Software:Spy Fiction

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Spy Fiction
Developer(s)Access Games
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Hidetaka Suehiro
Producer(s)Kuniaki Kakuwa
Artist(s)Range Murata
Writer(s)Hidetaka Suehiro
Composer(s)Yoshiyuki Ishii
Dota Ando
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: December 25, 2003
  • NA: August 31, 2004
  • EU: October 1, 2004
Genre(s)Action-adventure, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Spy Fiction (スパイフィクション, Supai Fikushon) is a 2003 stealth-based video game by Access Games for the PlayStation 2.[1]

The game is promoted as "stealth action inspired by genre-defined espionage classics" and gives players the ability to disguise themselves as any character in the game. The lack of advertising before release and realism in the game are commonly cited as reasons why this game was outshone by its competitors in the stealth genre and sold poorly.

Plot

The fictional Special Execution Agency (S.E.A.) sends three operatives from their Phantom Unit, Billy Bishop, Sheila Crawford and Nicklaus Nightwood; onto the roof of Castle Wolfgang in Austria. Eve, SEA's commanding officer, informs them that the terrorist group Enigma is inside the castle, and they must be stopped before they can utilize their bio-weapon "Lahder". The trio are successful in infiltrating the castle, but Nicklaus is captured in the process. The player infiltrates a chapel within the castle by posing as Enigma's second-in-command, Dietrich Troy. Inside, Bishop and Sheila are confronted by the real Dietrich, as well as Enigma's anonymous leader and a group of guards. Dietrich displays Nicklaus hung upon a crucifix, shooting and killing him as the leader leaves. A flashback commences once Nicklaus has died.

The story proper begins two months prior to the game's opening. The player is heading a covert investigation into NanotechDyne Inc, a pharmaceutical company suspected of developing biochemical weapons. The SEA needs to access files on the computer of the new Research Director, Forrest Kaysen, who recently displaced Dr. Alice Coleman. The player must retrieve a password for the computer, also including a scan of Kaysen's retina to access the computer. The plan is a success, and the player is extracted and sent back in at midnight to access the computer. The player then secures the files, seeing the emblem of Enigma on the desktop.

The player is teamed up with the other possible player character as well as Nicklaus and Phantom's team leader, Samuel Berkeley. Kaysen has been linked to the Metropolis' owner, Kelly Wong, and Phantom must observe a meeting between the doctor and the businesswoman. Sheila knocks Kaysen out, allowing Billy to pose as him and take his place at the meeting while Sheila eavesdrops.

The player makes it to the demonstration without Nicklaus. Lahder turns out to be a small grenade-like sphere, emitting purple gas. Kaysen prepares to test the device on a monkey before an audience, mostly consisting of arms dealers and criminals. However, Wong nods to Troy, standing behind the scenes, and pushes Kaysen into isolation with Lahder and the monkey. Although Kaysen is killed, Nicklaus contacts the player stating that they've been discovered. The player attempts to escape, finding Wong surrounded by guards. The player disarms Wong and neutralizes her men, holding her at gunpoint. Troy appears, holding the player at gunpoint as well, and shoots Wong.

Disguising themselves as Troy to enter the plant, the player destroys the payload and sets out to escape before US forces bomb the facility. The player then finds a wounded Nicklaus locked in a storage crate. He tells the player that Dr. Coleman is in the holding cells, and the player goes to rescue her. After a gunfight, Coleman is captured by General Douglas Lysander. The player chases and then battles Lysander before Nicklaus fatally shoots him, allowing them to secure Coleman and escape.

Enigma announces their ultimatum, demanding the US "confess its sins" and resign from the UN Security Council. Bishop, Sheila and Samuel are then sent to the Rodt Rose Railway Station in Austria to resolve a hostage situation caused by Enigma. Samuel is wounded in combat, and sends the player to free the hostages. The hostage situation turns out to be staged, and the player is ambushed after Troy suggests that there is a traitor in Phantom. Troy elaborates on Enigma's plans, saying that they intend to trigger a third World War. Troy escapes, and Samuel reveals that Enigma's leader is actually a former Phantom leader named Dimitri Vedernikov, aka Scarface, and that Vedernikov was once Samuel's partner, and is Billy's father. Bishop and Sheila decide to sacrifice Samuel, sending him toward a bridge rigged with explosives and ending his life.

