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Beyond Extraordinary

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 52 / 53
Date: June 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

NOTE --- I played the U.K. version of this game, which was released a few months ago under the title of "Atlantis 2." The U.S. version (the one available here) may contain slight differences.

PROS --- 1. Beyond Atlantis reminds me of Big Sky Country -- everything in it is larger than life, more fully realized, vaster than in the usual graphic adventure. The game takes you on a spectacular quest through three historical worlds, each complete with a can-you-solve-this dramatic dilemma, plus unexpected links to alternate dimensions full of mystery, plot twists and surprises.

2. The game has the largeness of spirit and the generous gameplay of "Riven," but spices up the environments with fantastical monsters and heroes reminiscent of a mythological movie epic (a bit like "Dragonheart" meets "Jason and the Argonauts"). Although at heart a traditional adventure, in some places Beyond Atlantis almost feels like an action game. In fact there are some action sequences, though you usually don't have to click madly with the mouse to control the outcome -- you've already established the way the action will end with your wits (or, um, lack thereof).

3. Both the graphics and the music are unforgettable. Ancient Ireland is serenely beautiful, with haunting pipe melodies playing in the background. And the Shambhala sky islands are as strikingly surreal as the floating palace in "Obsidian". Sometimes in adventure games I am surprised by the solution of a certain puzzle, but here I was consistently surprised by the imaginative colors, shapes, sounds, and creatures in the alternate worlds. And did I mention that the cut-scenes are dazzling? This game really goes all out to get absolutely everything right.

CONS --- 1. I encountered an autoplay bug that caused the Installation program to load whenever I inserted Disk 1. To get out, you just hit cancel and exit setup, and then you can access the game (I hope this problem is fixed in the U.S. version).

2. The character movements during dialog sequences are rather odd-looking. Also, a warning: you can't always trust the dialog icons. Occasionally, when the icon is greyed-out, there is still dialog available. If you are stuck, try clicking again on all of the icons.

3. Beyond Atlantis has its fair share of puzzles than can be solved just by messing with stuff (easy puzzles -- my favorites!); however, there are a few puzzles in this game that require close observation and/or inspired, creative thought. Some of the puzzles are especially innovative (the rainbow bridge, for example), which makes it hard to find quick solutions for them (unless, of course, you don't mind consulting a walkthrough). Further, the game really could do a better job of letting you know whether you are progressing correctly, or if you are pursuing a dead end.

BOTTOM LINE --- This is a magnificent game with tremendous breadth of appeal -- an instant classic.

Incredible games from Dreamcatcher!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: August 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've introduced my wife to computer gaming. She used to hate all the shoot and kill. I gave her a copy of Riven, and Myst, and her life changed forever. We had so much fun playing those. Now, we try a few games I thought we could like, and Beyond Atlantis is definitely one of those we loved. We've played Crystal Key and Lotus Spring, and Beyond Atlantis combines the best of both.

The graphics are stunning, Cryo's 3D engine (found in all the dreamcatcher games I've seen so far) is very good. One little regret: you can bypass the animation by clicking in the middle of it, but you cannot bypass the loading time with the cdrom. That prevents fast moving through sequences.

All the worlds in Atlantis are beautifully crafted, and the underlying story line (you have to perform good actions to tilt the balance between good and evil in the world) is very well rendered. You won't regret it, just for the story! And unlike Crystal Key which had such a disappointing ending (a screen of ``Congratulations''), the reward in Atlantis is high. Some ideas are so creative, you will be Alice in Wonderland. And the final sequence blew us away! Welcome to Paradise!

The puzzles are very challenging. Interestingly, we managed to pull through the Maya world without hints. But we did need a walkthrough in China, for the disc/bridge puzzle. Anybody who can explain the solution, please email! You should expect to be able to solve the whole game in a week or two. We got stuck on the rainbow bridge because we didn't know about rotating the tiles. It's not in the manual. So don't hesitate to try clicking everywhere. You will never die or be penalized. Everything can be reversed and replayed. All the sequences.

On the negative side, the manual is very skinny, and it's hard to know what we're doing wrong. The punchline in this kind of games is TALK TO EVERYONE ALWAYS. They sometimes find new things to talk about, after something happens (and you don't always notice, so you might assume you've already gotten all the juice out of them). Another subtle thing is that the game always tries to make some kind of connection so things don't turn random. But it's hard to notice, and sometimes the connections are very tenuous. When something goes wrong, you have to go back and try to make sense of everything. Little things like ``I could have helped you but..'' in a dialogue are supposed to let you know you did something not right a couple of steps before. Try and find out what! The game always allow for the brute-force solution (try all combinations) but it's always skilfully at the edge of impractical (granted, you could try 400 combinations, but it's faster to think!). Lastly, you can get some hints by the color of the cursor, but as another reviewer regrets, the manual doesn't tell you what the colors means. Simply be alerted by a change in the color of the cursor.

I am looking forward to probe into the Sacred Amulet, the latest Dreamcatcher. If you don't want to wait, Atlantis is yours! You must try it!

too few clues

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: November 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

It's too bad Dreamcatcher Games' games all have the exact same gameplay. I think they're trying to re-create the style of Myst, but they don't realize that there is a subtle art to making a game like this. The first rule they violate is to make the game possible to figure out on your own. They provide almost no clues for any of the puzzles (It's impossible to figure out where to use the crystal ball in each place unless you try every single screen). They make it so difficult you pretty much have to use a walkthrough. I was able to get through Myst without any help, but I didn't last five minutes in Beyond Atlantis.

