Conspiracies (video game)

Nick Delios - Conspiracies (Greek: Νικ Δέλιος - Συνωμοσίες), known also as Conspiracies, is a FMV adventure video game developed by Greek studio Anima Interactive and published by Got Game Entertainment in North America, with GMX Media handling distribution in Europe. It is the first installment in the Conspiracies series of video games, and the first Greek adventure game to receive an international retail release. A sequel, Conspiracies II - Lethal Networks, was released in March 2011.

Nick Delios - Conspiracies
PC box cover
Developer(s)Anima Interactive
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Anestis Kokkinidis
Designer(s)Anestis Kokkinidis
Programmer(s)George Mponaros
Writer(s)Marina Kokkinidou
Composer(s)George Koukiaris
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: October 30, 2003[1]
  • UK: June 25, 2004
Genre(s)Adventure, Interactive movie
Mode(s)Single player

Story

Conspiracies is set in a futuristic 21st century, where human society is threatened by a destroyed natural environment, overpopulation, poverty, organized crime and increasing forms of depression and neurological diseases. Earth has dissolved into a single federation of cities. Greece, where the game takes place, is one of them. Every city-state has its own governor and local government, which is subject to the Supreme Federal Government. Beneath the surface however, political lobbies, big companies, and organized crime impose their own will, surpassing the law and creating their own reality.

Nick Delios, the protagonist, had been a top student at the University of Thessaloniki, specializing in medical software. His career however takes a turn for the worse when the head of his scientific research team, Dimitris Argyriou, a member of the scientific and business elite, presents Nick΄s revolutionary research on electronic transplants programming as his own. Nick is subsequently laid off the team, while his wedding to Dimitris' sister Annita is cancelled. Deeply hurt, and plagued by gambling and drinking problems, Nick ends up earning a living as a detective, specializing in cases of industrial espionage, using his acquaintances in the underworld.

When Thanos Pekas, Police Inspector and old friend of Delios, asks him unofficially to help solve a murder case of a small-time crook, Nick accepts. However, Delios soon comes to realize that the case is far more complex than he initially thought, involving multiple conspiracies that surpass even the borders of the planet itself.

Release

In August 2003, Anima Interactive signed with publisher Got Game Entertainment to release Conspiracies in North America later that year.[2] In April 2004, GMX Media announced that it had secured the rights to publish the game in the UK.[3] The UK version of Conspiracies was eventually published on June 25, 2004.[4]

Critical reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5] Computer Gaming World said, "Although the vocally overdubbed actors try to give decent performances, Conspiracies' overall quality is so much like a B movie that you'll be surprised no killer tomatoes ever attack - and you just might be praying that they do."[7]

PC Gamer game reviewer Chuck Osborn awarded the game a rating of 23% in its January 2004 issue,[9] to which Anestis Kokkinidis, CEO of Anima Interactive, retaliated by sending a critical letter accusing the magazine of promoting style over substance, concluding that "We feel sorry that you’re not supporting us independent developers at all." PC Gamer published the letter in their March 2004 issue, to which Osborn replied, "Sadly, Conspiracies received a 23% because of its confounding plot and pathetic gameplay. To answer your question: Yes, we enthusiastically support small developers – we just don't support bad games."[10]

Sequel
Main article: Conspiracies II - Lethal Networks

Development on a sequel began at the end of 2004, with a projected release date set for mid 2008.[11] After having been stuck in development hell for 8 years, Conspiracies II - Lethal Networks was released by Anima Interactive in March of 2011.

References
  1. Adams, David (October 30, 2003). "Conspiracies Ships". IGN. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  2. Calvert, Justin (August 11, 2003). "Got Games signs Conspiracies". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  3. Calvert, Justin (April 22, 2004). "Conspiracies signed for UK". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  4. Calvert, Justin (June 15, 2004). "Conspiracies imminent in UK". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  5. "Conspiracies for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. Michaud, Rob (October 30, 2003). "Conspiracies review". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  7. Cook, Denice (May 2004). "Conspiracies". Computer Gaming World. No. 238. Ziff Davis. p. 83.
  8. Gerbino, Robert (December 15, 2003). "Conspiracies - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  9. Osborn, Chuck (January 2004). "Conspiracies". PC Gamer. Vol. 11, no. 1. Imagine Media. p. 105. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  10. "Conspiracies (Windows) - Trivia". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs Inc. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  11. "Conspiracies II: Lethal Networks -- The Development Team Reveals All". GameBoomers. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
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