Software:Martian Gothic: Unification

From HandWiki
Short description: 2000 video game
Martian Gothic: Unification
Developer(s)
  • Creative Reality
  • Coyote Developments (PS)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Stephen Marley
Producer(s)
  • Luke Vernon
  • Lee Brown
Programmer(s)
  • Neil Dodwell
  • Martin Wong
Artist(s)
  • David Dew
  • Julian Holtom
  • Paul Oglesby
Writer(s)Stephen Marley
Composer(s)Jeremy Taylor (firQ)
Platform(s)
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
PlayStation
  • AU: October 21, 2000
  • EU: October 5, 2001
  • NA: November 16, 2001[3]
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Martian Gothic: Unification is a 2000 survival horror video game developed by Creative Reality for Microsoft Windows and Coyote Developments for the PlayStation and published by TalonSoft for Microsoft Windows and Take-Two Interactive for the PlayStation. It takes place on a Martian base in the year 2019, where a crew of three have been tasked to investigate 10 months of radio silence. They soon find that the crew members of the base have been killed, and now become re-animated bloodthirsty zombies.

The PlayStation version was one of a number of "budget titles" released near the end of the system's lifespan.

Gameplay

The game is very similar to the Resident Evil series: third-person perspective; fixed camera angle; tank controls; limited ammunition; strategic inventory management; countdown timer at the climax; and obtaining key-type items for progression. The game focuses heavily on puzzle solving and exploration, rather than combat. The game is centered on three playable characters that are separated, but can be swapped between at any time, similar to Day of the Tentacle. Whilst characters can communicate via radio, if they ever meet face-to-face, it will result in a game-over.

Synopsis

Setting

Set in 2019, the megacorporation Earth Control has built the Vita-01 research station on Mars, located adjacent to Olympus Mons, and the first human settlement on the planet. The corridors and segments of the base are named after famous street names. The base was established following the discovery of ancient Martian bacteria, found within a meteorite in Antarctica. By the time of the game's main events, the Vita-01 base has been radio silent for ten months; the last transmission to Earth warns all future persons that come into contact with the base to "stay alone, stay alive."

Characters

The player assumes the roles of three characters sent to investigate Vita-01: American security officer Martin Karne; British bacteriologist Diane Matlock; and Japanese systems analyst Kenzo Uji. The two non-player characters are MOOD, a sentient artificial intelligence that manages the base, and medical officer John Farr (although often referred to as Ben Gunn[4]), the deranged sole survivor of the base's initial crisis. Whilst deceased by the game's events, base director Judith Harroway is the most prominent voice featured in recovered audio recordings.

Plot

Karne, Matlock, and Kenzo arrive on Mars to investigate Earth Control's Vita-01 base, but the base's dysfunctional automated landing system causes the crash landing of their spacecraft, immediately hampering their ability to leave Mars. They enter the base by separate airlocks, in compliance with the base's final transmitted warning to enter alone. Investigating the base, the three find the inhabitants have died and subsequently revived as bloodthirsty "Non-Dead", and groups of three have merged into powerful monsters named "Trimorphs",[5] explaining the warning to "stay alone" – should the investigation crew come into contact, they too risk transforming into one.

The crew investigate the base's downfall and cause of zombification, utilising the "vac-tube" delivery system to collaborate whilst maintaining separation. They manage to repair the base's damaged systems, such as oxygen recycling and solar power generator, to ensure their survival and progression. They also encounter paranormal events, such as floating corpses, ghosts, and reports that the base staff experienced shared dreaming.

Eventually, Kenzo gains access to MOOD, the artificial intelligence that manages the base, and revealed to have been assisting the three by transmitting passcodes to their smart watches. Entering MOOD's simulated reality interface, Kenzo learns that the decontamination procedure they each experienced upon entering the base has infected them with the same biological contagion that is reanimating the dead. He also unlocks the base's bulkheads, enabling non-linear exploration. As Kenzo leaves MOOD, it hints that Karne is hiding a secret.

Matlock discovers that the base director Judith Harroway is actually Karne's estranged partner, and they are able to use Karne's voice to unlock Harroway's diary entries. They piece together that the base staff discovered a long-dead alien civilization named "the Kurakarak" within the Olympus Mons volcano. There they excavated a "Pandora's Box", mistaken for a coffin but actually containing a hibernating alien queen. Exhuming the body awoke the alien, whose strong psionic powers began paranormal anomalies, leading to mass hysteria and deaths across the base.[6] Opening the container also released the contagion which reanimated the dead and hastened the base's demise.

Karne shares his secret: he and Harroway are members of a resistance movement against Earth Control; they have both come to Vita-01 on suspicion that Earth Control are interested in weaponizing the alien discoveries for psionic warfare. Matlock and Kenzo agree to help Karne's efforts to prevent this.

Karne encounters and trades items with doctor John Farr, the deranged sole survivor of the base's outbreak but prone to alien possession, hiding in the cafeteria. When Kenzo visits him sometime later, he finds Farr has guillotined himself. Kenzo recovers his head, and they attach it to a corpse so that he can be psionically revived and advise them how to approach the queen without going insane. Using his instructions, the three explore the alien necropolis in Olympus Mons, extracting breast milk and blood samples from the queen, and flesh of a Trimorph. Using the samples, Matlock is able to develop a serum that cures them, whilst Karne plants explosives within an Olympus Mons fissure.

Now cured, the three are able to board the base's departure spacecraft. However, before it can launch, MOOD reports its connection to the launch hatch is damaged, and must be opened manually. Karne volunteers and succeeds, but is unable to return to the spacecraft in time; his sacrifice allows Matlock and Kenzo to safely evacuate back to Earth. The explosives detonate, erupting Olympus Mons so that it destroys Vita-01 and the necropolis, thus preventing further psionic discoveries by Earth Control.

