Software:Reah: Face the Unknown

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Short description: 1998 video game
Reah
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)LK Avalon (EU)
GT Interactive (NA), Project Two Interactive, Black Friar
EngineV-Cruise engine
Release
Genre(s)Adventure, puzzle

Reah: Face the Unknown, known in North America as simply Reah, is a 1998 first-person puzzle-oriented adventure game with a non-linear plot, described as a Myst-clone. It was developed by Project Two Interactive / Black Friar and published by Detalion and LK Avalon. It was distributed by Erbe in Spain on October 10, 1998.[3] It was published by Project 2 Interactive in the Netherlands, and distributed in the United States . and Canada by GT Interactive in 1999.[4]

The game was originally made in the Polish language before being dubbed into English, and has subtitles available in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish.[5] A sequel of the game was released entitled Schizm (a.k.a. Reah II).[6][7][8][9] The game was originally released in two different formats: a CD version and a DVD version.[10]

Gameplay

The game is a first-person perspective puzzle-oriented adventure game.[10] Elements of the gameplay have been compared to Myst, Riven, The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour, and Zork Nemesis.[11][12]

The game has over 150 scenarios, a supernatural-sounding musical landscape, and a non-linear plot.[13]

Plot

The main player is stranded at a human colony base of a planet named Reah which had been set up to investigate an alien artifact. The player must return home to reveal their shocking discoveries.[14]

Development

Conception

The game was developed in Poland by LK Avalon and Detalion.[10] The Detalion founders had met in the early 1990s while collaborating with Polish developer-publisher LK Avalon, and soon began working on ambitious projects.[15] The game was intentionally designed to be non-violent so as to appeal to a broader range of players.[16] The full-time team who worked on Reah and its sequel, Schizm, consisted of six people, though the productions had an extended roster of hired help including actors, text writers, and sound designers.[15] Resources were increased in later games due to the industry standards of professional outsourcers, localization and animation studios, while maintaining both quality and low costs.[15]

Production

The game used the V-Cruise gaming engine,[16] the QMixer sound engine licensed from QSound Labs, and the DVD-ROM version used MP3s from Fraunhofer Institut.[17] Once the gameplay and text were completed by the in-house staff, it was sent to the relevant people to flesh out. However, the staff felt a sense of confusion and uncertainty about their work, and decided that in the future they would hire a professional sci-fi writer to develop the story from the very early stages of production.[15] While this was not the case with Reah, Detalion decided that as a rule of thumb, the story writer should also be the gameplay author.[15]

As the Polish video gaming industry was still in its infant stages, everyone involved in the production knew each other. There were no tertiary courses to teach people the required skills, so they learnt while making games with more experienced colleagues. The small teams in the production of games such as Reah had no issues with communication or bureaucracy that appear in larger organisations.[15]

Release

The Computer Show thought the game could have been a surprise hit upon its original proposed release date of April 1998.[18] PC Action announced the game would be released in August 1998.[19] However, PC Zone noted that they had still not received a copy of the game by January 1999, remarking that such was usually indicative of one of two things: that the game is bad and the company is therefore scared to have it sent off for review before it is sold, and that they hadn't yet decided on release dates.[citation needed]

Project Two Interactive revealed in May 1999 that the DVD version of the game would be released in retail outlets in June through GT Interactive's affiliate label program. This version was 10 gigabytes with a compression ratio of 50%, compared to the CD-ROM version which was 3.6 gigabytes over six discs with a compression ratio of 80%. This made the DVD version one of the largest games in the market[20][21] when it was officially shipped on June 16.[22][23]

Author Terry Dowling, who was playing Reah at the time, contacted Detalion and was propositioned with writing the sci-fi story of the sequel, Schizm, which he accepted.[15]

On October 24, 2017 digital distributor GOG.com made Reah: Face the Unknown and Schizm: Mysterious Journey available without digital rights management restrictions[24] after the game had been unavailable for sale for a number of years.[16]

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings56%[25]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Adventure GamersStarStarStar[26]
AllGameStarStarStarStar[27]
CGSPStarStarHalf star[28]
Game Informer7.75/10[30]
GameProStarStar[31]
GameRevolutionC+[32]
GameSpot4.9/10[33]
IGN5/10[34]
PC PowerPlay78%[35]

The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[25] The general consensus was that the scenery was beautiful and detailed, while the writing and plot were underdeveloped and without forward momentum.[citation needed] Reviews regarding the puzzles and gameplay mechanics were mixed.[citation needed] However most critics felt that despite the downsides, they ultimately had an enjoyable experience.[citation needed]

When reviewing Schizm, Just Adventure's Cindy Kyser commented that the prequel Reah was "a visually stunning yet dismal game [design and writing] that ranks high on my personal list of 'worst of genre' ", adding that Schizm "corrects almost every flaw that made Reah so painful to play".[36] Tap Repeatedly criticised the game's "three too-too-hard endgame puzzles" which when completed led to an unclimactic resolution, and thought that Detalion had committed the same error in Schizm.[37] IGN implied in 2000 that the game was not remembered by the public.[38]

