Software:Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr

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Short description: 2000 video game

Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr
Developer(s)Terminal Reality
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Joe Wampole
Designer(s)Joe Wampole
Programmer(s)Mark Randel
Writer(s)Joe Wampole
Jeff Mills
Peter Besson
William Haskins
Composer(s)Kyle Richards
SeriesBlair Witch
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: October 4, 2000
  • EU: October 6, 2000
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr is a survival horror video game developed by Terminal Reality and released for Microsoft Windows in 2000. Two sequels titled Blair Witch Volume II: The Legend of Coffin Rock and Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale were released subsequently.

Plot

The story takes place in the year 1941, and with the exception of the opening section in the Spookhouse HQ, the game takes place over four days. Following her training, research scientist Elspeth "Doc" Holliday is dispatched to the town of Burkittsville by the Spookhouse, a fictional classified government agency charged with investigating paranormal occurrences. When given the assignment to look into the legend of the Blair Witch, she is partnered with the Stranger, but decides to go on her own as the Stranger is skeptical of the witch's existence. It is reported that during the early 1940s, a hermit named Rustin Parr abducted eight children from Burkittsville and, apparently without motive, murdered all but one in his basement. The player must guide Holliday through her investigations, to see if there is any truth to Parr's claims that he was under the influence of otherworldly forces when he committed the murders.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic73/100[1]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Adventure GamersStarStar[2]
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[3]
Eurogamer9/10[4]
Game Informer6.75/10[5]
GameProStarStarStarStar[6]
GameRevolutionB[7]
GameSpot7.1/10[8]
GameSpy92%[9]
GameZone8.3/10[10]
IGN6.8/10[11]
Next GenerationStarStar[12]
PC Gamer (US)70%[13]
Maxim8/10[14]

Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[1] In the United States, Volume 1 sold 49,000 copies by October 2001.[15]

GameSpot awarded the game a 7.1 out of ten, praising its atmosphere but calling its combat "mediocre".[8] Eurogamer also highlights the game's atmosphere but said this about the game's length:

"Sadly, there is one big crux as far as Rustin Parr goes, and that's longevity. Like a film or book with a twist in the tail and an engrossing story-line, you can happily read it again and the odd bit here or there will make more sense, but you'll never get quite the same level of enjoyment out of it as you did before. Add to this the fact that Rustin Parr is over in what seems like an instant and you have cause for some alarm".[4]

ActionTrip was more critical of the game and awarded it a 5.9 out of ten. Cited are its bad controls, problematic camera angles and its re-purposing of a classic adventure game engine for a more action-oriented game. On the positive side of things, the author approved of the game's story and mood.[16] AllGame described the game as "one of the scariest games you're likely to experience on the PC in the year 2000" but that the greatest drawback was the controls, saying that the players would have a difficulty to re-center the character, especially when fighting against undead creatures in the forest. He also criticised the game as short, taking only about ten hours to finish.[3]

Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and called the game a short and occasionally frustrating adventure.[12]

Rustin Parr was a nominee for GameSpot's 2000 "Best Adventure Game" award, which ultimately went to The Longest Journey.[17]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/blair-witch-volume-i-rustin-parr/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved June 19, 2013. 
  2. ↑ Fournier, Heidi (May 20, 2002). "Blair Witch Volume 1". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on September 17, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020917011338/http://www.adventuregamers.com/display.php?id=92. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chung, Terry. "Blair Witch Vol. 1: Rustin Parr – Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115153604/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=28290&tab=review. Retrieved December 31, 2014. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bramwell, Tom (October 1, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr Review". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_bwrp_pc. Retrieved June 19, 2013. 
  5. ↑ Brogger, Kristian (December 2000). "Blair Witch Volume One: Rustin Parr". Game Informer (92): 135. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200012/R03.0806.1551.47018.htm. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  6. ↑ Brian Wright (October 10, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050207062101/http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/6980.shtml. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  7. ↑ White, A.A. (September 2000). "Blair Witch Volume One: Rustin Parr Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/blair-witch-volume-one-rustin-parr. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Dulin, Ron (September 27, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/blair-witch-volume-1-rustin-parr-review/1900-2634193/. Retrieved March 9, 2014. 
  9. ↑ Buecheler, Christopher "shaithis" (September 25, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume One: Rustin Parr". GameSpy. Archived from the original on September 21, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040921083502/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/september00/blairwitch/. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  10. ↑ Lambert, Jason (November 17, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr Review – PC". GameZone. Archived from the original on March 17, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080317170336/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r13947.htm. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  11. ↑ Lopez, Vincent (October 17, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr". http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/10/18/blair-witch-volume-1-rustin-parr. Retrieved March 9, 2014. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lundrigan, Jeff (December 2000). "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) 3 (12): 145. 
  13. ↑ "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr". PC Gamer. 2001. 
  14. ↑ Porter, Alex (September 27, 2000). "The Blair Witch Project [sic] Volume 1: Rustin Parr". Maxim. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140310060337/http://www.maxim.com/gaming/the-blair-witch-project-volume-1-rustin-parr. Retrieved March 10, 2014. 
  15. ↑ Keighley, Geoff (October 2001). "READ.ME; G.O.D.'s Fall from Grace". Computer Gaming World (207): 30–32. 
  16. ↑ Jojic, Uros "2Lions" (October 26, 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr Review". ActionTrip. http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/blair-witch-volume-1-rustin-parr.phtml. Retrieved June 19, 2013. 
  17. ↑ GameSpot Staff. "Best and Worst of 2000". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 2, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020202174438/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2000/index.html. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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