Software:Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

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Short description: 2004 video game

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
North American cover art
Developer(s)Stormfront Studios[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Atari
Producer(s)Alyssa Finley
Sarah W. Stocker
Designer(s)J. Epps
Christopher Porter
Programmer(s)Ralf Knoesel
Steve W. Kojder
Hai-Ping Kenneth Chao
Artist(s)Devin St. Clair
John Kleber
Jeff Weir
Bill Boyer
Martin Servante
Writer(s)R. A. Salvatore
Robert Goodman
Composer(s)Robb Mills
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • NA: September 14, 2004[2]
  • AU: September 20, 2004[1]
  • EU: September 24, 2004
Xbox
  • NA: November 17, 2004
  • PAL: February 11, 2005[3]
Windows
  • NA: December 9, 2004
  • AU: December 17, 2004[4]
  • EU: February 11, 2005
Genre(s)Action role-playing, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is an action role-playing video game released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. It is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The story was written by R.A. Salvatore and features the voices of Patrick Stewart as Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun and Michael Clarke Duncan as Ygorl.

Updated versions of Demon Stone and Dragonshard were released for the PC in August 2025.[5]

Synopsis

Characters and setting

There are three playable characters in Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, each with their own unique abilities: the fighter Rannek who is a master of melee combat,[6] the sorcerer Illius who can cast spells over long range,[6] and the half-drow, half-wood-elf rogue Zhai who can vanish into the shadows for a stealthy kill.[7]

The two villains are equally enemies of the heroes and of each other. The first villain—Ygorl—is the leader of the Slaad army.[6] Cireka, general of the Githyanki, is the second.[6] The game's introduction explains that the only thing keeping each of them from taking over the realm is their hatred for each other. Fearing that the realm would be at the mercy of whichever villain was victorious, the great mage Khelben Blackstaff sealed them both within a Demon Stone.

The story develops as the three heroes battle two orc armies near the jewel-rich Gemspark Mines. A great red dragon, sent by Ygorl, leads the group to these mines. Once there, they unwittingly release Ygorl and Cireka from the Demon Stone and into the world. The three heroes must undo their mistake by joining forces to right the wrong they caused.

Story

R.A. Salvatore wrote the game's script,[8] which begins when Rannek, a human fighter, stumbles across a battle between two orc armies. As he comes to the aid of wood elves captured by the orcs, the rogue Zhai and the sorcerer Illius join the battle. Ultimately, Rannek, Zhai, and Illius are driven into the nearby Gemspark Mines by the dragon Caminus. Inside the mines, they accidentally release the warlords Ygorl and Cireka from their imprisonment in a Demon Stone. The three escape from the warlords and decide to join forces to imprison them again.

After evacuating the nearby wood-elf village of Cedarleaf, attacked by Cireka and her Githyanki soldiers, they visit Illius' mentor, Khelben Blackstaff, for advice. Blackstaff informs them that the new Demon Stone they require is in the possession of the Yuan-ti people. As the three leave, Ygorl arrives riding Caminus and attacks Khelben's tower. The tower is destroyed as they escape.

After they defeat the Yuan-ti and claim the Demon Stone, they seek out Drizzt Do'Urden, an unusually heroic drow, in the hopes that he can help them find Cireka. He directs them to an abandoned portal in the Underdark, home of the drow. When they find the portal, they also find Cireka and her Githyanki horde ready to make use of it. As the three battle the Githyanki, Ygorl arrives with his Slaad horde. Illius tries to imprison the two warlords in the Demon Stone, but Ygorl forces himself and Cireka through the portal before Illius can succeed. The three follow the warlords through the portal to the lair of Caminus. There, Cireka is killed by the dragon, and Ygorl flees through another portal. The three work together to slay Caminus, then pursue Ygorl through the portal.

The portal takes them back to Gemspark Mines. After fighting their way past Ygorl's hoard, they use a portal that leads to Limbo, where Ygorl waits for them. There, the heroes engage in a final duel with Ygorl, ultimately slaying him. They are welcomed back at Cedarleaf as heroes. Here, Khelben Blackstaff arrives through a portal, having survived the assault on his tower. He brings them the king's thanks and the offer of the untamed land of Vaasa to be their own, and also mentions that the Githyanki would aim to retrieve the "Silver Sword", previously owned by Cireka, as it is an ancient artifact. Rannek concludes by saying: "Let them try".