References

  1. ↑ Perry Gentry (March 12, 1999). "What's in Stores Next Week". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-2566,00.html. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (March 16, 1999). "Space Sim Ships". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/16/space-sim-ships. 
  3. ↑ "Reah - Videojuegos". 11 March 2012. https://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://meristation.as.com/pc/reah/juego/1506406&prev=search. 
  4. ↑ Suzanne Houghton (February 22, 1999). "Reah: Face the Unknown". Online Magazine. http://www.gamezilla.com/reviews/r/reah.asp. 
  5. ↑ Rosemary Young (December 1998). "Reah: Face the Unknown". http://members.iinet.net.au/~quandary/issue14/reah.html. 
  6. ↑ "Update log". July 8, 2000. http://userdata.acd.net/mrbill/reviews.htm. 
  7. ↑ "Reah: Face the Unknown Review - Mr. Bill's Adventureland". http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/reviews/q-r/reahR/reahR.htm. 
  8. ↑ "New Games on the Horizon". June 5, 2000. http://userdata.acd.net/mrbill/newgames.htm. 
  9. ↑ "SCHIZM Start Page". http://www.schizm.com/start.html. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Reah - game". http://www.detalion.com/reah/game.html. 
  11. ↑ Black Friar (November 9, 1998). "Reah". Unusual Publishing Ltd. http://www.itreviews.co.uk/games/g21.htm. 
  12. ↑ Farah Houston (1998). "Reah: Face the Unknown - Main Review". Attitude Network, Ltd.. http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/nov98/reah.html. 
  13. ↑ "Reah" (in it). http://www.3dplanet.it/schede/reah.htm. 
  14. ↑ "Reah: Face the Unknown (PC)". Yahoo!. http://uk.gamesdomain.yahoo.com/pc/reah_face_the_unknown. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Igor Hardy (June 13, 2008). "Lukasz Pisarek - City Interactive". http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/378/. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Reah: Summary". http://www.reah.com/game.html. 
  17. ↑ "Reah: Features". http://www.reah.com/features.html. 
  18. ↑ Al Giovetti. "Reah: Face the Unknown". http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/reviews/reahfacetheunknown.htm. 
  19. ↑ "Reah preview" (in de). PC Action (Computec): 19. September 1998. https://archive.org/details/pcaction_magazine-1998-09/page/n17/mode/2up. Retrieved February 28, 2021. 
  20. ↑ James Fudge (May 7, 1999). "Reah DVD Coming in Early June". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/019/122/reahdvd_soon.html. 
  21. ↑ "Reah". http://www.atoelke.demon.co.uk/reah.htm. 
  22. ↑ James Fudge (June 16, 1999). "Project Two Ships Reah on DVD". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/020/137/reah_dvd.html. 
  23. ↑ IGN staff (June 16, 1999). "News Briefs". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/17/news-briefs-297. 
  24. ↑ "Release: Reah: Face the Unknown & Schizm: Mysterious Journey". CD Projekt. https://www.gog.com/news/release_reah_schizm. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Reah for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198431-reah/index.html. 
  26. ↑ Heidi Fournier (May 19, 2002). "Reah: Face the Unknown review". Nito Games. https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17491. 
  27. ↑ Anthony Reed. "Reah - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18431&tab=review. 
  28. ↑ Andrew S. Bub (March 13, 1999). "Reah". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/018/092/reah_review.html. 
  29. ↑ Sean Miller (April 1, 1999). "Reah: Face the Unknown". Greedy Productions. http://www.elecplay.com/reviewfull_288.html. 
  30. ↑ Paul Bergren (September 1999). "Reah". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (77). 
  31. ↑ Karen Eng (1999). "Reah: An Atmospheric Adventure Game [sic Review for PC on GamePro.com"]. GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/823.shtml. 
  32. ↑ Johnny Liu (March 1999). "Reah Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32926-reah-review. 
  33. ↑ Stephen Poole (May 24, 1999). "Reah Review [date mislabeled as "May 5, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/reah-review/1900-2532724/. 
  34. ↑ Steve Butts (April 19, 1999). "Reah". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/20/reah. 
  35. ↑ Brett Robinson (January 1999). "Reah". PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (32): 100. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-032-1999-01/page/n99/mode/2up. Retrieved February 18, 2021. 
  36. ↑ Cindy Kyser (August 16, 2001). "Schizm (Mysterious Journey) - CD Version Review". Just Adventure, LLC. https://www.justadventure.com/2001/08/16/schizm-mysterious-journey-cd-version-review/. 
  37. ↑ "Four Fat Chicks -- Schizm Review". http://www.tap-repeatedly.com/Reviews/Schizm/Schizm.shtml. 
  38. ↑ IGN staff (November 1, 2000). "Project Two Returns from the Dead". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/02/project-two-returns-from-the-dead. 
  • Home page
  • 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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