Development

Creative Reality's last game shares the same team and same writer as Dreamweb, and as such it relies heavily on writing and puzzles. In an interview with Stephen Marley for Retroaction,[7] he stated that he was unhappy with the final product.

In this interview it was revealed that the game was initially entitled "Martian Gothic" but during the game's development the team referred to it as "Unification" based on one of the development team's favourite Star Trek episode of the same name as it loosely fitted the theme of a point and click adventure game. This theme was eventually changed to a survival horror game, but it kept many of the item based puzzles from its original concept. As a result of both names a compromise was made to suffix Stephen's title "Martian Gothic" with "Unification" to create Martian Gothic: Unification.

There was also a significant downgrade of the textures for the PlayStation version, but it did allow the player to save game progress more often.[8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS
Adventure GamersStar[9]N/A
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[10]StarStarStarHalf star[11]
CGSPStarStarStarHalf star[12]N/A
Eurogamer8/10[13]N/A
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[14]N/A
GameSpot5.6/10[8]5.9/10[15]
GameSpy50%[16]N/A
IGN7.9/10[17]N/A
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStarHalf star[18]
PC Gamer (US)71%[19]N/A
Aggregate scores
GameRankings59%[20]65%[21]
MetacriticN/A64/100[22]

The PlayStation version of Martian Gothic: Unification received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[22] Duncan Turner of IGN said that the PC version had "a lot to offer...the story -- though seemingly cobbled together from many different sci-fi plots -- is engaging and keeps you guessing."[17] Steve Smith of GameSpot stated the same console version was a "missed opportunity" as the designers had good ideas but did not mix the game elements into a balanced game."[8] One of more positive reviews came from PlayStation Illustrated.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "UK release date list updated" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2000-05-26. https://www.eurogamer.net/article-27714. 
  2. ↑ "New Releases". http://www.ebworld.com/ebx/categories/newReleases/morenr-PC.asp. 
  3. ↑ "Martian Gothic: Unification - PlayStation". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150713072330/http://www.ign.com/games/martian-gothic-unification/ps-14925. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  4. ↑ Karne: The name says John Farr on your ID badge. / John: Yes that's right, I'm John Farr, medical officer... Biolab, something... No, that was in another country, and besides the wench is dead! I'm Ben Gunn, alone on Trimorph Island. Creative Reality (May 31, 2000). Martian Gothic: Unification. PC. TalonSoft. 
  5. ↑ Judith: I watched people clumping together, three-in-one. Threefold beings. Abominations. Creative Reality (May 31, 2000). Martian Gothic: Unification. PC. TalonSoft. 
  6. ↑ Judith: Some of the guns are missing from the storerooms. [...] In the washroom a few minutes ago, I looked in the mirror and saw a figure standing behind me. The reflection at my back was the image of myself. [...] Some of the crew went mad, firing widly. Creative Reality (May 31, 2000). Martian Gothic: Unification. PC. TalonSoft. 
  7. ↑ Nreive (June 30, 2011). "Stephen Marley talks Martian Gothic". http://retroactionmagazine.com/retroactionextra/stephen-marley-talks-martian-gothic/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Smith, Steve (May 25, 2000). "Martian Gothic: Unification Review (PC)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/martian-gothic-unification-review/1900-2577093/. Retrieved February 3, 2016. 
  9. ↑ Schembri, Tamara (May 20, 2002). "Martian Gothic: Unification (PC)". Archived from the original on September 17, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020917011419/http://www.adventuregamers.com/display.php?id=91. Retrieved February 9, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Woods, Nick. "Martian Gothic: Unification (PC) - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141117061318/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=25035&tab=review. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  11. ↑ Thompson, Jon. "Martian Gothic: Unification (PS) - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116050854/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=25720&tab=review. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  12. ↑ Hunt, David Ryan (June 12, 2000). "Martian Gothic: Unification". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on May 12, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030512031143/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/028/083/martiang_review.html. Retrieved February 9, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Ellis, Keith "DNM" (May 13, 2000). "Martian Gothic : Unification (PC)". Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 7, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010107190700/http://www.eurogamer.net/content/mgothic. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  14. ↑ Burns, Enid (June 23, 2000). "Martian Gothic: Unification Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050214065100/http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/5951.shtml. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  15. ↑ Provo, Frank (January 25, 2002). "Martian Gothic: Unification Review (PS)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/martian-gothic-unification-review/1900-2842659/. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  16. ↑ Madigan, Jamie (June 19, 2000). "Martian Gothic: Unification (PC)". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 10, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010110080700/http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/mgu_a.shtm. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Turner, Duncan (June 6, 2000). "Martian Gothic: Unification". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/07/martian-gothic-unification. Retrieved February 3, 2016. 
  18. ↑ "Martian Gothic: Unification". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (54): 34. March 2002. 
  19. ↑ Rausch, Allan (2000). "Martian Gothic: Unification". PC Gamer (Future US). Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315144832/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/martian_gothic.html. Retrieved June 16, 2018. 
  20. ↑ "Martian Gothic: Unification for PC". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190530040608/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/914350-martian-gothic-unification/index.html. Retrieved April 5, 2013. 
  21. ↑ "Martian Gothic: Unification for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190527044636/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/258283-martian-gothic-unification/index.html. Retrieved April 5, 2013. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Martian Gothic: Unification for PlayStation Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/martian-gothic-unification/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation. Retrieved April 5, 2013. 
  23. ↑ Paddock, Matt (2001). "Martian Gothic: Unification". http://www.psillustrated.com/psillustrated/soft_rev.php/714/martian-gothic-unification-playstation.html. Retrieved February 19, 2014. 
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Martian_Gothic:_Unification&oldid=3966816"