Gameplay

Players have control over all three characters and can change character at any time (after all three main heroes arrive).[6] There are many fighting moves, and players must use each character's skills to play the game effectively. Rannek uses a sword and breaks things with his gauntlets. Illius fights with a staff and uses magic (the game's most powerful ranged attack; the other two can throw knives (Zhai) or axes (Rannek)). Zhai uses two daggers and becomes invisible in shadows—this is useful for sneaking up on enemies and killing them. Bosses overpower characters in one-on-one fighting but can be defeated with the combined power of all three heroes. Although much of the game is hack-and-slash, there are several tasks that require the use of various skills.[6]

Cast

  • Cireka, voiced by B.J. Ward[9]
  • Drizzt,[lower-alpha 2] voiced by Robin Atkin Downes[10]
  • Illius, voiced by Christopher Nissley[11]
  • Khelben, voiced by Patrick Stewart[12]
  • Rannek, voiced by Dan Riordan[13]
  • Ygorl, voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan[12]
  • Zhai, voiced by Vanessa Marshall[14]

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankingsPS2: 73%[15]
XBOX: 72%[16]
PC: 68%[17]
MetacriticPS2: 71/100[18]
XBOX: 72/100[19]
PC: 69/100[20]
Awards
PublicationAward
British Academy of Film and Television Arts[21]2004 Games – Audio – Nominated
British Academy of Film and Television Arts[21]2004 Games – Original Music – Nominated
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences[22]2005 Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development – Nominated
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences[22]2005 Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering – Nominated
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences[22]2005 Outstanding Character Performance - Female – Nominated
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences[22]2005 Outstanding Character Performance - Male – Nominated

The game received a positive response from critics. Heather Newman of the Detroit Free Press called the game "extraordinarily cinematic", adding that "the dialogue and story line Salvatore crafted substantially contributed to that feel".[8] Judy Siegel-Itzkovich of the Jerusalem Post gave the game four and half stars.[6] She praised the graphics as "excellent", and the sound, calling the music "rousing and dramatic", the voice acting "high quality", and the sound effects "highly realistic".[6] She concluded by saying that while fans would love the game, it is too short and the hack and slash element becomes "repetitive".[6]

Demon Stone was nominated for two awards by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA),[21] and four awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[22]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Windows by Zono.
  2. ↑ The hero of many of Salvatore's novels, Drizzt Do'Urden, makes an appearance in the game; he is a playable character during a portion of one battle.

References

  1. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone". http://www.gpstore.com.au/Games/1465885.html. "Release date: 20th September, 2004" 
  2. ↑ Adams, David (September 14, 2004). "Demon Stone Ships" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/14/demon-stone-ships. 
  3. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone". http://www.gpstore.com.au:80/Games/1465886.html. "Release date: 11th February, 2005" 
  4. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone". http://www.gpstore.com.au/Games/1467002.html. 
  5. ↑ "Two brilliant, 20-year-old DnD games have just been re-released on Steam". https://www.pcgamesn.com/dungeons-and-dragons-dragonshard/forgotten-realms-demon-stone-steam-re-release. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (April 1, 2005). "Hectic hack and slash". Jerusalem Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-107346500.html. 
  7. ↑ Ham, Tom (September 26, 2004). "Reviews". The Washington Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-208690.html. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Newman, Heather (July 21, 2005). "Heather Newman Column". Detroit Free Press. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-134278983.html. 
  9. ↑ "B.J. Ward". https://www.metacritic.com/person/bj-ward. 
  10. ↑ "Robin A. Downes". https://www.metacritic.com/person/robin-a-downes. 
  11. ↑ "Chris Nissley". https://www.metacritic.com/person/chris-nissley. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Feiwell, Jill; Fritz, Ben (May 24, 2004). "Michael Clarke Duncan and Patrick Stewart are going gaming". Daily Variety. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118106531.html. 
  13. ↑ "Dan Riordan". https://www.metacritic.com/person/dan-riordan. 
  14. ↑ "Vanessa Marshall". https://www.metacritic.com/person/vanessa-marshall. 
  15. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for PlayStation 2". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/920088-forgotten-realms-demon-stone/index.html. 
  16. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for Xbox". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/920519-forgotten-realms-demon-stone/index.html. 
  17. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/924184-forgotten-realms-demon-stone/index.html. 
  18. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/forgotten-realms-demon-stone/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  19. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for Xbox Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/forgotten-realms-demon-stone/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. 
  20. ↑ "Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone for PC Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/forgotten-realms-demon-stone/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Demon Stone 2004". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 2004. http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?sq=demon+stone. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 "2005 Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. 2005. http://www.interactive.org/awards/2005_8th_awards.asp. 
  • 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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