Software:Obitus

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Obitus
Amiga cover art
Developer(s)Scenario Developments
Publisher(s)Psygnosis
Bullet-Proof Software
Platform(s)Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Super NES
Release1991
Genre(s)action-adventure game
Mode(s)Single-player

Obitus is an action-adventure game developed and released by Psygnosis in early 1991 for Amiga, Atari ST and DOS. It was also ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System by Bullet-Proof Software. The game features both first-person dungeon crawling and side-scrolling gameplay with action-oriented combat and an emphasis on item acquisition. It is similar to games like Eye of the Beholder on Super Nintendo but without the RPG mechanics.

Gameplay

Screenshot

Obitus combines several graphical styles and perspectives in a labyrinth-based game. Though nearly every piece of a forest or catacomb looks indistinguishable from the next screen, this can be dealt with by the player making physical maps, using the compass. The game is heavily focused on the need to make maps. Without them, the player will die long before making it to the end. There is very little food and time cannot be wasted walking around trying to find a way forward. The player's stamina bar steadily runs out and can only be replenished by sleeping, which can only be done safely beside a friendly NPC. Once the stamina bar is depleted, the player's health begins to deplete.

Obitus can be mistaken for a role-playing game when in actuality it functions like an action-adventure game. Players must traverse the game's mazes, gathering loot, items, weapons, and treasures in search of mystical gems while fighting enemies and avoiding traps. Upon reaching a castle, Obitus changes from first-person perspective to 2D side-scrolling complete with a new jumping ability. However, the game features no RPG-adjacent stats (just a stamina and health bar), no character progression, no experience points, no variable damage, an inventory instead of real equipment, and few other traditional RPG traits. The original box for the game references strategy and adventure but not role-playing.

Plot

The player takes on the role of medieval history lecturer Wil Mason, whose car breaks down while he drives through Snowdonia, Wales in a storm. He seeks refuge in a deserted tower, only to wake up in a strange world.

King Cullen passed control of the peaceful land Obitus to his four sons, warning them to stand united or the land would fall into evil hands. To symbolise the unity, the king gave each of his sons a Gem of Tranquility, which when joined conjured a mystical force to protect the land. Some time after the transfer of power took place, an evil sorceress sought to take advantage of the princes' fraternal pact. She told them each in confidence that they must break from the others in order to obtain personal wealth and power. The princes took these words to heart and fought for control of the kingdom. When the battle was over, each prince had one of the gems and one quarter of the land, and the power of the gems had been broken. Only by reuniting them in the Tower Obitus can the kingdom be saved.

Reception

Allen L. Greenberg of Computer Gaming World liked the no-typing interface, graphics, and sound, but stated that the documentation was so poor that players would be better off not reading it. Despite stating that the game lacked depth, the magazine stated that Obitus "can be a satisfying experience" that "offers many hours of exploration and danger, and plenty to see".[1] David Upchurch of ACE gave the Amiga version a score of 830 (out of a possible 1000), praising the graphics and gameplay, but noting that it may not appeal to hard-core RPG enthusiasts.[2] Electronic Gaming Monthly asserted the reverse in their review of the Super NES version, that the game would appeal to RPG enthusiasts but not those who dislike RPGs. They gave it a 6.4 out of 10, summarizing it as "a slow-moving RPG that will appeal more to patient gamers."[3]

German gaming magazine Amiga Joker gave the Amiga version of Obitus an overall score of 73%, complimenting the 3D graphics and comparing the environment to 1984 ASCII game Beast but "complete with trigger happy enemies and delicate parallax scrolling." In regards to gameplay, Amiga Joker stated "if Obitus were just an action game, the combat sequences would be a bit sparse, but as a change of pace from the puzzles they are very OK ... all in all Obitus isn't the peak of originality, but for an adventure-like game, because of the simple controls, it is a very good experience."[4]

GamePro gave the Super NES version of Obitus four out of five stars, praising its music, controls and UI, and the blending of a classic RPG with side-scrolling action gameplay, stating they "work well together. ... The real-time fighting action is a good adrenaline break in your travels. On its own, though, it's nothing special." Despite this, GamePro goes on to describe Obitus as "unambitious", and criticizes some instances of the game's animation as "stiff", and sound effects as "repetitive".[5]

References

  1. ↑ Greenberg, Allen L. (May 1991). "If Every Cliche Were Reality". Computer Gaming World (82): 43–44. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=82. Retrieved 17 November 2013. 
  2. ↑ Upchurch, David (March 1991). Obitus (review of Amiga version). ACE, p. 52.
  3. ↑ "Review Crew: Obitus". Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM Media, LLC) (54): 42. January 1994. 
  4. ↑ "Obitus Amiga Review". Amiga Joker (Joker Verlag): 10. February 1991. https://archive.org/details/Amiga_Joker_1991-02_Joker_Verlag_DE/page/n9. 
  5. ↑ "Obitus Review". GamePro (IDG) (53): 262. December 1993. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_053_December_1993. 
  • 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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