Software:The Great Escape (2003 video game)

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The Great Escape
Developer(s)Pivotal Games
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Xbox, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
ReleaseXbox
  • NA: 22 July 2003
  • EU: 29 August 2003
Microsoft Windows
  • NA: 22 July 2003
  • EU: 12 September 2003
PlayStation 2
  • NA: 21 October 2003
  • EU: 29 August 2003
Genre(s)Action-adventure, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

The Great Escape is an action-adventure stealth video game based on the 1963 movie of the same name. It was developed by UK-based developer Pivotal Games. The game was released on Xbox, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2.

Plot

The game begins with a recreation of the opening moments of the movie, featuring the dialogue between Oberst von Luger, the commandant of Stalag Luft III, and RAF Group Captain Ramsey, the de facto leader of the Allied prisoners in the camp.

The first few levels of the game are framed as Ramsey recounting the previous exploits of the prominent prisoners in the camp to RAF Squadron Leader Bartlett. These include MacDonald's winter escape from Dulag Luft X and then a castle prison in 1940; Sedgwick's daring attempts to prevent the Germans from retrieving a communications code book from the wreckage of a downed RAF bomber in 1941; and Hilts' escape from Dulag Luft V in 1942. All three men are eventually captured by the Germans and transported to Stalag Luft III.

In 1944, Hilts joins the escape committee overseen by Ramsey and Bartlett. One level follows Hilts escaping the camp via the blind spot between two guard towers to perform area reconnaissance for Bartlett; the other, set during the night of the fateful escape itself, sees Sedgwick and Ashley-Pitt retrieving the length of rope requested by Hilts. A total of 76 prisoners manage to escape the camp in the dark of night.

The later levels of the game, mostly based on scenes from the movie, follow the four playable characters as they attempt to leave Germany. Hendley and Blythe jump off a moving train to avoid Gestapo officers and later steal a fighter plane from a German airfield. MacDonald and Bartlett attempt to board a bus, but are nearly captured after a Gestapo officer tricks MacDonald into responding in English, leading to a frantic rooftop chase. In France, Sedwick helps the French Resistance ambush a German convoy in exchange for their help leaving the country. Lastly, at the Austrian-Swiss border, Hilts steals a German motorcycle and attempts to reach Switzerland.

The ending of the game differs substantially from the events of the movie. Whereas only Sedgwick escapes in the movie, with the other three characters being recaptured or killed, all of them are successful in the game. Sedgwick escapes to Spain as he does in the movie, Hendley and Blythe reach Switzerland safely, MacDonald escapes Germany aboard a cargo ship (although Bartlett's fate remains unknown), and Hilts manages to jump the border fence into Switzerland.

Gameplay

There are four playable characters, from the film, each with a special ability:

  • MacDonald (Gordon Jackson's character), who can speak German to pass himself off as a guard.
  • Sedgwick (James Coburn's character), who can fix mechanical devices.
  • Hilts (Steve McQueen's character), who can pick locks to get into buildings.
  • Hendley (James Garner's character), who can pick pockets to get papers, keys, etc., and must also act as guide/escort to Blythe (Donald Pleasence's character).

There are 18 levels in the game. Some of these recreate scenes from the film, but most are original scenarios. The early levels of the game are all original scenarios, depicting the characters' first captures and their early escape attempts from other POW camps, all of which ultimately fail and lead to their being sent to Stalag Luft III (whereas the film began with the prisoners arriving at that camp). By contrast, the later levels of the game are nearly all based on scenes from the film, albeit significantly expanded, in particular in the case of Sedgwick, who is shown undertaking several missions for the French Resistance before escaping with their help into Spain.

Despite the cover showing Hilts with a gun hiding from a guard in the camp, such a scene never occurs in either the game or the film. The front cover may have been inspired by a scene late in the film where Hilts, disguised in German uniform, holds a gun while hiding behind a shed after trying to escape a German patrol on a motorbike.

Cast information

Sound bites of Steve McQueen as Hilts were taken from the film and used in the game, famous lines such as "250", "Walking down the road" and "20 feet short" were used to recreate iconic scenes from the film. Two sounds bites of McQueen replying "Yeah" were also used to respond in the affirmative when talking to other characters.

