Shifters | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | The 3DO Company |
Publisher(s) | The 3DO Company |
Director(s) | Josh Cloud |
Producer(s) | Robert Daly |
Designer(s) |
|
Programmer(s) | Sean Craig |
Artist(s) |
|
Composer(s) | Barry Blum |
Series | Might and Magic |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action RPG |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Shifters, also known as Shifters of Might and Magic, is a 2002 action role-playing game developed and published by The 3DO Company for the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Set in the fictional Might and Magic universe, it is a direct sequel to the PlayStation 2 incarnation of Warriors of Might and Magic .
The player controls Alleron, the lead character from Warriors of Might and Magic . Alleron must defeat a horde of flesh and metal invaders who are replacing villages with steam-powered cities. Unlike the previous game, Alleron has gained the power to shapeshift and can assume 24 different creature forms, such as a humanoid ram and a griffin-style creature.
Alleron travels through six different worlds in which he must battle with members of that world's race, often ending in a boss battle. During the game, there are secret areas that are only accessible to particular shapeshift forms. However, the main game can always be completed no matter the choice of form.
The combat system has different attacks based on the current form and weapon. Different forms and weapons have different attack combinations, some of which can send enemies flying. Some forms come with a different spell than other forms. Some spells can be used to gain access to previously inaccessible areas which often have secrets or treasure. Spells useful for combat also can be gained, creating more favorable circumstances in certain combat areas.
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | 37/100 [2] |
Publication | Score |
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Electronic Gaming Monthly | 3/10 [3] |
Game Informer | 6.75/10 [4] |
GameRevolution | D [5] |
GameSpot | 3.9/10 [6] |
GameSpy | 37% [7] |
GameZone | 5.9/10 [8] |
IGN | 4/10 [9] |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | [10] |
The game received unfavorable reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [2]
IGN reviewed the game, calling it a "game of a great many disparate parts, all of them widely varying in quality, somehow stuffed together into a single, highly unwieldy package [...] It's not an entirely bad game, in other words, but the good bits are like needles lost in the giant haystack of the ones that aren't so good." [9]
Heroes of Might and Magic IV is a turn-based strategy game developed by Gus Smedstad through New World Computing and published by the 3DO Company for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers in 2002. A Macintosh port was subsequently developed by Contraband Entertainment and released by the 3DO Company. The fourth installment of the popular Heroes of Might and Magic franchise, it is the sequel to Heroes of Might and Magic III, and was the last to be developed by New World Computing.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff is a 2001 video game released on the PlayStation 2. Though 3DO did not advertise it as such, the game is an enhanced remake of King's Bounty. It is primarily a graphics enhancement and it appears that little of the text has changed. Because of its dated gameplay, the game bears little relation to the rest of the Heroes of Might and Magic series.
Warriors of Might and Magic is an action role-playing game developed and released by The 3DO Company for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color in 2000, and for PlayStation 2 in 2001. The three versions, although they all follow a similar storyline, are unique, especially the GBC version which is presented in 2D instead of 3D and has an almost completely different story. Each version of the game centers around the protagonist Alleron, who is wrongfully accused of committing necromancy by the Grand Inquisitor, and is exiled as a result. He is forced to wear the Mask of the Accused as a punishment for his crimes, which acts as a magnet to monsters. It is difficult to determine when the events of Warriors of Might take place in the Might and Magic timeline. However, it's speculated that it takes place in between Heroes of Might and Magic III and Heroes of Might and Magic IV.
Crusaders of Might and Magic is a third-person action/RPG video game developed and published by 3DO's Austin, Texas studio (PlayStation) and Redwood Shores studio (PC). Different versions of the game were released for both Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation. The protagonist Drake was voiced by veteran voice actor Kevin Conroy.
Might and Magic IX is a role-playing video game, the last developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released in 2002 by The 3DO Company. It is the sequel to Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer. It is the first to feature a significant game engine overhaul since 1998's Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven. Powered by the Lithtech 1.5 engine, it was also the first game in the series to feature fully three-dimensional graphics. During production, it was known by the working title of Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate, and it is usually referred to by that title by fans of the series.
Legends of Might and Magic is a first-person shooter video game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published by The 3DO Company in 2001. As a spin-off of the Might and Magic franchise, Legends has a fantasy theme. Reviews likened the game to a medieval Counter-Strike, but criticized it for being a mediocre clone.
Ooga Booga is an online multiplayer video game for the Dreamcast, focusing on the combat of "Kahunas" using thrown shrunken heads, riding animals, staffs, or using spells. The game received positive reviews from video game critics.
High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 was the second-to-last of a series of baseball computer games, released on PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows; a different game of the same name was released for the Game Boy Advance. The game, featuring the official licensed team and player names from all 30 MLB teams, was created by The 3DO Company, who later filed for bankruptcy in May 2003.
Saiyuki: Journey West is a tactical role-playing video game released for the Sony PlayStation by Koei. It is based loosely on the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
Top Gun: Combat Zones is a combat flight simulation game named after the 1986 film Top Gun. It was developed by British studio Digital Integration and published by Titus Interactive. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, followed by a GameCube version in 2002. Versions were also released for the Game Boy Advance and Microsoft Windows.
World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks is a car combat shooter game that has a similar gameplay to the Twisted Metal and Vigilante 8 series.
The Legend of Alon D'ar is an action role-playing game developed by Stormfront Studios and published by Ubi Soft for PlayStation 2 in 2001.
NBA Hoopz is a 2001 basketball video game published by Midway. It is the sequel to NBA Hangtime and NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC. Hoopz was the only 3-on-3, arcade-style basketball video game available during the 2000–01 NBA season. Shaquille O'Neal is featured on the game cover.
Rollcage Stage II is a racing video game developed by Attention to Detail for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to Rollcage. On top of the basic racing concept, the cars can be equipped with weapons, which are picked up on the track as bonuses, which can be used against competing cars. The automobiles themselves, once again, have wheels that are larger than the body of the car thus creating a car that has no up or down and therefore can be flipped yet continue to drive. The game was supposed to have been released in the U.S. in early March 2000, but was delayed by over seven months.
Army Men: Air Attack 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by The 3DO Company for PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and GameCube.
Army Men: Air Attack is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by The 3DO Company for PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and Microsoft Windows. The game focuses on aerial combat and features the same protagonist, Cpt. William Blade. It is one of the first Army Men games to be powered by a 3D engine where terrain and units are rendered in real-time.
High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, also known as High Heat Baseball 2002, is a video game released in 2001, and is the fourth game in the High Heat Major League Baseball video game series. Then-Montreal Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero is featured on the cover. The game was released in March 2001 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2, followed by a Game Boy Advance port in September 2001. A Game Boy Color version was also in development but was cancelled.
Army Men: World War - Land, Sea, Air is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by The 3DO Company exclusively for PlayStation, released in 2000.
Army Men: World War - Final Front is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by The 3DO Company exclusively for PlayStation. It is the third installment in the World War subseries.