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Undead Knights

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 7 min

Short description: 2009 video game
Undead Knights
American box art
Developer(s)Team Tachyon
Now Production
Publisher(s)Tecmo
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable
Release
  • NA: September 29, 2009
  • JP: October 15, 2009
  • EU: February 26, 2010
  • AU: March 4, 2010
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack & slash
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Undead Knights (アンデッドナイツ, Andeddo Naitsu) is an action-adventure video game developed by Team Tachyon[1] and Now Production and published by Tecmo for the PlayStation Portable. It was released in North America and Japan in 2009 and in the PAL region in 2010.

Gameplay

Undead Knights is an action-adventure game similar to God of War. The player's goal is to eliminate all enemies. The player can perform melee attacks, chain multiple attacks to make combos, and dispatch enemies in quick time events.

Plot

The story follows three knights—Romulus Blood (Keith Ferguson), his younger brother Remus (Andrew Kashino), and Remus's wife Sylvia Gradis (Megan Hollingshead), princess of Cavalier—as they seek revenge against King Kirk Gladys (Steve Blum) and his wife Fatima (Wendy Braun) for slaughtering the House of Blood. Romulus is a human knight and former head of the House of Blood who made a Faustian bargain with an invisible demon known as The Beast (Steve Blum). The knights are revived as necromancers who can turn their enemies into undead soldiers.

The trio fights Duke Gloucester, a former war hero who became a corrupt glutton. He attempts to kill them with a demon but fails. The group discovers they have become more demonic as they bargain with The Beast.

While fighting the individuals responsible for their deaths, the warriors discover the Holy Tree, whose fruits turn its consumers into demons. Captain Gerard, a leader of knights aligned with Fatima, uses the fruit after discovering his daughter was killed in a battle with the Undead Knights and becomes a giant demon named Nephilim. Before dying, Gerard reveals Fatima controls a faction of undead servants and has forsaken Cavalier for her own goals.

The undead knights encounter genetically engineered soldiers called Ouroboros created by the mad, selfish wizard Lord Follis (Liam O'Brien). He unsuccessfully attempts to convince the warriors to join forces, and a battle ensues. Follis uses the fruit of the Holy Tree to mutate into a demon known as Venom Angel but is slain by the knights.

After the battle, Fatima's younger brother, Jester (Thomas Brownhead), reveals Romulus inadvertently killed Sylvia and Remus in a rampage after they were captured by Kirk's knights. Sylvia and Remus forgive Romulus and the group slays Jester who reveals himself to be a product of Fatima's experiments. Kirk Gladys becomes horrified by the powers Fatima gave him and regrets betraying the House of Blood before the trio destroys him.

In the finale, Fatima's rise to power and the powers she shared is unveiled. Fatima was once a human who made a pact with The Beast in a demonic realm called The Void. The power The Beast gave them was not magic but an infection from The Beast's blood. Fatima also reveals she created the Holy Tree from The Beast's blood to rid humanity's fear of death and develop her ideal world where humans are undead and immortal. When the knights oppose her, Fatima fuses herself with the tree and becomes a demon called Yggdrasil, but they kill her.

In her last moments, Fatima offers a crystallized stone made of demon blood to protect the warriors from The Beast, fearing they would be hunted. The trio realizes The Beast was exploiting them as assassins. The Beast asserts the knights are beyond redemption, leading them to destroy the crystal to defy The Beast keeping them as slaves. The Beast furiously warns them that they will die again and go to hell, promising to "keep a spot nice and warm for (them)." In the game's epilogue, the trio admits that they will serve the punishment for their sins in vengeance as "undead knights".

Release

On October 1, 2009, the Undead Knights demo was mistakenly replaced with the full game on the PlayStation Store, allowing consumers to download the full game for free.[2]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic63/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge4/10[4]
Famitsu31/40[5]
GameSpot5.5/10[6]
GamesRadar+StarStarStarStar[7]
GameTrailers5.6/10[8]
GameZone6.3/10[9]
IGN5.8/10[10]
Jeuxvideo.com12/20[11]
PSMStarStarStar[13]
The GuardianStarStarStar[14]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3] In Japan, however, Famitsu gave it a score of three eights and one seven for a total of 31 out of 40.[5]

Reviewers expressed extreme opinions about the most controversial elements of the game. Some scorned the inconsistencies with the decorum of the genre and condemned the mixture of its heavy metal soundtrack[15] as well as its vulgar language incongruous with the game's fantasy medieval environment.[6] Others praised the game and its story for evoking cathartic experiences.[16][7]

References

  1. ↑ Mielke, James (May 11, 2007). "Live from Japan: Tecmo's Media Day". Ziff Davis. http://www.1up.com/news/live-japan-tecmo-media-day. 
  2. ↑ Sinclair, Brandon (October 1, 2009). "Free Undead Knights 'demo' contained full game". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/free-undead-knights-demo-contained-full-game/1100-6230802/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Undead Knights". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/undead-knights/. 
  4. ↑ Edge staff (March 2010). "Undead Knights". Edge (Future plc) (212): 97. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Valay, Brian (October 6, 2009). "Famitsu review scores". https://nintendoeverything.com/famitsu-review-scores-61/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shau, Austin (October 22, 2009). "Undead Knights Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/undead-knights-review/1900-6237615/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cabral, Matt (November 30, 2009). "Undead Knights review". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/undead-knights-review/. 
  8. ↑ "Undead Knights". Viacom. November 12, 2009. http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=10365. 
  9. ↑ David, Mike (October 23, 2009). "Undead Knights - PSP - Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/undead_knights_psp_review/. 
  10. ↑ Roper, Chris (October 2, 2009). "Undead Knights Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/10/02/undead-knights-review. 
  11. ↑ Logan (March 12, 2010). "Test: Undead Knights" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00012482-undead-knights-test.htm. 
  12. ↑ van Dijk, Will (February 24, 2010). "Undead Knights: Vástagos no-muertos" (in es). MeriStation (Diario AS). https://as.com/meristation/2010/02/24/analisis/1266994800_019243.html. Retrieved July 19, 2024. 
  13. ↑ "Review: Undead Knights". PlayStation: The Official Magazine (Future plc) (27): 83. Christmas 2009. 
  14. ↑ Arnott, Jack (February 26, 2010). "Undead Knights". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/feb/26/undead-knight-psp-game-review. 
  15. ↑ Sheard, Dominic (March 14, 2010). "Undead Knights". https://darkzero.co.uk/game-reviews/undead-knights-psp/. 
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Destruct
  • 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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