Realms of the Haunting

Developer(s)| Gremlin Interactive
Publisher(s)| Interplay Productions
Producer(s)| Tom Lauten
Jerry Luttrell
Designer(s)| Paul Green
Programmer(s)| Antony Crowther
Artist(s)| Christopher Pepper
Writer(s)| Paul Green
Composer(s)| Chris Adams
Platform(s)| MS-DOS
Release|

* EU: December 1996
* NA: March 24, 1997[1]

Genre(s)| Adventure, first-person shooter
Mode(s)| Single-player

Realms of the Haunting is a first-person adventure shooter game developed by Gremlin Interactive and published by Interplay Productions. It was released in 1996 for MS-DOS compatible operating systems. The 3D engine used in this game was borrowed from Gremlin's own Normality.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Plot
* 3 Development
* 4 Reception
* 5 Further reading
* 6 References
* 7 External links
* 8 Features
* 9 History
* 10 See also
* 11 References
* 12 External links

## Gameplay

The player explores locations and fights demons from a first-person perspective. A floating cursor is used to interact with the environment and pick up items. The game features many inventory-based puzzles.

The story of Realms of the Haunting is told through full-motion video cutscenes, which utilize live-action actors.

## Plot

Adam Randall ventures to a haunted house in order to investigate the mysterious circumstances around his father's death. As he enters, however, the doors lock behind him and he is forced to journey through the entire house while looking for answers as well as a means of escaping it. Along the way he meets up with a psychic woman, Rebecca Trevisard, who provides guidance to Adam as they work together to escape. Adam soon discovers the house contains portals to several different universes, and that he is the Chosen One who must prevent the final apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil.

The game has over 40 hours of content, including many different universes to visit and a plot which involves multiple sides fighting for their own causes. The beginning gives the idea of Adam being against demonic forces, but later the player finds him caught in a much deeper plot between different forces, where demons play only one role.

## Development

Realms of the Haunting was Gremlin's most expensive project yet.[2] The lead programmer on the game was Antony Crowther.[2]

GOG.com released an emulated version for Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X in 2011.[3]

## Reception

Reception

| Aggregate score

Aggregator| Score
GameRankings| 92%[4]
Review scores
Publication| Score
CGW| [5]
GameRevolution| 9/10[6]
GameSpot| 8.5/10[7]
Next Generation| [8]
Just Adventure| A[9]
PC Games| B+[10]

Realms of the Haunting was met with critical acclaim. It received an average score of 92% at GameRankings, based on an aggregate of 7 reviews.[4] Though he noted a lack of originality in the basic plot, Air Hendrix of GamePro found the high-quality cinematics, atmospheric presentation, and overall strong gameplay as both a puzzle adventure and a first-person shooter made Realms of the Haunting a captivating experience. He summarized, "While sometimes it gets frustratingly arbitrary, overall the adventure side, action side, and story line blend together quite nicely."[11] Both Air Hendrix and a Next Generation critic remarked that the controls are clunky at first, but can be adjusted to with time. Next Generation was most impressed with the game's massive size, reckoning that it takes 80 to 100 hours to complete, rarely reuses textures or architectural designs in different areas, and has a huge variety of monsters. The reviewer concluded, "For something that came from Interplay with very little fanfare, Realms of the Haunting could be one of the best adventure games of this year."[8]

During the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, Realms of the Haunting was a finalist for "PC Adventure Game of the Year" and "Computer Entertainment Title of the Year",[12] which ultimately went to Blade Runner and StarCraft, respectively.[13]

## Further reading

Issue 108 of Retro Gamer has a short making of Realms of the Haunting as part of a Tales from the Retro Crypt feature. Written by Graeme Mason, it contains extracts of an interview with Gremlin producer Paul Green.

## References

1. ↑ "Online Gaming Review". 1997-06-06. http://www.ogr.com/news/news0397.html.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ramshaw, Mark James (February 1996). "Generator". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (14): 29.
3. ↑ "New release: Realms of the Haunting". CD Projekt. April 5, 2011. https://www.gog.com/news/new_release_realms_of_the_haunting. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Realms of the Haunting". Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191209001511/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198432-realms-of-the-haunting/index.html. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
5. ↑ "Apocalypse Wow". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) 154: 128–130. May 1997.
6. ↑ ""Save me son, you're my only hope...." Review". 5 June 2004. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32927-realms-of-the-haunting-review.
7. ↑ "Realms of the Haunting Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/realms-of-the-haunting-review/1900-2532725/.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Spooky". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (30): 126. June 1997.
9. ↑ "Review: Realms of the Haunting". http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/ROTH/ROTH.shtm.
10. ↑ Olafson, Peter. "Realms of the Haunting". PC Games. Archived from the original on May 25, 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/19970525122634/http://www.pcgames.com:80/reviews/adventure/realms.html.
11. ↑ "PC GamePro Review: Realms of the Haunting". GamePro (IDG) (103): 56. April 1997.
12. ↑ "The Award; Award Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 15, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980615090128/http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardupdate.htm.
13. ↑ "The Award; Award Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 15, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980615090115/http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardwin98.htm.

## External links

* 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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