Software:Champions: Return to Arms

From HandWiki
Short description: 2005 video game

Champions: Return to Arms
Developer(s)Snowblind Studios
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Paul Knutzen
Composer(s)Inon Zur
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: February 7, 2005
  • EU: March 18, 2005
Genre(s)Action role-playing, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Champions: Return to Arms is a 2005 action role-playing video game developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Sony Online Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 Set in the EverQuest universe, it is the sequel to Champions of Norrath. As with its predecessor, Ubisoft released the game in Europe.[1]

Plot

The story picks up after Innoruuk, the Prince of Hate has been defeated, his essence shattered into the Shards of Hatred and were strewn across the Planes of Power. Within the game story, players have the choice of serving either the forces of Good by destroying the shards to rid the world of Innoruuk, or the legions of Evil gathering the shards to resurrect the fallen god. The paths of Good and Evil travel to the same locations, with variations in mission objectives.

Gameplay

Champions: Return to Arms features multiple character classes, such as wizard, cleric, ranger, and warrior. The game also features an online mode where a player can join up to three other players from around the world. Gameplay consists of killing monsters and completing quests to earn experience, in a traditional hack-and-slash style. When the character attains enough experience, he or she gains a level.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic77/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6/10[3]
EGM6.83/10[4]
Game Informer8/10[5]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameRevolutionC+[7]
GameSpot7.8/10[8]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[9]
GameZone8/10[10]
IGN7.6/10[11]
OPM (US)StarStarStarStarHalf star[12]
Detroit Free PressStarStar[13]
The TimesStarStarStarStar[14]

The game received "favorable" reviews, though not as much as Champions of Norrath, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[2]

The Times' reviewer gave the game four stars out of five and said, "The number of times I got ripped apart by wild dogs made me regret ever wanting to be a lizard. Didn’t stop me coming back for more, though."[14] Maxim similarly gave it a score of eight out of ten, saying, "Over 100 hours of game play through 50 levels of sword-swinging, spell-casting combat, thousands of new weapons and equipment, and two new characters (the fighting furry Vah Shir and the lizardman Iksar) will keep you huffing at trucker speed through the wee hours."[2] However, Detroit Free Press gave it two stars out of four, saying that "there's hardly anything new here. The plot is paper-thin, and lacks a driving sense of humor or drama to keep you interested. The game-play is just as basic as it's ever been, and frankly, if you've played any of its predecessors, you've slashed and spellcast just this way a million times before."[13]

References

  1. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (2004-09-01). "Ubi brings Champions: Return to Arms to Europe" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/news010904champsionrta. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Champions: Return to Arms for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/champions-return-to-arms/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  3. ↑ Edge staff (April 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms". Edge (148): 105. 
  4. ↑ EGM staff (March 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms". Electronic Gaming Monthly (189): 123. 
  5. ↑ "Champions: Return to Arms". Game Informer (143): 124. March 2005. 
  6. ↑ Vicious Sid (March 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro: 90. Archived from the original on March 5, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050305040055/http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/42583.shtml. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  7. ↑ Silverman, Ben (February 11, 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/champions-return-to-arms. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  8. ↑ Davis, Ryan (February 8, 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/champions-return-to-arms-review/1900-6118207/. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  9. ↑ Nutt, Christian (February 3, 2005). "GameSpy: Champions: Return to Arms". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/champions-of-norrath-realms-of-everquest-ii/585072p1.html. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  10. ↑ Sandoval, Angelina (February 13, 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081228083216/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r23982.htm. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Lewis, Ed (February 4, 2005). "Champions: Return to Arms". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/02/05/champions-return-to-arms. Retrieved February 1, 2016. 
  12. ↑ "Champions: Return to Arms". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 98. March 2005. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "RECENT VIDEO GAME RELEASES". Detroit Free Press. February 20, 2005. ProQuest 436542657. https://www.proquest.com/docview/436542657. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Champions: Return to Arms". The Times. April 9, 2005. https://www.thetimes.com/culture/gaming/article/champions-return-to-arms-qz7j9whjs8t. 
  • 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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