The only good part about the game is the way it looks. All the worlds look amazing (which is good, because you'll be spending a lot of time in each one).

Unless you like to spend countless hours trying to figure out puzzles with absolutely no clues at your disposal, you should avoid this one.

Is It Just Me?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: November 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

First off, let me just say the graphics and music in this game were absolutely wonderful. Very relaxing and almost magical in a calming way. However, whatever calm relaxing feelings that our conjured up through graphics and music quickly fade away in frustration. Walk-through's are a must have for this game, not because the puzzles are that difficult, but because the game doesn't give you enough clues to figure out what, where or when you are supposed to do something. Simple instructions or hints from the many dialogue conversations would really help this game along. I was also a bit disturbed by the 'fish-bowl' look of some of the many character's faces. The Mayan & Celtic worlds were fascinating and a lot of fun, but frustrating in areas. I still haven't finished the game because I missed one of the "have to do" actions and I don't feel like redoing everything. Get this one on sale. It's worth the time to play, but don't expect to get through this one without some outside help.

This is a miss.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: March 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I have liked every game Dreamcatcher has ever released, but this one was a little tough to swallow. In typical Dreamcatcher fashion, the graphics are wonderful and the music is very relaxing and laid back. I think the reason for the calming music was the fact that this game is very annoying. Now. I consider myself to be pretty good at solving puzzle games, and if I get stuck, I call a couple of friends and we work these out together. But neither of us liked this game very well. the clues aren't detailed enough and many of these puzzles are repititious. You don't know if you have done the puzzle right until the end of that sequence. Very annoying. when they speak to you, it's like your speaking to Confuscious. Very hard to discern the clues they are giving. My suggestion is spend your money on another Dreamcatcher game: Traitors Gate. That is a game worthy of all point and click puzzle solving game players.

I think I liked it more than most

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I'm not a hard-core gamer. I don't spend hours each day in front of my computer. And I get frustrated easily. So Beyond Atlantis was perfect for me. It was a challenge without being too hard (I did use some cheats though) and it took me several weeks to finish. The graphics were beautiful, and the voice acting was no worse than a lot of other games I've played.
My favorite feature of the game was the five, completely different levels. In one, you're in a Buddhist temple. In another, you're an Irish monk. In yet another, you travel to the world of the dead. The differences really helped keep my interest.
Also, it wasn't violent. There's no shooting or other stressful 'action.' You win the game by solving puzzles and finding and using items in your inventory.
The game might not be groundbreaking, but you get a lot of entertainment for $20.

Frustrating puzzles with little logic required

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The problem with the puzzles in Beyond Atlantis is the complete absence of guidance about what to do with each puzzle and what you will achieve by solving it. There are a few which are intuitive but this is the exception rather than the rule. In an adventure game difficult puzzles are a good thing as far as I'm concerned but they need to be logical and relevant to clues you have already seen or found rather than totally abstract and therefore requiring trial and error, which is how most are in Beyond Atlantis.

I do not believe that even a seasoned adventure-gamer can complete this adventure without the use of a walkthrough, which to me totally spoils the experience and the sense of achievement you get from completing this type of game.

Yes - I could not wait to get to the end, but for all the wrong reasons! I did not enjoy playing this game whatsoever.

I purchased Beyond Atlantis and Beyond Atlantis II at the same time, and after playing the former, was dreading playing it's sequel, however my fear was unnecessary. Every complaint I had about Beyond Atlantis has been rectified in the later, making it a fantastic game with difficult but intuitive puzzles that can be solved with thoughtful observation of your surroundings. Whilst a little jerky, the graphics and sound are fantastic and enable you to become totally immersed in the story. I recommend that anyone considering this title, purchase the sequel "Beyond Atlantis II" instead, which whilst not as good as the Myst Trilogy is certainly one of the best games available.

Not for everyone

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm not sure how good or bad this game is. I can't make it past the first 5 min. If you are prone to motionsickness or have vertigo DON"T get this game. I was sick for hours after.

Can I do this?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: March 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I started the game about 3 weeks ago, and finished Ireland today! (I don't play every day, but for long periods when I do.) It's really quite a good game, and pleasant to use while waiting for Exile, which is why I bought it.

I DID end up using a cheat site 6 times, but if I had turned up the brightness sooner, half of them would not have been necessary. I found the hints on the Dreamcatcher site to be spoilers, and didn't look twice. There is an excellent hint site for many games ... ... You can progress from the barest nudge to the answer in gradual steps, which is what I like in a hint site. I am in China, now, and hope not to use so many hints. I think there's a learning curve. I used a lot of hints in Myst, but only a couple in Riven, as I became used to the logic of the puzzles and the flow of the game.

Some reviewers say it is shallow, but I find myself totally immersed, and losing track of time! I loved the monks, and thought they were very sympathetic characters! The other characters probably weren't supposed to be sympathetic. They were all sort of larger than life myth/saga characters, except for the birdman, Fintan. I liked him, and felt very sorry for him! (And Bres reminded me of a boss I used to have, especially when he got mad!) And I LOVED the Dali-esque world inside the Book - after I turned up the brightness!

I will say that I do not find the game as intuitive as the Myst games, but that may just be my particular thought processes! And if it is not as well done graphically, well, it didn't... ... I'm having fun, and that's what it's all about.

not too shabby

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: July 01, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I thought this game was OK. Being a big fan of Myst and Riven, I knew it probably wouldn't be as good. However, it was interesting and the puzzles were challenging. I wish it would of had better animation, the way it was presented was a bit cheesy.

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