Software:Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb

From HandWiki
Short description: 2007 adventure video game
Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb
Developer(s)Kheops Studio
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Windows, Mac OS X, iOS
ReleaseWindows
Mac OS X
May 14, 2009[3]
iOS
April 13, 2011
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb is a 2007 adventure video game by French developer Kheops Studio. Outside of the United States, it is known as Cleopatra: A Queen's Destiny.[4]

Plot

Taking place in 48 BC, the plot of the game centers on Cleopatra's struggle toward the Egyptian throne, and her subsequent civil war with her brother Ptolemy.

The protagonist of the game is Thomas of Chaldea, a young student of astrology, whose mentor Akkad and the latter's daughter Iris (who is romantically involved with Thomas) are arrested under Ptolemy's orders after Cleopatra commissions Akkad to perform an astrological divination regarding her prospective alliance with Julius Caesar. Working together with Cleopatra, Thomas explores Alexandria, solving puzzles, reading documents and meeting a few colorful characters along the way. He tracks Akkad and Iris to the plague-ridden isle of Pharos, but learns that his mentor was killed by Grecian mercenaries hired by Ptolemy after refusing to falsify his divination for Cleopatra so that she would abdicated the throne in favor of her brother. Thomas saves Iris from the lighthouse, and she agrees to perform the divination in her father's stead, using his secret, technologically advanced observatory. The divination foretells that Caesar will be a great ally to Cleopatra, and that their son would inherit both Egypt and Rome. Satisfied with the prediction, Cleopatra thanks Thomas and Iris for their help. The two then leave for Chaldea, intending to live the rest of their lives in peace.

Gameplay

Like other adventure games of the time, Cleopatra has a Myst-like series of panoramic screens that the player can navigate through, allowing them to click on hotspots to: advance to new locations, acquire inventory, complete puzzles, or interact with characters.[5] The game uses "dynamic combinatorial inventory", which allows players to disassemble certain items in their inventory; using only a piece of one to combine with other items.[6]

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic67/100[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Adventure GamersStarStarStar[8]
GameSpot7/10[10]
GameStar70%[11]
Gamezebo70/100[12]
GameZone7.5/10[13]
IGN7.7/10[5]
Jeuxvideo.com14/20[6]
PC Gamer (US)68%[14]

The PC version received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7]

Frank D. Nicodem, Jr. of UHS praised the game's historical accuracy, user interface, and puzzles, adding that the game exhibits all the qualities that made Kheops Studio a leader in historical video games, alongside Return to Mysterious Island, Voyage, Secret of the Lost Cavern, and Software:Destination: Treasure Island.[4] IGN reviewer Emily Balistrieri thought the game would be appealing to those interested in post-Alexander Ancient Egypt, as it involved puzzles that are naturally integrated into the context.[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Mac OS X and iOS ports developed and published by Coladia.

References

  1. ↑ "The Adventure Company Ships Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb for Windows". 2008-04-03. https://gamezone.com/news/the_adventure_company_ships_cleopatra_riddle_of_the_tomb/. 
  2. ↑ "Cléopâtre : Le Destin d'une Reine" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/jeux/pc/00018025-cleopatre-le-destin-d-une-reine.htm. 
  3. ↑ GamesIndustry.biz staff (2009-05-15). "Cleopatra: A Queen's Destiny (Mac)". Gamer Network. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/cleopatra-a-queen-s-destiny-ass-s-milk-soaked-oint-and-click-adventure-for-the-mac. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nicodem, Jr., Frank D. (2008-06-21). "UHS: Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb Review". https://www.uhs-hints.com/articles/reviews/cleopatra.php. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Balistrieri, Emily (2008-04-23). "Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/23/cleopatra-riddle-of-the-tomb-review. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fau, Frédéric "Superpanda" (2007-06-18). "Test: Cléopâtre : Le Destin d'une Reine (PC)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00007721-cleopatre-le-destin-d-une-reine-test.htm. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/cleopatra-riddle-of-the-tomb/. 
  8. ↑ Boosinger, Austin (2007-11-20). "Cleopatra: A Queen's Destiny review (PC)". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18117. 
  9. ↑ Mangot, Thomas (2007-06-26). "Test: Cléopâtre : rien de neuf sous le soleil (PC)" (in fr). TF1 Group. https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/cleopatre-le-destin-d-une-reine-3010006380/test.html. 
  10. ↑ Todd, Brett (2008-04-15). "Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cleopatra-riddle-of-the-tomb-review/1900-6189307/. 
  11. ↑ "Cleopatra: Schicksal einer Königin (PC)" (in de). GameStar (Webedia). 2008-02-27. 
  12. ↑ Sapieha, Chad (2009-05-12). "Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb Review (PC)". https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/cleopatra-riddle-of-the-tomb-review/. 
  13. ↑ Hollingshead, Anise (2008-05-05). "Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb – PC – Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/cleopatra_riddle_of_the_tomb_pc_review/. 
  14. ↑ "Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb". PC Gamer (Future US) 15 (9): 69. September 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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