specifically to meet the Beatles. Amy wants to meet John Lennon instead of Ringo Starr. The Doctor begins to describe London 1963 as "the coolest place in the the galaxy": the Kinks, Sean Connery as James Bond, the Beatles' first two albums, Mary Quant... Landing near Nelson's Column, they find a devastated city. Someone or something has changed time.

The pair see a woman, Sylvia, running from a Dalek, who proclaims her to be the last surviving human being. She detonates some dynamite, temporarily incapacitating the Dalek, and before fleeing into the Underground below through a manhole. The Doctor and Amy decide to follow her and sneak past the remaining Dalek drones to push a wrecked taxi into a barricade barring an Underground entrance.

Now in Charing Cross tube station, the Doctor and Amy find Sylvia, who reveals that the Daleks invaded the planet by opening a "rift in the sky" which unleashed thousands of Daleks, who flew down and exterminated the planet below. The army was annihilated and, soon after, resistance groups were also killed, until only she remains.

The Doctor explains that the Daleks have never had the power to alter time so dramatically, but before he can continue she says that to survive they will have to keep moving, as Daleks will soon be on the way. Sure enough, a Dalek appears and they sneak down a tunnel in the Underground after rewiring its fuse box so the tracks are not dangerous anymore. Before they can escape and leave a trap for the Dalek, it catches up with them and exterminates Sylvia. The Doctor and Amy escape, and the Dalek sets off the trap, presumably destroying itself.

Act two[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor and Amy return to the TARDIS. The Doctor traces the point of interference to the Dalek capital city, Kaalann on the Dalek homeworld of Skaro. Last time he saw it, it was in ruins and the Daleks had fled, but they seem to have rebuilt their city.

After materialising in Kaalann, Amy begins to fade out of existence. The Doctor says now the human race has been exterminated, she is a living paradox, and the TARDIS can only protect her for so long. The Doctor goes into the Dalek facility to find the components of a Chronon Blocker to stabilise Amy's condition. After sneaking past Daleks to get a Dalekanium coil and a Kontron Crystal, the Doctor returns to Amy and constructs the Chronon Blocker, which stops Amy from fading. The Doctor says that to find out how the Daleks have gained so much power, they will need to find the Supreme Council Chamber - but first they'll have to check who's there from the Visualiser Room guarded externally by a Scientist Dalek and internally by the "Librarian Dalek" monitoring the databanks. After entering the Visualiser Room and using the three security consoles to deactivate the Visualiser Eye, the Doctor and Amy see that the Dalek Emperor is in the Supreme Council Chamber with a device, which the Doctor says is probably the cause of the time interference. Looking at the Emperor, Amy comments on his size; the Doctor points out that sitting on the throne all the time, he's "bound to put on a few pounds". He also notices some unusual temporal coordinates.

The Doctor and Amy are confronted by the Daleks.

After taking the lift to the top of the facility, they are captured by two Daleks and taken to the Emperor. When the Doctor warns the Emperor that his change to the timeline will result in huge damage to the continuum, the Emperor shows him the Eye of Time, once controlled by the Time Lords, but now in the hands of the Daleks. The Emperor boasts that with the Eye of Time, the Daleks will be the new Time Lords. After explaining what the Eye is to Amy, the Doctor damages the Emperor's casing to cause a distraction and they flee through the Eye.

Act three[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor and Amy appear in the ruined Supreme Council Chamber. They have travelled back in time to a point in which the city is shattered and not yet rebuilt. The Doctor says that this is where the temporal coordinates he saw earlier led to. They set a trap for the Daleks who have been sent by the Emperor to pursue them and then go to the Visualiser Room.

The Doctor looks out over the ruins of Kaalann.

In the Visualiser Room, the Doctor removes the device in the Visualiser Eye that is connected to all Dalek vision. He sends Amy to find a Dalek gun and a Dalek eyestalk in the old facility so that he can use the pieces to construct a device which will limit Dalek vision. Amy is beginning to fade in and out of existence again, but this temporary invisibility proves to be an advantage. She evades patrols and Varga plants to get the pieces and returns to the Doctor, who assembles the device. He says if they can connect it to the old Emperor's pedestal, they can boost the range and blind all the attacking Daleks.

In the Supreme Council Chamber, the Daleks are preparing the Eye of Time for their impending attack on London and Earth. Amy runs ahead with the device because of her fading in and out of existence, and puts the device in place. The Daleks are blinded and begin firing chaotically around the room. Avoiding the blasts, the Doctor disables the generator to free the Eye, gets to Amy and jumps into the Eye before it disappears.

They appear back in the ruined facility next to the TARDIS, now empty because the timeline has been set back in place - as the Doctor says it should be. Amy is now out of danger of being deleted from time. To prove that everything is really back to normal, he uses a scanner to show Sylvia in 1963 London, alive and well. The Doctor confirms that they're still going to meet Ringo; Amy rolls her eyes at that.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Collectables[[edit] | [edit source]]

Please note that this section contains spoilers for the locations of collectables within the game. Please skip this section if you don't want to know this information.

