Constantine (video game)

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Constantine
Developer(s)Bits Studios
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Dylan Beale
Designer(s)Rhys Cadle
Programmer(s)Frederic Villain
Artist(s)Derek Siddle
Writer(s)Flint Dille
John Zuur Platten
Composer(s)Paul Weir
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation 2, Xbox
Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Constantine is a 2005 action-adventure game developed by Bits Studios, and published by THQ in North America and SCi Games in Europe. The game was released for PlayStation 2, Windows, and Xbox in February/March 2005. It is based on the DC Comics character John Constantine and is a movie tie-in license of the Warner Bros. film Constantine, in turn based on DC Comics comic book series, Hellblazer from the Vertigo issues for John Constantine.

Tilda Swinton, Gavin Rossdale and Max Baker reprised their roles from the film.

Gameplay

Players move John Constantine in an RPG-like style, collecting ammo, using an item to restore health and casting spells. Gameplay is a type of third-person shooter style, with changing camera views. Players can select from a variety of weapons to eliminate demons. Cutscenes initiate special missions or boss battles when they occur, giving a round of gameplay a different view.

John can cast spells that can create lightning storms, expel demons, create swarms of flies or confuse enemies. Each requires the player to hit a sequence of keys within a small window of time, with John chanting at each keypress. The spells have been described by critics as being unimpressive, without much impact on play, making them feel like a supplement to the other weapons.[3]

Story

The game stars John Constantine, the main character from the film Constantine and the comic book series, Hellblazer, as he learns that unholy animals are somehow crossing into the realm of earth without care. He is then sent by his associate, Beeman, to investigate this problem. Along his investigation he meets up with Father Hennessy, who provides support, along with the Storm Crow spell.

The game starts out as John is called in to dispel a demon from a little girl's body in a hotel. After the exorcism is completed, the girl wakes from her hypnosis, feeling better. The screen then cuts to Beeman's office, where John is being informed about the weakened line between Hell and Earth by Beeman. John then steps into a puddle in the corner of the room, utters an incantation and winds up in Hell.

John sees people being chased and attacked by a demon, and then sees them coming for him. He, depending on the player's choice, uses his gun, the first part of the Witch's Curse set, to slay these demons. He then starts searching around Hell for the first piece of the Holy Shotgun, while seeing the horrors of Hell with his own eyes. As he searches, more souls are attacked and more demons are seen fighting against John. At a dead end, he finds the second gun for the Witch's Curse set, but is grabbed by a bird-like demon and flown through the skies of Hell. He is dropped and then is ambushed by a hoard of demons - just in front of the holding stall of the Holy Shotgun piece. He then uses the water ampoule he was carrying and gets out of Hell.

Now equipped with the Crucifier, John searches the rest of the storeroom, finding a grate that leads to the generator room. He shuts off the power and heads for the blocked area, which is filled with water. John utters the incantation and is sent to Hell.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS2Xbox
EdgeN/A5/10[4]
FamitsuN/A26/40[5]
Game Informer6.5/10[6]6.5/10[6]
GameRevolutionC−[7]C−[7]
GameSpot6.4/10[8]6.4/10[8]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[9]StarStarStarHalf star[9]
GameZoneN/A6.9/10[10]
IGN6.5/10[3]6.5/10[3]
OPM (US)StarStarStar[11]N/A
OXM (US)N/A6.3/10[12]
Aggregate score
Metacritic58/100[13]60/100[14]

Constantine received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[13][14] In Japan, Famitsu gave the Xbox version a score of one eight and three sixes for a total of 26 out of 40.[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "What's New?" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 2005-03-04. https://www.eurogamer.net/whatsnew-040305. 
  2. Adams, David (2005-02-17). "Hell Coughs Up a Hero" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/02/17/hell-coughs-up-a-hero. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sulic, Ivan (February 16, 2005). "Constantine (PS2, Xbox)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/02/17/constantine-4. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 
  4. Edge staff (April 2005). "Constantine review (Xbox)". Edge (148): 99. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Famitsu scores this week (4/15) *REAL*". NeoGAF. April 13, 2005. https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43028. Retrieved March 23, 2016. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 Reiner, Andrew (April 2005). "Constantine (PS2, Xbox)". Game Informer (144): 120. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 Ferris, Duke (March 8, 2005). "Constantine Review (PS2, Xbox)". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/constantine. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 Gerstmann, Jeff (February 23, 2005). "Constantine Review (PS2, Xbox)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/constantine-review/1900-6119114/. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 Maragos, Nich (March 1, 2005). "GameSpy: Constantine (PS2, Xbox)". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/constantine/592443p1.html. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 
  10. Wrentmore, John (March 1, 2005). "Constantine - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090125225556/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r24775.htm. Retrieved June 16, 2015. 
  11. "Constantine". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 94. May 2005. 
  12. "Constantine". Official Xbox Magazine: 82. May 2005. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Constantine for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/constantine/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  14. 14.0 14.1 "Constantine for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/constantine/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. 
  • 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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