Software:Beyond Divinity

From HandWiki
Beyond Divinity
Developer(s)Larian Studios
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Swen Vincke
Programmer(s)Swen Vincke
Composer(s)Kirill Pokrovsky
SeriesDivinity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
ReleaseWindows
OS X
  • WW: 15 November 2013
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Beyond Divinity is an action role-playing game by Larian Studios released in 2004. It is a sequel to Divine Divinity.

A Deluxe Edition was also released that same year, containing copies of both Beyond Divinity and Divine Divinity. In 2009 a digital download version was released, equivalent to the updated disc version.[3] The game was released for Mac OS X on 15 November 2013.

Gameplay

The gameplay is heavily based on Divine Divinity, but adds the ability for the player to control two characters, each with their own stats and equipment.

Beyond Divinity is divided into four acts; the first was designed to be relatively linear, but it opens up towards the end, and later acts have much more freedom of movement. The player can acquire a new summoning doll in each act, allowing the player to summon a specific creature, including a skeleton doll in Act 1 capable of wielding a crossbow to provide ranged support.[4] The player can control these summons directly (and depending on the doll, even give them some of your spare equipment to use) to help in combat, or simply use to carry loot.

There is a Battlefield (an area that contains merchants and some optional, randomly generated dungeons) in each act, that, once unlocked, the player can teleport in and out of whenever they wish.[5]

Synopsis

The storyline of Beyond Divinity takes place 20 years after the original game. The player takes on the role of a servant of the divine one, a paladin who hates and hunts necromancers. During the battle with one particularly vile necromancer, the paladin is grabbed by a demon, Samuel, and dragged into another universe where he is soul-forged to a death-knight, a creature of evil. Together another paladin and death-knight must venture forth to find a way to break that forging. To succeed is to resume the path you have set for yourself. To fail is to spend eternity linked to that which you have despised.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic73/100[6]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarStarStar[7]
GamesMaster60%[8]
GameSpot7.9/10[9]
GameSpyStarStarStarStarHalf star[10]
GameZone8/10[11]
IGN8/10[12]
PC Format59%[13]
PC Gamer (UK)62%[14]
PC Gamer (US)78%[15]
PC Zone71%[16]
The TimesStarStarStar[17]

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (2004-04-21). "Beyond Divinity Goes Gold" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/21/beyond-divinity-goes-gold. 
  2. ↑ "Beyond Divinity". http://www.ubi.com/DE/Games/riftrunnerpc.htm. 
  3. ↑ "Beyond Divinity available for download!". Larian Studios. http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=412226&an=. 
  4. ↑ "Just started Beyond Divinity". Larian Studios. http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=317746#Post317746. 
  5. ↑ "Beyond Divinity". Larian Studios. Archived from the original on 5 May 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040505044616/http://www.larian.com/riftrunner/FAQ.php?section=8. Retrieved 16 November 2017. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Beyond Divinity for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/beyond-divinity/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  7. ↑ Ardai, Charles (August 2004). "Beyond Divinity". Computer Gaming World (241): 78. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_241.pdf. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  8. ↑ "Beyond Divinity". GamesMaster. July 2004. 
  9. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (3 May 2004). "Beyond Divinity Review". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/beyond-divinity-review/1900-6095202/. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  10. ↑ Peckham, Matt (5 May 2004). "GameSpy: Beyond Divinity". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/beyond-divinity/511172p1.html. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  11. ↑ Knutson, Michael (4 May 2004). "Beyond Divinity – PC – Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081002000219/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r22678.htm. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  12. ↑ Brenesal, Barry (6 May 2004). "Beyond Divinity Review". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/07/beyond-divinity-review-2. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  13. ↑ Underwood, Dan (June 2004). "Beyond Divinity". PC Format (162). Archived from the original on 14 August 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040814044913/http://www.pcformat.co.uk/reviews/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=31072&subsectionid=680. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  14. ↑ "Beyond Divinity". PC Gamer UK. June 2004. 
  15. ↑ "Beyond Divinity". PC Gamer: 64. July 2004. 
  16. ↑ PC Zone staff (May 2004). "PC Review: Beyond Divinity". PC Zone. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080430043048/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=103107. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  17. ↑ Blackmore, Keith (26 June 2004). "Beyond Divinity". The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/beyond-divinity-9b9kh7zkt8g. Retrieved 17 November 2017. 
  • Official website
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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