The original film score by Elmer Bernstein is heard throughout the game and adds to the authenticity.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS2Xbox
CGMStarStar[1]N/AN/A
CGWStarStar[2]N/AN/A
EGMN/A5/10[3]5/10[3]
EurogamerN/A4/10[4]N/A
FamitsuN/A27/40[5]N/A
Game InformerN/A6.5/10[6]7/10[7]
GameProN/AN/AStarStarHalf star[8]
GameRevolutionN/AN/AD[9]
GameSpot6.1/10[10]6.1/10[11]6.1/10[11]
GameZone6.3/10[12]5.8/10[13]6.2/10[14]
IGN5/10[15]5/10[16]5/10[17]
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStarHalf star[18]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A5.5/10[19]
PC Gamer (US)62%[20]N/AN/A
MaximN/A6/10[21]6/10[21]
PlayboyN/A63%[22]63%[22]
Aggregate score
Metacritic54/100[23]57/100[24]55/100[25]

The Great Escape received "mixed" reviews on all platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[23][24][25] In Japan, where the PlayStation 2 version was ported and published by Marvelous Entertainment under the name Daidassō: The Great Escape (大脱走 THE GREAT ESCAPE, Daidassō Za Gureito Esukēpu) on 14 October 2004, Famitsu gave it a score of 27 out of 40.[5] Edge gave the Xbox version a score of four out of ten and said that it was "saved by a few good set-pieces and the licence", but was critical to its gameplay in general.[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Review: The Great Escape". Computer Games Magazine (theGlobe.com) (156): 100. November 2003. 
  2. ↑ Scott, Ryan (November 2003). "The Great Escape". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (232): 140. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_232.pdf. Retrieved 26 May 2020. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 EGM staff (October 2003). "The Great Escape (PS2, Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (171): 142. Archived from the original on 1 April 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040401015611/http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1487782,00.asp. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  4. ↑ Jennings, Ronan (18 September 2003). "The Great Escape (PS2)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_thegreatescape_ps2. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "大脱走 THE GREAT ESCAPE [PS2"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=10605&redirect=no. Retrieved 26 May 2020. 
  6. ↑ Mason, Lisa (September 2003). "[The Great Escape (PS2)"]. Game Informer (GameStop) (125): 109. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081122051305/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200309/R03.0821.1016.04911.htm. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  7. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (September 2003). "[The Great Escape (Xbox)"]. Game Informer (GameStop) (125): 120. Archived from the original on 17 March 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050317045316/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200309/R03.0821.1041.57749.htm. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  8. ↑ Pong Sifu (21 July 2003). "The Great Escape Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on 7 February 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050207204001/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/30307.shtml. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  9. ↑ Silverman, Ben (August 2003). "The Great Escape Review (Xbox)". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150907204047/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/the-great-escape. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  10. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad (31 July 2003). "The Great Escape Review (PC)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-great-escape-review/1900-6072843/. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Shoemaker, Brad (28 July 2003). "The Great Escape Review (PS2, Xbox)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-great-escape-review/1900-6072510/. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  12. ↑ Hopper, Steven (7 August 2003). "The Great Escape Review - PC". Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080117025430/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21581.htm. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  13. ↑ Watkins, Rob (6 August 2003). "The Great Escape Review - PlayStation 2". Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080205111111/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21581.htm. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  14. ↑ Romano, Natalie (4 August 2003). "The Great Escape Review - Xbox". Archived from the original on 18 March 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070318173435/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21581.htm. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  15. ↑ Hwang, Kaiser (4 August 2003). "The Great Escape Review (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/05/the-great-escape-review. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  16. ↑ Hwang, Kaiser (24 July 2003). "The Great Escape (PS2)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/07/25/the-great-escape. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  17. ↑ Hwang, Kaiser (25 July 2003). "The Great Escape (Xbox)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/07/25/the-great-escape-review-2. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  18. ↑ Sewart, Greg (September 2003). "The Great Escape". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (72): 93. Archived from the original on 30 March 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040330231034/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1494377,00.asp. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  19. ↑ "The Great Escape". Official Xbox Magazine (Imagine Media): 84. October 2003. 
  20. ↑ Chandra, Omeed (November 2003). "The Great Escape". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 10 (11): 116. Archived from the original on 15 March 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315135457/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/the_great_escap.html. Retrieved 3 December 2015. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Steinberg, Scott (23 July 2003). "The Great Escape (PS2, Xbox)". Maxim (Biglari Holdings). Archived from the original on 10 October 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031010113323/http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews/review_games_5817.html. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "The Great Escape (PS2, Xbox)". Playboy (Playboy Enterprises): 32. August 2003. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "The Great Escape (2003) for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-great-escape-2003/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 26 May 2020. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "The Great Escape for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-great-escape/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "The Great Escape for Xbox Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-great-escape/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  26. ↑ Edge staff (September 2003). "The Great Escape (Xbox)". Edge (Future plc) (127). Archived from the original on 23 October 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031023114850/http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/reviews/default.asp?subsectionid=167&articleid=65767&pagetype=2. Retrieved 2 December 2015. 
  • 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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