Software:Dracula: Origin

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Short description: 2008 video game
Dracula: Origin
European cover art
Developer(s)Frogwares
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • FRA: May 29, 2008
  • NA: June 2, 2008
  • UK: June 6, 2008
  • AU: October 6, 2008
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Dracula: Origin is a point-and-click adventure game for the PC based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Released by Frogwares in 2008, it follows the company's catalogue of adventure games such as the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series.

The game follows Professor Abraham Van Helsing as the protagonist through a unique take on the origin of Dracula. His adventures span several locations, such as London, Egypt, Austria and Transylvania, through puzzles and logic problems, individually interacting with over 40 characters.

Plot

The plot follows the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula, with some variation in characters and plot detail.

At first a zealot of Christendom, Voivod Dracula forsakes his faith at the loss of his unrequited love, who opts to commit suicide rather than give in to him. As his embitterment boils, Dracula begins to delve heavily into demonic practice. Unsatisfied with mortality, he drinks the blood of a rival in a pact with the Devil, placing upon himself the curse that transforms him into the first vampire. In exchange for immortal powers, Dracula becomes a servant of the Devil, bent on the destruction of humanity, finding his only solace in feeding upon human blood and seeking revenge for his lover's death: He feels partly responsible for being unable to save her.

Upon learning of an antediluvian manuscript detailing a strange rite alleged to return souls from the dead, Dracula seeks to revive his former lover's soul. Johnathan Harker, a disciple of Van Helsing, sets out to combat the terror of Dracula's power. He sends a letter to his professor detailing Dracula's intention regarding the manuscript and his plan to resurrect his lover's soul into the body of Johnathan's fiancée, Mina Murray, chosen for her remarkable resemblance to his lover. Johnathan's letter arrives but Johnathan does not return, implying that he succumbed to Dracula's power.

Professor Abraham Van Helsing, the protagonist, embarks to defeat Dracula before he finds the manuscript and abducts the body of Mina, traveling throughout Europe to do so. He begins with a London cemetery he believes Dracula to be occupying. His adventures take him to the streets and tombs of Cairo, the salons of Vienna's aristocracy and a Rococo library that leads him on the trail to a secretive damned monastery to stop the evil plots being concocted there. The vampire hunter then finds his way to Transylvania, to the famous castle of Dracula, to complete his task.

Gameplay

The game is played in third-person, following Van Helsing, in a point-and-click style. Using collected objects and puzzles, the player advances through the story interacting with characters to go through the adventure.

The game has a progressive help system, providing players stuck on puzzles with increasingly detailed clues to help them advance.

Characters

Count Dracula: The main antagonist of the game is a young looking, attractive, religious vampire, rendered immortal by a pact with demonic forces. Suffering the abandonment of his suicidal former love, Dracula has become godless and heartless, powerful but pitiful. He seeks retribution for his pain against the human race.

Professor Abraham Van Helsing: A famous Dutch teacher at the University of Medicine in London. Known more for his involvement in supernatural study and vampire hunting, he bravely takes it upon himself to end the terror of Dracula.

Mina Murray: Jonathan Harker's fiancée and a student and friend of Professor Van Helsing. Pure and good, she embodies the essence of Dracula's lost love, succumbing to his power and doomed to be stripped of her soul for her bodily vessel.

Dr. Seward: A young doctor and another contact and friend of Van Helsing. He aids Mina at her sickbed, striving to free her from the demonic grip of Dracula that has weakened her so.

Herodotus of Judah: A Coptic priest and healer in Cairo, Egypt. Possesses the knowledge but, due to his old age, not the ability required to release the curse Dracula has put upon Mina.

Jada: A beautiful, deadly disciple of Dracula, devoted to serve and protect her master.

Igor: Dracula's coachman in Transylvania. Of demonic will and ill intent, he is another devotee of Dracula, sharing his contempt for humans and carrying out Dracula's menial, dirty bidding.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic70/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Adventure GamersStarStarStarHalf star[3]
Eurogamer7/10[4]
GameRevolutionD+[5]
GameSpot7/10[6]
GamezeboStarStarStarHalf star[7]
GameZone7.5/10[8]
IGN8/10[9]
PC Format77%[10]
PC Gamer (US)57%[11]
PC PowerPlay7/10[12]

Dracula: Origin received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] PC Format complimented the game's atmosphere and mood.[10] GameRevolution was more negative to the game.[5]

Sequel

Frogwares developed a sequel, Dracula: Love Kills, Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure, released in June 2011.

The plot of the game sends players to the Queen of Vampires who emerges from the ashes of history, seeking to destroy the world of humans and rule over its ruins. Count Dracula (as the protagonist this time) awakens, weakened and stripped of his powers after years of healing from his last battle with Dr. Van Helsing. He cannot face his evil rival, the Queen, on his own. To save the world, an uneasy alliance must be formed between the Prince of Darkness and his archenemy, Van Helsing.

Gameplay is designed for 6 hours + bonus content. The game features over 40 locations, easy and hard modes, challenging puzzles, optional tutorial, interactive map, achievements, etc. During the game, the player encounters assassins of the Queen of Vampires getting the choice of either biting them and turning them into vampires or sparing them. These certain actions will have consequences as who will accompany Dracula during the bonus gameplay; it also influences the overall ending depending on Dracula's previous behavior.

References

  1. ↑ Legally, Focus Home Interactive was not a publisher but a licensee (distribution intermediary): Bargue, Xavier (February 22, 2010). "Waël Amr: La relation avec Focus n'a jamais été celle d'un éditeur envers un développeur" (in fr). https://www.planete-aventure.net/article.php?id=97. "It needs to be clear it wasn't a "developer and publisher" situation." 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Dracula: Origin for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/dracula-origin/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  3. ↑ Brown, Steve (June 19, 2008). "Dracula: Origin review". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18179. 
  4. ↑ Whitehead, Dan (August 4, 2008). "PC Roundup (Page 2)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/pc-roundup-3?page=2. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hunt, Geoffrey (September 5, 2008). "Dracula: Origin Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/41677-dracula-origin-review. 
  6. ↑ Todd, Brett (June 6, 2008). "Dracula: Origin Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/dracula-origin-review/1900-6192246/. 
  7. ↑ Steinberg, Scott (December 25, 2008). "Dracula: Origin Review". https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/dracula-origin-review/. 
  8. ↑ Code Cowboy (July 23, 2008). "Dracula: Origin - PC - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/dracula_origin_pc_review/. 
  9. ↑ Tong, Sophia (June 2, 2008). "Dracula: Origin Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/02/dracula-origin-review. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Dracula: Origin". PC Format (Future plc) (217): 114. September 2008. 
  11. ↑ Decker, Logan (September 2008). "Dracula: Origin". PC Gamer (Future US) 15 (9): 72. https://www.gamesradar.com/dracula-origin-review/. Retrieved June 22, 2023. 
  12. ↑ "Review: Dracula: Origin". PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (152): 56. July 2008. 
  • Official website
  • 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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