Facts[[edit] | [edit source]]

Fact Location Image
Newspapers Act one:
In Trafalgar Square, interact with the newspaper on the floor in front of the TARDIS.
Newspapers fact (COTD).jpg
Nelson's Column Act one:
In Trafalgar Square, interact with the head of Horatio Nelson's fallen statue.
Nelson's Column fact (COTD).jpg
London Bus Act one:
In Trafalgar Square, interact with the fallen bus stop sign.
London Bus fact (COTD).jpg
Hackney Carriages Act one:
In Trafalgar Square, interact with the burnt out taxi.
Hackney Carriages fact (COTD).jpg
London Underground Act one:
In Charing Cross tube station, interact with the train.
London Underground fact (COTD).jpg
Acid Rain Act two:
On Kaalann, walk out the room in which the TARDIS is parked and interact with the nearest window.
Acid Rain fact (COTD).jpg
The Daleks Act two:
On Kaalann, in the room containing the Kontron crystal, interact with computer unit closest to the door.
The Daleks fact (COTD).jpg
Our Solar System Act two:
On Kaalann, in the Visualiser Room, interact with map of the solar system.
Our Solar System fact (COTD).jpg
Electric Battery Act three:
On Kaalann, in the Supreme Council Chamber, interact with the metal pylon on the edge of the acid.
Electric Battery fact (COTD).jpg
Dalek History Act three:
On Kaalann, in the ruined Visualiser Room, interact with the image of the Dalek on the wall.
Dalek History fact (COTD).jpg

Cards[[edit] | [edit source]]

Card Location Image
Smiler Act one:
Near a fallen lamppost before the boarded Underground entrance.
Smiler card (COTD).jpg
Sisters of the Water Act one:
Near some sandbags beyond the boarded Underground entrance. 		to be added
The Sixth Doctor Act one:
Across the chasm from the TARDIS near some sandbags. Reached after getting past the Daleks.
Sixth Doctor card (COTD).jpg
Hath Act one:
In Charing Cross tube station. At the end of the tunnel in the opposite direction to Sylvia.
Hath card (COTD).jpg
Liz Ten Act one:
In Charing Cross tube station. Behind some sandbags in the tunnel just before reaching Sylvia.
Liz 10 card (COTD).jpg
Daleks Act two:
On Kaalann, in the storage room containing the Dalekanium coil.
Daleks card (COTD).jpg
Adipose Act two:
In the room containing the pushable boxes. It is to the right, behind two crates, upon entering.
Adipose card (COTD).jpg
K-9 Act two:
In the room containing the Kontron crystal, just to the left of where the Doctor drops down.
K-9 card (COTD).jpg
Blackcurrant Act two:
At the far end of the Dalek Production Facility, opposite the final door. It is behind a pillar and guarded by a Dalek.
Blackcurrant card (COTD).jpg
Adelaide Brooke Act two:
On Kaalann, on the far side of the Visualiser Room.
Adelaide Brooke card (COTD).jpg
Chocolate Act three:
On ruined Kaalann, in the Supreme Council Chamber, behind the Dalek Emperor.
Chocolate card (COTD).jpg
The Fifth Doctor Act three:
On ruined Kaalann, in the Supreme Council Chamber, on the upper walkway.
Fifth Doctor card (COTD).jpg
The Tenth Doctor Act three:
On ruined Kaalann, straight ahead after climbing down the hole in the floor.
Tenth Doctor card (COTD).jpg
Amy Pond Act three:
On ruined Kaalann, on the far side of the Visualiser Room, beyond the Varga plants.
Amy Pond card (COTD).jpg

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dalek casings left in ruin

to be added

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Background[[edit] | [edit source]]

Originally announced for initial release on 5 June 2010, it became available for release on 2 June from the BBC's official Doctor Who website. A Macintosh version of the game was also released on 15 June. It was later revealed that the early release of the game was part of a system test as they geared up for the official release date. A trailer for the game was shown straight after Vincent and the Doctor on Saturday to mark its official launch.[1] Both download options are free for UK residents. The first two episodes are available elsewhere as a pack from Direct2Drive for five US dollars.[2] However, Direct2Drive has chosen not to release the Mac OS version internationally.[3]

