Software:Soldier of Fortune: Payback

Short description: 2007 video game

Soldier of Fortune: Payback
Developer(s)	Cauldron HQ
Publisher(s)	Activision
Producer(s)	Jozef Hudec
Designer(s)	Martin Hornák
Programmer(s)	Marián Suran
Artist(s)	Ľuboš Lednár
Composer(s)	Juraj Karkuš
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Release	Microsoft Windows NA: November 13, 2007 EU: December 7, 2007 AU: March 19, 2008 Xbox 360 NA: November 13, 2007 EU: December 7, 2007 AU: April 23, 2008 PlayStation 3 NA: November 20, 2007 AU: March 5, 2008 EU: April 11, 2008
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a first-person shooter video game and the third installment in the Soldier of Fortune franchise, following Software:Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. It is the first game in the series released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released on November 13, 2007. The storyline revolves around a revenge plot against a global terrorist organization.

Unlike the previous two Soldier of Fortune games, which were developed by Raven Software using the id Tech 2 and id Tech 3 engines created by id Software, Payback was developed by Cauldron HQ.

The game received tepid to mostly negative reviews, with critics noting that while the visuals were appealing, the gameplay was uninspired. As with the previous games in the series, Payback featured detailed character modeling and gore effects. Due to its high level of violence, the Office of Film and Literature Classification in Australia refused to classify the game. Following the ban, a modified version was released on April 23, 2008, which removed extreme violence and dismemberment.

Plot

After freelance mercenary Thomas Mason (Kyle Hebert) is betrayed by his comrade during a mission, he vows revenge against a global terrorist organization whose operatives are all marked with the same tattoo on their necks.

Development

The game was never originally intended to be based on the Soldier of Fortune license. It began life as a budget title developed under the working name Mercenaries Wanted. A few months prior to its release, Activision saw potential for a full-priced launch and decided to brand the game under the existing Soldier of Fortune series. This title's elements, particularly the game's cutscenes, were created at the last minute in an effort to tie the story to the series.

John Mullins, the protagonist from the previous games, was initially intended to appear as a mentor or partner character who would work alongside Mason throughout the narrative. Mullins was supposed to reveal that years of combat and the aftermath of the second game had turned him into a greedy, bloodthirsty figure, ultimately leading to his betrayal of Mason. However, for unknown reasons, Mullins was removed from the final version of the game. Instead, a new, similar-looking character named Colonel Miller was introduced in his place, allowing the betrayal plot to be retained.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic (PC) 45/100 (PS3) 50/100 (X360) 50/100 Review scores Publication Score Eurogamer 3/10 GameSpot 4.5/10 GameSpy GamesRadar+ GameZone 6/10 IGN 5.9/10

The game received negative reviews. While most critics praised its character modeling and gore effects, they criticized the gameplay and overall execution. Jason Ocampo of GameSpot gave it a score of 4.5/10, stating, "This shooter is a great exercise in pattern memorization and trial-and-error gameplay." He also remarked that it "looks pretty." Jay Frechette of 1Up.com rated the game 5.5/10, commenting, "Soldier of Fortune doesn't cross the line of being a bad game, but it hardly ever breaks the surface of mediocrity either."

Bans

On October 16, 2007, the game was refused classification by Australia's federal classification board, the Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC). This effectively banned the game throughout Australia, as video games that have been refused OFLC classification cannot be sold, advertised, or imported. Activision modified the game to meet OFLC standards, and it was re-classified with an MA15+ rating. This version does not include radical violence; dismemberment has been completely removed. Activision released the modified game in Australia on April 23, 2008.

The original version was placed on the index of Germany's Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM) even before it was officially released in the country. It was subsequently banned nationwide.

A censored version was briefly listed on Steam.

External links

• 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. 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". This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months. 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. A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.

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. 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. 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.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount. This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign. 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). Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel, and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million. The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager. 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. This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue. Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.

See also

• IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions