Software:Chase the Express

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Short description: 2000 video game
Chase the Express
Japanese cover art
Developer(s)TYO Entertainment[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)Makoto Chiba
Issei Oda
Programmer(s)Isamu Hamada
Composer(s)Toshiyuki Watanabe
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: January 27, 2000
  • NA: June 14, 2000[2]
  • EU: September 8, 2000
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value)., known in North America as Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn, is a 2000 third-person shooter video game developed by TYO Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game focuses on players taking on the role of a NATO officer tasked with rescuing hostages aboard an armored train and defeating a terrorist group who threatens to use nuclear weapons to devastate Europe. The game's design included puzzle elements, action combat, stealth, and level designs, similar to the Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid series, with branching scenario paths and multiple endings. The game received mixed reviews from critics, receiving praise for its graphics, but criticism over its gameplay and design.

Gameplay

Chase the Express is a played from a third person perspective, with fixed cameras that focus on the player camera spread across each explorable area in the game. The main focus is to explore an armoured train, visiting each car, searching for useful objects, while dealing with hostile enemies - with the game borrowing notable elements from both Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid.

Combat focuses mainly on the use of firearms that the player can find during the course of a playthrough, with additional ammo either found in a level or dropped randomly by some enemies, with each weapon featuring parts that can be used to improve them. Alongside weapons, enemies can be engaged in hand-to-hand combat, though players can opt to use stealth to avoid combat and get around enemies; enemies become alarmed if they should spot the player, until they either evade or eliminate pursuers. Any damage from enemies can be treated by finding and using first aid kits.

Alongside combat, players will need to find items and keys in order to access new carriages and solve puzzles. Documents can also be found, providing background information on the story or useful hints for solving puzzles. In certain areas, players can find boxes where items not required can be stored, and from where the game can be saved. The game's story is not completely linear, as the player can make choices at key moments that can determine what they experience later in their playthrough and which ending they achieve.

Plot

Following a visit to St. Petersburg, French ambassador Pierre Simon makes his return to Paris aboard a NATO armored train called "The Blue Harvest", accompanied by his wife Catherine, their daughter Jane, and Simon's secretary, Philip Mason, are guarded by a NATO team led by Lieutenant Jack Morton. Shortly after the train nears the borders of Ukraine, a terrorist group known as the "Knights of the Apocalypse," led by ex-KGB agent Boris Zugoski, attacks the NATO team and boards the train. Boris reveals his intentions to ransom Simon and his family for $20 billion from NATO along with safe passage into France. Jack, the only survivor in the NATO team, finds himself placed under the command of a United Nations counter-terrorist agency, who instruct him to rescue the ambassador and his family as well as dealing with the terrorists.

Gaining access to the interior of the train, he manages to rescue Pierre and Mason, with the ambassador asking him to find Catherine and Jane. Searching for them, Morton encounters Christina Wayborn, the only surviving member of the ambassador's protective detail, who works alongside him, and Sgt. Billy MacGuire, a grievously wounded soldier. After rescuing the ambassador's family, a rescue team arrives and recovers them from the train. Furious, Boris attempts to retaliate with missiles on several European countries, forcing Jack to prevent their launch. Boris soon contacts the UN directly, reiterating his demands; the agency subsequently aborts a second rescue attempt for the ambassador. Jack is informed of this, with the agency commander revealing that Boris brought along several nuclear warheads aboard the train.

Reconvening with Christina, Mason and Billy, Jack decides to search the train for Boris and rescue the ambassador, who disappeared during the earlier chaos. During his search, he comes across a piece of hardware known as an IC Chip, but has little knowledge on what it does. After rescuing Christina from a trap, Jack confronts Boris in the rear of the train. He soon becomes confused when Boris demands not only the IC Chip, but Pierre, having assumed the terrorists had him. Jack is forced to fight Boris and kill him; Billy, if he is treated for his wounds before this, is shot before the fight, only surviving if players ensure he was given Jack's bulletproof vest.

Following the fight, Jack discovers Mason is a double agent, sent to steal a data disk and the IC Chip from the Blue Harvest, and who was responsible for helping Boris capture the train. After handing over the IC Chip to Morton in an attempt to rescue Christina once more, Jack finds himself contacted by Pierre, who takes him to the VIP lounge on the train. There he reveals a safe containing the disc Morton requested, alongside a fake. Heading to the last car on the train, Jack confronts Morton, who reveals the disk contains the blueprints for creating a hydrogen engine - the same kind used by the Blue Harvest, which supplies it with almost limitless power - which he intends to use to make himself rich. Regardless of which disc he is given, Morton attempts to get rid of Jack and Christina, before escaping by helicopter.