  • This video game was incorrectly entitled Might of the Daleks.
  • This episode's tagline was "Fight the Daleks".
  • Phil Ford has stated that 1963 was chosen as a setting because that was when Doctor Who started broadcasting. In a televised interview on the Playr gaming programme, Ford stated that the original draft of the script made reference to the First Doctor and his granddaughter Susan being in London during the events of the game. This was trimmed for reasons of length.[4]
  • In the early builds of this episode, the Paradigm Daleks were instead Bronze Daleks and had a scanner / target-like eyelens. Variants such as a Black Dalek are mentioned in the files. The eyestalk for the Bronze Dalek model was later reused in TARDIS and The Gunpowder Plot for the Drawing Room.
  • A new Dalek Emperor is featured in the story. This version has blue livery and is similar looking to the Emperor Dalek seen in The Parting of the Ways.
  • The yellow Eternal Dalek does not appear in the game. However, it is seen in the promotional artwork and loading screen for the episode.
  • A "production line" of Dalek casings is seen.
  • The Doctor seems unsurprised that the Daleks have already built a thousands-strong army and a new Emperor this soon after their restoration (although twenty-two years of "real time" have passed between 1941 and 1963, and because both the Doctor and the Daleks are time travellers any amount of time could have passed for the Daleks, so this may not be too surprising).
  • The Doctor and Amy visit an alien planet while Rory is not with them, placing this story some time after Cold Blood; in Vincent and the Doctor Amy remarks that the Doctor has been taking her to nice places since Cold Blood but does not mention 1963 London among them, which would likely place City of the Daleks after that story.
  • In this and the rest of The Adventure Games, the Doctor dons the same type of tweed jacket which he lost in Flesh and Stone.
  • This episode uses music from various episodes starting from The Runaway Bride up to Flesh and Stone.

Promotion[[edit] | [edit source]]

On 21 April 2010, a number of schoolkids in Sheffield were given the chance to test the game. As a wider promotion, three Daleks, namely the original Supreme, Drone and Eternal props, were sent to Sheffield, announcing the download date of the game and interacting with passers-by.[5]

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • The direction in which the TARDIS doors are facing when the Doctor and Amy leave for Skaro is different to the direction they were facing when the TARDIS first landed.
  • If the player is caught by the Security Scan of the Visualiser Eye in Act 2, a Drone Dalek is summoned who then exterminates the Doctor and Amy. However, it is always facing the same direction when doing so, even if they are on the opposite side of the room.
  • In the place before the Doctor reaches the TARDIS, Amy and the Doctor have their arms upraised. But when you start moving they return to normal.
  • Kaalann in Act 3 is full of destroyed Paradigm Daleks despite the destruction of Kaalann taking place before the events of Victory of the Daleks.

Cut / Altered Content[[edit] | [edit source]]

(This is an unfinished list)

MISCELLANEOUS[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Several lines of dialogue went unused, most likely because of time constraints.

ACT ONE[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The patrolling Dalek the player has to sneak around in the beginning of Act One had a different patrol spline seen several times in old gameplay footage. It was possibly changed due to the schoolkids who were playing the game during the Sheffield event finding it challenging to get past the Dalek.
  • Originally, The Doctor would have to set off a series of explosions using the Sonic Screwdriver in the Underground to progress further. Alternatively, The Doctor would have just opened a regular door to enter the Underground.
  • A door covered in blood was originally in the Underground before being replaced with a blood-free texture. The texture of the bloody door can be found in the files.
  • A death animation for Sylvia is mentioned in the "escape.lua" timeline, but was removed from the files.

ACT TWO[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Instead of being scared by the dome of a Dalek on a crate at the beginning of Act Two, Amy would've gone face to face with a Dalek casing before being reassured by The Doctor that it's empty.
  • Two patrolling Drone Daleks were removed from Act Two in the Production Facility, their removal likely being the same reason as the patrolling Dalek in Act One.
  • Originally to get past the Scientist Dalek near the Visualiser Room, The Doctor would've had to sonic a Databank to distract the Scientist and continue further. This is labelled as "diversion1.lua" in the files.

Act THREE[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Bronze Daleks were originally in Act Three, but were replaced with Paradigm Daleks for unknown reasons.
  • A cut Scientist Dalek in Act Three would have originally guarded the right side of the Storage Room (opposite to where Amy has to collect the Dalek eyestalk).
  • Near the end of Act Three, The Doctor and Amy would've had to climb their way back to the Council Chamber and avoid several patrolling Daleks (along with Varga plants).

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ BBC explains early Doctor Who release, MCV; accessed 3 June 2010
  2. ↑ City of the Daleks now available, Doctor Who News Page, 2 June 2010; accessed 3rd June 2010
  3. ↑ Forgive the TARDIS-ness, Doctor Who Games Arrive Today in the US, Joystiq, 22 July 2010; accessed 26 November 2011
  4. ↑ Playr interview with Phil Ford, PlayrBitz, YouTube, 6 May 2010; accessed 26 November 2011
  5. ↑ New Footage and First Reactions, BBC Doctor Who, 24 April 2010; accessed 26 November 2011


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Dalek Video Games
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Because of the ubiquity of this race, no attempt will be made here to list every appearance in every medium. Instead, we focus on game appearances here, and invite you to explore a complete list of appearances elsewhere.
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