Software:Revenant (video game)

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Short description: 1999 isometric action role-playing game by Eidos Interactive
Revenant
A picture of Locke D'Averam, main protagonist of Revenant
Developer(s)Cinematix Studios
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Composer(s)Victor J. Palagano III
Additional Music by: Patrick J. Collins
Ronny Moorings
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Revenant is an action role-playing video game produced by Cinematix Studios and released in 1999 by publisher Eidos Interactive.

Plot

Most of the game takes place in the town Misthaven and around the island Ahkuilon. Locke D'Averam is a revenant who is named after the House of Averam, which raised him from the dead. Immediately after being brought back from Anserak (Hell), Locke is sent on a quest by his new master, Sardok, who is the magical advisor to Lord Tendrick, ruler of the island. The quest is to locate and rescue Tendricks' long-missing daughter, the Princess Andria, who was kidnapped by a mysterious cult calling itself the Children of the Change that has been steadily taking over the island through control magic, taking control of various humans and other beings and creatures to bolster their ranks. Locke, under the magical control of Sardok as a revenant, has no choice but to accept the quest, in exchange for his freedom. The cult that Locke finds himself facing is led by mysterious and powerful demon known as Yhagoro.

It is revealed gradually that Locke was once king of an ancient empire that centered on Ahkuilon. Locke made a pact with a demon god called Kraxxus, of whom Yhagoro is a disciple attempting to resurrect him, but he could not bear the price, his wife's soul damned for eternity, and refused to sacrifice her. The demon god condemned Locke to an eternity of suffering in Anserak and his mighty empire was destroyed and pulled into the earth. The Princess Andria is revealed to be the reincarnation of Locke's lost Queen, and she has been kidnapped to complete the sacrifice to Kraxxus, though the cult must first locate the demonic power known as the Nahkranoth in order to do so.

As he explores Ahkuilon in pursuit of the missing Andria, Locke must face enemies and make allies against the Children of the Change. He allies with the Ogroks, slays Jhaga and Sabu, two ranking sorcerers in the cult, and frees the Druhg slaves from their grasps. Many characters in the game hint there is a "darkness" surrounding Locke and some seem to know of his past, including the mysterious sorcerer named Olihoot, who guides Locke through his journey and helps him rediscover his past. As the story builds to a climax, it becomes apparent that not all is as it seems and that history may repeat itself, with Locke finding and being imbued with the demonic power of the Nahkranoth, and steadily becoming unhinged by it, frightening many of the folk of Misthaven.

Sardok is revealed to be a traitor with an agenda of his own, murdering Olihoot as well as Lord Tendrick, before sending Locke back to Anserak to locate and slay Yhagoro and free the Princess Andria. Eventually Locke is able to defeat the cult and prevails in a fierce duel against Yhagoro, freeing the Princess from his grasp as well as those beings magically enslaved by the cult. Sardok appears as the husband and wife are reunited after ten thousand years, and murders Andria with a sacrificial dagger before attempting to take full control of Locke for his own purposes. In his rage, Locke is able to purge himself of the Nahkranoth, unleashing its power on Sardok instead and killing him.

In the end, free from Sardok's control at last, a grim, heartbroken and silent Locke picks up, cradles and carries his fallen beloved back to the portal to Ahkuilon.

Gameplay

Revenant's combat system changes in accordance with the control method used. Locke can be controlled with the mouse to perform standard attacks with minimal player input. In addition, the player can use the keyboard for finer control, gaining access to three basic attack types and the ability to chain them into special combos, some of which result in special death animations. These specialized kill moves are enemy-specific and range from crushing spiders with a stomp to beheading hostile swordsmen. A gamepad or joystick can also be used in a similar way to the keyboard method, with nearly every move or command able to be mapped to buttons or button combinations. In addition to permanent upgrades to his attributes like strength and agility, Locke gains extra fighting abilities after a level threshold has been reached. It is also possible to combine certain movements into a fluid cycle of attacks.

In addition to melee combat, a number of talismans can be combined to cast magic spells. Combinations can be found in scrolls. Spells vary from freezing to poisoning, and some spells lock opponents in place, allowing Locke to combine a magical attack with a special combat move.

Bows cannot be found as commonly in the single-player game but are readily available in multiplayer, giving players the ability to engage in ranged combat.

Development

Revenant underwent three name changes during development.[3] It was first announced under the title Forsaken: The Thrall of Chaos.[4] The graphics were developed with Direct3D.[4] The game was originally planned to be single-player-only.[4]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings74%[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[6]
CGSPStarStarStar[8]
CGWStarStarStar[9]
Eurogamer7/10[11]
GameRevolutionB−[12]
GameSpot7/10[13]
GameSpy90%[14]
IGN8.3/10[15]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[16]
PC Gamer (UK)82%[2]

Revenant received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[5] Jim Preston of NextGen said, "Diablo fans who need a quick fix will enjoy it, but it doesn't do much to transcend its genre."[16]

The game sold 37,000 units in the U.S. by March 2000; GameSpot's writer P. Stephan "Desslock" Janicki noted the game "sold quite poorly".[19]

References

  1. ↑ Lopez, Vincent (November 2, 1999). "Eidos Winter". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/03/eidos-winter. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Atherton, Ross (December 1999). "Revenant". PC Gamer UK (Future Publishing) (76): 105. 
  3. ↑ GameSpot staff (August 20, 1997). "Eidos Renames Forsaken [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/eidos-renames-forsaken/1100-2467209/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "NG Alphas: Forsaken: The Thrall of Chaos". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (34): 144. October 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_34/page/n147/mode/2up. Retrieved June 5, 2021. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Revenant for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/139180-revenant/index.html. 
  6. ↑ Shif, Gil Alexander. "Revenant - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18432&tab=review. 
  7. ↑ Dembo, Arinn (November 23, 1999). "Revenant". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-3442,00.html. 
  8. ↑ Vitous, Jeff (November 17, 1999). "Revenant". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/024/072/revenant_review.html. 
  9. ↑ Fortune, Greg (February 2000). "Alive and Dead (Revenant Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (187): 148. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_187.pdf. Retrieved October 13, 2023. 
  10. ↑ McLean-Foreman, John (January 5, 2000). "Revenant". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/reviews_article.php?article=1824. 
  11. ↑ Ellis, Keith "DNM" (February 24, 2000). "Revenant". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/revenant. 
  12. ↑ Johnny B. (November 1999). "Revenant Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33071-revenant-review. 
  13. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (November 5, 1999). "Revenant Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/revenant-review/1900-2532793/. 
  14. ↑ Keefer III, John (November 8, 1999). "Revenant". IGN Entertainment. http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/reviews/revenant_a.shtm. 
  15. ↑ Butts, Steve (November 5, 1999). "Revenant Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/11/06/revenant. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Preston, Jim (February 2000). "Revenant". NextGen (Imagine Media) (62): 104. https://archive.org/details/NextGen62Feb2000/page/n105/mode/2up. Retrieved June 5, 2021. 
  17. ↑ Lee, Ed (January 2000). "Revenant". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (17): 83. https://archive.org/details/PCXL17Jan2000/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved June 7, 2021. 
  18. ↑ Cavner, Brian (July 4, 2002). "Revenant". Emerald Shield Media LLC. https://www.rpgfan.com/review/revenant/. 
  19. ↑ Janicki, P. Stephan "Desslock" (May 11, 2000). "Desslock's Ramblings – RPG Sales Figures". Ziff Davis. http://desslock.gamespot.com/archives/200005/20000511.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 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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