Software:Headhunter Redemption

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Short description: 2004 video game
"Headhunter 2" redirects here. For other uses, see Headhunter (disambiguation).
Headhunter Redemption
Developer(s)Amuze
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)John Kroknes
Designer(s)Peter Johansson
Writer(s)Philip Lawrence
Composer(s)Richard Jacques
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Headhunter Redemption is a 2004 action-adventure video game developed by Amuze and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the sequel to Headhunter and the last game to be developed by Amuze before its closure.

Plot

Set twenty years after the Bloody Mary Virus (released in the original Headhunter), Jack and his new partner Leeza X find out something is amiss when they try to stop Weapon Smugglers. The pair must face opposition from the Glass Skyscrapers filled and media controlled 'Above' and The Dregs & Criminal Infested colonies of 'Below'. Jack and Leeza must also face their fears as they try to redeem a world from chaos, especially Jack, whose son was taken away by forces from 'Below', but might still be alive.

Development

Headhunter: Redemption is the second and final entry in the franchise Headhunter. According to creative director John Kroknes, the name of the game was chosen because it "sounds cool", and also in an attempt to reflect the studio's desire to "give real depth to [their] characters and storyline". Jack and his partner Leeza X "face personal demons and grow as characters during their adventure […]. They redeem themselves from past mistakes and give society a chance to start over."[4]

Gameplay-wise, Redemption retains "all the core elements of the Headhunter world" but focuses slightly less on stealth "in favour of more intense combat action": shooting "is the core, with a range of evasive manoeuvres" necessary to thrive against enemies. In spite of this, stealth often remains "a wise tactical approach - a way of evening the odds before plunging into a firefight." Bike riding sequences were removed in this sequel because many players found them "frustrating" in the first game. While developing Redemption, the team "felt that the biking sequences distracted from the flow of the story and the gameplay", and they didn't want to make it a "mini-game" or disappoint players by not offering "the kind of limitless roaming expect[ed] with vehicles today." That being said, Jack still rides his bike but, unlike in the previous game, it only appears in a few cutscenes, "pretty much for the nostalgia factor"[4].

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS2Xbox
Eurogamer5/10[5]
GameSpot6.1/10[6]6.1/10[6]
IGN7/10[7]7/10[7]
OPM (US)StarStarStar[8]
OXM (US)5.9/10[9]
Maxim6/10[10]6/10[10]
The TimesStarStarStarStar[11]StarStarStarStar[11]
Aggregate score
Metacritic62/100[12]59/100[13]

Headhunter Redemption received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[12][13]

According to John Kroknes, the game didn't sell well, due to a "complete lack of marketing support" from Sega.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Coming Soon". http://www.gpstore.com.au/. 
  2. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (27 August 2004). "What's New?". https://www.eurogamer.net/whatsnew-270804. 
  3. ↑ Sulic, Ivan (21 September 2004). "A Headhunter's Coming" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/21/a-headhunters-coming. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1  , Wikidata Q136346963
  5. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (31 August 2004). "Headhunter: Redemption (Xbox)". Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_headhunterredemption_x. Retrieved 3 February 2018. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Navarro, Alex (22 September 2004). "Headhunter: Redemption Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/headhunter-redemption-review/1900-6108225/. Retrieved 30 August 2012. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sulic, Ivan (15 September 2004). "Headhunter: Redemption". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/16/headhunter-redemption. Retrieved 30 August 2012. 
  8. ↑ "Headhunter: Redemption". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis): 120. November 2004. 
  9. ↑ "Headhunter Redemption". Official Xbox Magazine (Future plc): 96. December 2004. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Porter, Alex (21 September 2004). "Headhunter: Redemption". Biglari Holdings. Archived from the original on 25 September 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040925093320/http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews/review_games_8418.html. Retrieved 3 February 2018. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kendall, Nigel (25 September 2004). "Headhunter: Redemption". The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/france/paris/headhunter-redemption-skcgh3jd0ff. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Headhunter: Redemption for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/headhunter-redemption/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 30 August 2012. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Headhunter: Redemption for Xbox Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/headhunter-redemption/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved 30 August 2012. 
  14. ↑  , Wikidata Q136347350
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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