Software:Chaos Wars

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Short description: 2006 video game


This page is about the PlayStation 2 video game. For the Marvel Comics storyline, see Chaos War.
Chaos Wars
North American cover art
Developer(s)Idea Factory
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Masato Sato
Producer(s)Norihisa Kochiwa
Designer(s)Masato Sato
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: September 21, 2006
  • NA: June 3, 2008[1]
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Chaos Wars (カオスウォーズ, Kaosu Wōzu) is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Idea Factory for the PlayStation 2. It was originally released in Japan on September 21, 2006. It was localized and released in North America by O~3 Entertainment in 2008, where it gained infamy for its poor voice acting.[2]

Promotional art for the game is by Kinu Nishimura. The game's opening theme "Shūtan no Ou to Isekai no Kishi ~The Endia & The Knights~" was done by Sound Horizon. In North America, the game was released on June 3, 2008 as a GameStop exclusive.[1]

Chaos Wars is a crossover between several companies' role-playing video game series, including Aruze's Shadow Hearts, Atlus's Growlanser, Idea Factory's Blazing Souls and Software:Spectral Souls: Resurrection of the Ethereal Empires, and RED Entertainment's Gungrave and Code of the Samurai.[1]

Story

Hyoma, the protagonist, has a dream of another world over a pillar of light coming from his family shrine that has been missing since his ancestor's time. The next day, he decides to take his two friends, Shizuku and Hayatemaru, to investigate the mountains where his dream took place. During their investigation, they find a cave with strange technology but as they are looking into it, the machines activate and a bright light appears, taking them to another world known as Endia.

When Hyoma transports to the world, he encounters a girl named Rin, the Gatekeeper of Endia, who is surrounded by summoned monsters. After Hyoma helps defeat the creatures the two introduce themselves, Hyoma rudely interrupting her and instead asks how to return to Tokyo. Before Rin could explain, more monsters appear. Hyoma and Rin run together, where they meet up with a friend of Rin's named Hiro. Afterwards, once safe, Rin explains that the walls are thick in this world, which is the reason that they have been taken from their world to this world. They are known as "Knights" because when people are taken to Endia, they obtain powers like any other.

When Hyoma asks how to get back to his world, Rin explains that there is no way to return. Hyoma doesn't accept this fact and decides to find a way, but there, they then encounter the "Luin", an Organization that is determined to find "Keys" (mechanisms used to open gates and to summon "knights") in order to make their "paradise". After they escape from them with the help of Rin, they are taken to an isle near another island named "Radiance Island". There, they find a vacant mansion with its own transporter and that is where their adventure begins.

Characters

  • Hyoma Kusaka: Hyoma is a high school freshman from Tokyo, Japan. He has a sour look, a sour attitude, a sour everything in fact. He is very rude to almost everyone he meets but does show compassion for his two friends and the exception of Knights he encounters. He was bored of his own world so being taken to another world is quite exciting for him.
  • Hayatemaru Mudoin: Like Hyoma, Hayatemaru is a glasses wearing high school freshmen and a long childhood friend to Hyoma. Hayatemaru is a very carefree, funny guy but after being taken to Endia, he becomes more serious but still tries to keep every one in high spirits. Despite his seemingly harmless appearance, Hayatemaru is a black belt and skilled in sōjutsu. His name is sometimes shortened to Hayate.
  • Shizuku: Shizuku is a childhood friend to Hyoma and Hayate. Despite being a senior in high school, she is the same age as both Hyoma and Hayatemaru and is a very caring and high spirited person. She always supports Hyoma, despite the fact he insults her most of the time due to her sometimes childish nature. She is very skilled in battle games and always carries around a harisen, which she uses to hit people on the head.
  • Rin Sunroad: Rin is the "Gatekeeper" of the world of Endia. As a "Gatekeeper", her job is to monitor and keep track of data of "Knights" and other dimensions. Rin is a gentle and very knowledgeable young girl, trying her best to inform the Knights of her world despite Hyoma belittling her lack of knowledge that is out of her range. After Hyoma saves Rin from the Luin, she decides to travel with him to find answers to the world of Endia.
  • Hiro: Hiro is a warrior of the world called Neverland and the daughter of the demon lord Janus, as well as the lead character of the Spectral Force series. Hiro came shortly before Hyoma where she met Rin when she was taken to Endia. Knowing nothing of this world, she tags along.
  • Laru Branshen: Laru is the captain of the order of warriors known as "Kishidan", an order of soldiers trained to protect the people of Endia. Laru is a strong believer in justice and doing what's right but he is too firm sometimes. He begins to think that Hyoma and the others are with the Luin due to at one point, they try finding and using "Keys" to find a way home. At first he distrust them but after being rescued by Hyoma when the Luin kidnapped and brain washed him, he agrees to help them to their cause.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic64/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu26/40[4]
IGN7.5/10[5]
PSMStarStar[6]

Chaos Wars received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3] IGN commented that, "In truth it's probably one of Idea Factory's best efforts released here in the States, melding staples of the genre with more open, zippy little ideas."[5] On a negative note, PlayStation: The Official Magazine said: "Chaos Wars might draw in some--like fans of the obscure games it's based on, especially those who long for the days of hand-drawn characters and tiny battlefields--but its old-school aesthetic isn't enough to make up for the lackluster production values and uninspired game play."[6] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two sevens and two sixes for a total of 26 out of 40.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bishop, Sam (May 9, 2008). "Chaos Wars Preview". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/09/chaos-wars-preview. Retrieved December 2, 2017. 
  2. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (June 10, 2008). "Not So Good Voice Acting Explained!". Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/5014864/not-so-good-voice-acting-explained. Retrieved April 20, 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Chaos Wars for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/chaos-wars/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved February 27, 2011. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "This week's Japanese game mag news (Page 6)". NeoGAF. September 13, 2006. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=119021&page=6. Retrieved December 2, 2017. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bishop, Sam (June 6, 2008). "Chaos Wars Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/06/chaos-wars-review. Retrieved December 2, 2017. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Chaos Wars". PlayStation: The Official Magazine (9): 82. August 2008. 
  • 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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