Software:Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader

From HandWiki
Short description: 2003 video game
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
Developer(s)Reflexive Entertainment
Publisher(s)Black Isle Studios
Producer(s)Lars Brubaker
Designer(s)Ion Hardie
Programmer(s)James C. Smith
Artist(s)Jeff McAteer
Writer(s)Eric Dallaire
Composer(s)Inon Zur
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • NA: 12 August 2003
  • AU: 26 August 2003
  • UK: 12 September 2003
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader is an action role-playing game developed by Reflexive Entertainment and published by Interplay Entertainment subsidiary Black Isle Studios for Windows, released in August 2003. The game is viewed from a 3/4 isometric camera angle. It focuses on a protagonist, controlled by the player, as he travels on a quest that constitutes the central focus of the game. The plot stipulates a rift in reality that drastically altered medieval history by allowing demons and other similar beings to enter the mortal realm. During the game, the protagonist encounters and interacts with numerous historical figures such as Joan of Arc, Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei who are represented as non-player characters.

Lionheart utilizes the SPECIAL role-playing system, which was first used in the Fallout series, and in this game functions primarily in adding points to specific skills in separate trees to strengthen a character's "Spiritkind", which has a personality and nature chosen by the player at the start of the game.

Gameplay

As Lionheart implements the SPECIAL system, the character creation is similar to that of the Fallout series. Players begin by setting the values of their characters' strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility and luck, and selecting "traits", which alter a character's inherent abilities for either better or worse, for the duration of the game. In addition, the player must distribute points to "skills" – abilities which a character uses to achieve various effects. One skill, "diplomacy," allows the player to talk their way out of situations gone awry, while another, "sneak", allows the player to move undetected by enemies. Unlike the Fallout series, Lionheart also allows the player to select magical skills – an example being "discord", which turns hostile enemies against one another.

Players also select "perks" during the course of the game – abilities similar to traits, which affect a character's abilities in some form. For example, the ability "Superior Senses" grants the player character a +1 bonus to his or her perception and +15 skill points in the "find traps/secret doors" skill.

Another element newly introduced by Lionheart is the player's selection of a "Spiritkind" for their character, which is done during character generation at the game's start. A Spiritkind is a spirit, which is either demonic, elemental or bestial, that resides in the player character and occasionally rouses to explain happenings or gameplay mechanics, or advance the plot.

The character generated by the player is the only character a player has direct control over, and though characters will occasionally join a player's adventuring party, they are AI-controlled without exception.

Plot

The setting of Lionheart is an alternate history created by the occurrence of the Disjunction, a rip in the fabric of time that introduces magic into the world. This event occurred when Richard the Lionheart massacred prisoners at the Siege of Acre during the Third Crusade, a decision exploited by a mysterious source to fuel a ritual that tore the fabric of reality and caused magic to enter the world from other dimensions.[1]

The game takes place in 1588 and initially set in an alternate history version of Barcelona. In this time, the Spanish Armada is almost set to invade England, and the Inquisition is rampant. Lionheart features several Renaissance figures who make ahistorical appearances in the game, including Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The plot of Lionheart sees the player character, discovered to be a descendent of Richard the Lionheart, inherit the powers obtained during the Disjunction. Players follow the story through aligning with one of the four main factions in the game – the Knights Templar, the Inquisition, the Knights of Saladin and the Wielders – and are tasked with stopping an attempt to permanently open the dimensional rift, and alter the course of European history.[2]

Development

Reflexive Entertainment was approached by Black Isle Studios to develop a game after playing their previous title Software:Zax: The Alien Hunter, an isometric game using the same engine.[3] Ion Hardie states Black Isle originally wanted Reflexive Entertainment to develop a game in the vein of Fallout using the SPECIAL system.[4] Chris Avellone recalls the decision to use SPECIAL was an attempt to "try and help boost sales by leveraging Fallout fan interest".[5]

Production of Lionheart was strained, with both developer and publisher in financial stress. Ion Hardie notes Reflexive Entertainment was "literally one day away from making hard choices that might have shut us down for good when we got the contract (for Lionheart)". Interplay also bore significant financial issues that prevented them from providing the developer with milestone payments, with Hardie stating "(Interplay) had issues getting us the initial payment.[5]

