Death to Spies

Short description: 2007 video game

This page is about a computer game. For the Soviet counterintelligence agency, see SMERSH.

Death to Spies

Developer(s)| Haggard Games
Publisher(s)| 1C Company
Designer(s)| Alexey Agamalov, Sergey Gvozdev
Series| Death to Spies
Platform(s)| Microsoft Windows
Release|

* RU: 2 March 2007[2]
* NA: 18 September 2007[1]
* EU: 26 October 2007[3]

Genre(s)| Stealth, third-person shooter
Mode(s)| Single-player

Death to Spies (Russian: Смерть шпионам) is a stealth third-person shooter video game set in World War II. Produced by 1C Company and Russian studio Haggard Games, it was released in 2007 for Windows and later via Valve's digital distribution system Steam on 12 March 2008. The game received mostly positive reviews. Two sequels, Software:Death to Spies: Moment of Truth and Alekhine's Gun, were released in 2009 and 2016, respectively.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Reception
* 3 Sequels
* 4 References
* 5 External links
* 6 Features
* 7 History
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## Gameplay

Death to Spies takes place from a third-person perspective. The player controls Semion Strogov, a captain in SMERSH, a Soviet counterintelligence agency. Strogov is able to run, jump, crouch, crawl, climb over obstacles, and drive vehicles. Taking place in World War II, the player is required to complete various tasks in enemy territory, such as killing targets and stealing documents. Emphasis is placed on stealth, as the player is greatly outnumbered by enemy personnel in every mission, and can fail an assignment if the alarm is raised.[4]

The game's missions are connected by cutscenes, all of which take place in 1951. The plot begins with Strogov being arrested after the downfall of the head of SMERSH, Viktor Abakumov, and being interrogated about a series of missions he participated in from 1943 through 1946 in an effort to determine the extent of his ties to Abakumov.

The Heads-up display shows the level of awareness and suspicion of enemies, both of which are represented with a single bar at the top of the screen and are represented separately as different icons. A vector map can be displayed on the screen, showing characters' locations and their fields of vision, in which the player will be detected either instantly or gradually, depending on the distance. The vector map also shows the radius of noises made by the player; if someone is within the radius of the noise, they may investigate the noise or become alerted.

Disguises can be used to avoid alerting enemies when seen. When a character is knocked unconscious or killed without damaging the uniform, Strogov can change into their clothes. Some enemies are able to see through disguises and can be alerted if the player enters their vision, and all enemies can be alerted to suspicious behaviour which includes picking the lock of a door or looking through a door's keyhole, being in certain stances, or having certain weapons visible.

Before starting a mission, the player is usually able to select equipment to bring to the mission. Strogov can only carry one handgun, one long gun, and eighteen slots for small items such as ammunition and knives; one knife can also be stored in a dedicated slot. A backpack has space for larger items such as pliers and dynamite, and space for small items, but Strogov also has a weight limit to his inventory, and small items stored in a backpack must be moved to the eighteen slots before they can be used.

A variety of firearms (along with ammunition) and explosives are available to choose from, with the choices available depending on the mission. Other weapons include chloroform, knives, a garrote, and poison. German equipment can also be chosen to avoid suspicion from enemy personnel when in disguise and/or to make use of ammunition taken from enemies's bodies.

Several missions take place in Allied areas. The player is forced to begin these missions lightly armed and they cannot select their equipment. However, weapons and ammunition can be found in the level.

## Reception

Reception

| Aggregate scores

Aggregator| Score
GameRankings| 70%[5]
Metacritic| 69%[6]
Review scores
Publication| Score
GameSpot| 7/10[4]
IGN| 8/10[7]

Death to Spies mostly received above average reviews. The game has an average score of 70% on GameRankings[5] and 69% on Metacritic.[6] GameSpot gave it 7 out of 10, praising its detailed level design variation and challenging missions, but at the same time noting that the game can be overly difficult at times.[4] IGN gave it an 8 out of 10, saying it was "horrifically difficult at times and not without its peculiarities; Death to Spies is nevertheless always interesting and wholly addictive."[7]

## Sequels

On 23 March 2009, 1C Company announced a sequel, Software:Death to Spies: Moment of Truth.[8] It was released on 10 August 2009. A third installment was announced in 2010 under the title Death to Spies 3: Ghost of Moscow, but was later cancelled.[9] After years of development issues and various crowdfunding campaigns, the game later resurfaced as Alekhine's Gun and was launched on 1 March 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows.

## References

1. ↑ GameSpot Staff (17 September 2007). "Shippin' Out September 17-21: World in Conflict, Eternal Sonata, MySims". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/shippin-out-september-17-21-world-in-conflict-eternal-sonata-mysims/1100-6178844/.
2. ↑ "Death to Spies". http://games.1c.ru/death_to_spies/?1CSESSID=b0adeb7325ec4ddbf0ddbbe287535f80.
3. ↑ "Death to Spies". http://www.1cpublishing.eu:80/game/death-to-spies/overview.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Todd, Brett. "Death to Spies Review". CBS Corporation. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/death-to-spies-review/1900-6181204/. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Death to Spies". CBS Corporation. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/933169-death-to-spies/index.html. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Death to Spies". CBS Corporation. https://www.metacritic.com/game/death-to-spies/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Goble, Gord (26 November 2007). "Death to Spies (PC)". News Corporation. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/27/death-to-spies-review. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
8. ↑ "Death to Spies Sequel Announced". News Corporation. 23 March 2009. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/23/death-to-spies-sequel-announced. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
9. ↑ "Death to Spies 3: Ghost of Moscow [PS3, Xbox 360, PC – Cancelled, Beta"]. 22 May 2017. https://www.unseen64.net/2017/05/22/death-to-spies-3-ghost-of-moscow-cancelled-beta/. Retrieved 25 March 2019.

## External links

* Official game website
* 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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