The player then returns to Nicklaus's death in the chapel. The player wounds Troy in battle, before special forces arrive and fatally shoot him. The player continues forward to confront Scarface, who is preparing to fly the Metropolis filled with Lahder over the US. Before the battle, Sheila is revealed to be one of the Gospel Children known as AG7753, before Scarface gave her a name. Scarface battles the player and reveals his cyborg body, but is defeated, and uses a vaccine called Jacob created by Coleman to destroy the virus, leaving Scarface to die in the explosion.

Following Metropolis' destruction, Eve later manages to get into contact after someone jammed the transmission. Nicklaus is actually alive, and the body recovered from the chapel is Phantom's tech officer, Michael Kwan. Bishop and Sheila track Nicklaus to an Airbase, where he intends to flee, now revealed as double agent for both Phantom and Enigma. During the confrontation, Nicklaus reveals himself to be Dietrich Troy (The one that was killed in the chapel by the Special Forces was a decoy).

Nicklaus explains that he was against both Enigma and Phantom, acting for his own motives of revenge against Scarface and Billy, of whom he is the half-brother. Nicklaus had been seeking revenge on Scarface for killing his mother, and Billy out of jealousy that "While [Nicklaus] froze in a Siberian orphanage, [Billy] grew up with a mother who loved [him]".

Nicklaus uses a flash grenade to escape, prompting Bishop and Sheila to chase him as he boards a plane and starts down the runway. The player shoots a hole in the gas tank, and uses a flare to ignite it as Nicklaus takes off. The flare burns along the gas trail, reaching the plane and destroying it, killing Nicklaus as well. The game ends with Billy wondering who "the battle was really against".

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic61/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM4.5/10[3]
Famitsu28/40[4]
Game Informer7.5/10[5]
GameProStarStarStar[6]
GameRevolutionD[7]
GameSpot6.6/10[8]
GameSpyStarStarHalf star[9]
GameZone7.7/10[10]
IGN7.3/10[11]
OPM (US)StarStar[12]
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarHalf star[13]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[2] It was inspired from other games of the genre, most notably Metal Gear Solid 2 and WinBack.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.accessgames.co.jp/products/spy_fiction.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Spy Fiction for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/spy-fiction/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  3. ↑ EGM staff (October 2004). "Spy Fiction". Electronic Gaming Monthly (183): 110. 
  4. ↑ "スパイフィクション". Famitsu 785. January 1, 2004. 
  5. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (October 2004). "Spy Fiction". Game Informer (138): 132. http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/546707B3-EE00-4993-9D19-A0BAD184FDFE.htm. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  6. ↑ Bones (November 2004). "Spy Fiction Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro: 112. http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/38414.shtml. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  7. ↑ Dodson, Joe (September 14, 2004). "Spy Fiction Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33501-dont-believe-his-lies-review. 
  8. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad (September 8, 2004). "Spy Fiction Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/spy-fiction-review/1900-6106958/. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  9. ↑ Maragos, Nich (September 8, 2004). "GameSpy: Spy Fiction". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/spy-fiction/545801p1.html. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  10. ↑ Knutson, Michael (September 6, 2004). "Spy Fiction - PS2 - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/spy_fiction_ps2_review. 
  11. ↑ Lewis, Ed (August 30, 2004). "Spy Fiction". http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/08/30/spy-fiction. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  12. ↑ "Spy Fiction". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 88. October 2004. 
  13. ↑ Hill, Jason (September 30, 2004). "Best of breed". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/29/1096401633945.html. Retrieved October 18, 2015. 
  • Spy Fiction at Access Games
  • 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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