Release

Lionheart went gold on 16 July 2003. As with other Interplay titles at the time, Vivendi Universal Games handled North American distribution while Avalon Interactive handled European distribution.[6] The game was released in 2003 in North America on 12 August,[7] Australia on 26 August,[8] and the United Kingdom on 12 September.[9]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic57/100[10]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStarHalf star[11]
Game Informer8.5/10[12]
GameRevolutionD[13]
GameSpot6.5/10[14]
GameSpyStarStar[15]
GameZone7.2/10[16]
IGN6.8/10[17]
PC Gamer (UK)72%[18]
PC Gamer (US)61%[19]
X-PlayStarStarStar[20]

Lionheart received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[10] GameSpot's Greg Kasavin noted that although Lionheart seems to promote diverse character creation, the significant focus on monster-infested areas "all but forces you to play as some sort of combat-oriented character."[14] The game was also criticised for its attempts at promoting "Diablo-style," hack-and-slash gameplay after a more dialogue-driven approach in the earlier stages of the game. IGN's Barry Brenesal wrote, "the problem of deciding what kind of game it really wants to be, RPG or Diablo clone, is probably the most serious problem it's got." He continued that Lionheart "feels like a good game got lost somewhere en route, and ended up being pushed out the door with some basic features missing."[17] RPGamer's Steven Bellotti assessed that the game "starts out so promising," but "once you get out of Barcelona and into the wider world, [it] falls flat on its face."[21]

Conversely the game was praised for both its musical score, which was described as "excellent," and voice-acting, which was exclaimed to be "top-notch."[17] The SPECIAL system-fueled character creation was called "great."[21]

References

  1. ↑ "Lionheart: An interview with Ion Hardie – The stories". 2003. https://www.gamerstemple.com/previews/pc/343/1/lionheart-an-interview-with-ion-hardie. 
  2. ↑ "Lionheart: An interview with Ion Hardie – The game world". 2003. https://www.gamerstemple.com/games/000343/000343p102.asp. 
  3. ↑ Knudsen, Kurt (12 August 2003). "Lionheart Interview". http://www.gamershell.com/reviews_LionheartInterview.shtml. 
  4. ↑ "Ion Hardie of Reflexive Entertinament". 5 August 2002. https://www.eurogamer.net/i-lionheart. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Ion Hardie on Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader". 18 January 2007. https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=10505. 
  6. ↑ Calvert, Justin (July 16, 2003). "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader goes gold". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/lionheart-legacy-of-the-crusader-goes-gold/1100-6071765/. 
  7. ↑ "Lionheart Delayed to August" (in en). 2003-03-27. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/03/27/lionheart-delayed-to-august. 
  8. ↑ "Recent Releases". http://www.gpstore.com.au/platform.x?platform=pc. "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader -- 26/08" 
  9. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (September 12, 2003). "What's New?". https://www.eurogamer.net/news120903whatsnew. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/lionheart-legacy-of-the-crusader/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  11. ↑ Coffey, Robert (November 2003). "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader". Computer Gaming World (232): 134–35. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_232.pdf. Retrieved April 22, 2017. 
  12. ↑ "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader". Game Informer (126): 141. October 2003. 
  13. ↑ Dodson, Joe (September 2003). "Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader Review"]. Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/lionheart. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Kasavin, Greg (August 18, 2003). "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/lionheart-legacy-of-the-crusader-review/1900-6073380/. 
  15. ↑ Abner, William (September 2, 2003). "GameSpy: Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/lionheart/6139p1.html. 
  16. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (August 25, 2003). "Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader – PC – Review"]. GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/lionheart_pc_review. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Brenesal, Barry (August 26, 2003). "Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader"]. http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/26/lionheart-2. 
  18. ↑ "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader". PC Gamer UK. October 2003. 
  19. ↑ Peckham, Matthew (November 2003). "Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader"]. PC Gamer: 132. http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/lionheart.html. Retrieved April 22, 2017. 
  20. ↑ Bemis, Greg (September 24, 2003). "'Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader' (PC) Review". X-Play. http://www.techtv.com/xplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3521215,00.html. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Bellotti, Steven (2003). "Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader – Review". RPGamer. http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/pc/lionheart/reviews/lionheartstrev1.html. 
  • 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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