Upon regrouping, Jack learns the terrorists have wired six nuclear warheads into the Blue Harvest's engine, and is tasked with defusing them before it gets too close to Paris, forcing the NATO council to remotely destroy the train to prevent a nuclear disaster. Although he succeeds to defuse them all, Christina soon discover the train has been rewired to function like a nuclear missile, prompting Jack to detach the front car of the train from the rest of the express, so as to defuse the final bomb; if the fake disc was handed over, Jack is forced to deal with Mason and kill him. The game ends with Jack reuniting Pierre with his family, with the crisis now over.

Cast

Character Actor
Jack Morton Avi Landau
Christina Wayborn Colleen Lanki
Boris Zugoski Dean Harrington
Pierce Simon Mike Worman
Phillip Mason Jeff Manning
Billy MacGuire David Schaufele
Anderson William Ross

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings63%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarHalf star[4]
Edge3/10[5]
EGM6.33/10[6][lower-alpha 2]
Famitsu30/40[8]
Game Informer7.75/10[9]
GameFan(US) 59%[10]
(JP) 44%[11]
GameRevolutionC[12]
GameSpot5.3/10[13]
IGN4.8/10[14]
Next GenerationStarStar[15]
OPM (US)StarStarHalf star[16]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] IGN criticized its gameplay for bad controls and game design despite praising the graphics and stating that the game had "detailed environments and solid player models".[14] Daniel Erickson of NextGen called it "A good weekend rental with nice graphics but nothing to really sink your teeth into."[15] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.[8] Uncle Dust of GamePro concluded, "Twitch-oriented gamers should pass on this rather sluggish thriller."[17][lower-alpha 3]

Notes

  1. ↑ Produced by Sugar & Rockets. Additional work by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan.[1]
  2. ↑ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 7.5/10, 6.5/10, and 5/10.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the game three 3.5/5 scores for graphics, control, and fun factor, and 4/5 for sound.

References

  1. ↑ "JAPANスタジオ作品一覧 2000年～1999年" (in ja). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. https://www.playstation.com/ja-jp/corporate/playstation-studios/japan-studio/history-1999-2000/. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (June 5, 2000). "The Games of June". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230505090016/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/06/the-games-of-june-5. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190501063043/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/914423-covert-ops-nuclear-dawn/index.html. Retrieved April 26, 2020. 
  4. ↑ Nguyen, Cal. "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141114142812/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=24184&tab=review. Retrieved April 26, 2020. 
  5. ↑ Edge staff (August 2000). "Chase the Express". Edge (Future Publishing) (87): 86–87. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320075626/https://retrocdn.net/images/e/e1/Edge_UK_087.pdf. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  6. ↑ MacDonald, Mark; Smith, Shawn; Kujawa, Kraig (July 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (132): 143. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230508050531/https://retrocdn.net/images/5/54/EGM_US_132.pdf. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  7. ↑ Steinberg, Scott (July 20, 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". Greedy Productions Ltd.. Archived from the original on February 1, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030201074027/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=2749&full=1#mr_toppy. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "プレイステーション - チェイス・ザ・エクスプレス" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain) 915: 23. June 30, 2006. 
  9. ↑ "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (87). July 2000. 
  10. ↑ "REVIEW for Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". GameFan (Shinno Media). June 30, 2000. 
  11. ↑ "REVIEW for Chase the Express (Import)". GameFan (Shinno Media). January 28, 2000. 
  12. ↑ Sparks, Shawn (June 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150907204926/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/covert-ops-nuclear-dawn. Retrieved April 26, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Lopez, Miguel (June 12, 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". Fandom. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111609/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/covert-ops-nuclear-dawn-review/1900-2586634/. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Zdyrko, David (June 20, 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230506084529/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/21/covert-ops-nuclear-dawn. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Erickson, Daniel (August 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". NextGen (Imagine Media) (68): 94. https://archive.org/details/NextGen68Aug2000/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved April 26, 2020. 
  16. ↑ Baker, Chris (July 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 3 (10): 102. https://archive.org/details/official-u.-s.-playstation-magazine-issue-34-july-2000/page/102/mode/2up. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  17. ↑ Uncle Dust (August 2000). "Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn". GamePro (IDG) (143): 92. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230530185241/https://retrocdn.net/images/d/de/GamePro_US_143.pdf. Retrieved April 21, 2024. 
  • 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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