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Ugh - don't do it

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game was so icky I didn't even finish it. The rendered characters all appeared to have some sort of unhealthy skin condition, and tended to rock back and forth while delivering their bad voice bits. The locations were pretty, but the node-to-node navigation was extremely frustrating. Some of the puzzles weren't too bad, but others were pretty far fetched. Between the creepy characters, the dizzying navigation and the inane puzzles, I just couldn't bring myself to continue.

Running in XP tip

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've only begun this game, but wanted to share a tip for anyone else who is having trouble running this in XP. It seems the game cannot handle large memories, thus the "disk full" message even though you have over 200G left. This worked for me:

Load Beyond Atlantis onto a thumb drive and run it in compatability mode . I used a 1G and it works fine. So far, 1G is more than adequate.

As for the game, I think this one will be great fun. Lovely graphics and atmosphere are what I look for first and Beyond Atlantis seems to have just that. I love the tinkling bells in the background. If it turns out disappointing, I'll revise my review. But, I wanted to post this tip and save someone else 3 days of frustration. Hope this helps!

Now, if I can only get Myst and Riven to run.... )-:

Scenery isn't enough.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

At first glance Beyond Atlantis' Myst-like 3d worlds look promising, but it simply isn't enough to make up for the acting, which made me wince, and boring, random puzzles with no underlying logic.

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.

Pretty good fun for the money.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is, technically an "old game" but all things considered, it's well worth what you'd pay now.

Basically, the game puts you through 3 worlds, plus. Have to say that like a lot of "old games" (I'm compulsive), I've found it both satisfying and madding. I'm a graphics freak and, if they're going to bother with music, I'm a music freak as well. All things considered they do pretty well in both categories. For myself, there were definitely parts I could have done without, plus if you're into endings worth all the brain stress you agreed to be put through by playing this game, it's a let down. If you're into GETTING TRHOUGH and finishing a game, this shouldn't be a problem.

I recently had a hardware/software problem in that I recently upgraded to a 128 mg video card. Game freaked out because of the upgrade. I'm not convinced that the dumb down needs to be down, but I was still able to play it down down done for now.

Anyway, the game makers get HIGH MARKS for inventiveness, and fact game worked (upgrade aside). I have my favorite parts, and game did kind of run out of ideas in the climax, but I'd sure recommend it if you are as desparate as I am for adventure games that satisfy a need for fun and things that work if you "do it right". Do wish that adventure game makers did consider more along this line. I'd sure buy it!

Only reason I haven't given more stars is the uneveness of the "plot" and the pretty hockey ending. Get real guys, and I'll rate what you do next higher.

Still, I'd recommend it highly - all things considered, and what's out there that I haven't bought and reviewed already.

Surprisingly Good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Bought this game about a year before I actually played it. Too "Mystisized". Now I have played and I'm sorry I didn't play it sooner. I'd give it 5 stars in both categories, only I found that end was kind of hokey. Doesn't take away that much from the fun of playing it overall, though. The puzzles are totally in context with each world - not a common thing these days, and you just have to realize that to get through them. What it should be about, right?

There are certainly parts of the game that ARE frustrating, but that's the fun of a challenge. Each world - and each is pretty complete - was a new adventure, and that IS what an "adventure game" is supposed to be about.

Graphics are surprisingly good, given that it's not a new game, and the details in each world were truly and delightfully surprising. I'm a graphics freak. Other thing I am is a music freak. IF you ARE going to provide music, then please make it worth MY while. This game does it.

Given that this is an older game, there is the usual disc stitching - mildly annoying, but not THAT much. I'm constantly searching for adventure games, and one that works is not to be blown off. This one does.

I'd consider it well worth the money - which isn't that much now.
Truly recommended, and worth the money.

Beautifully done, but quite tedious.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: January 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Don't expect to finish this game in a day or two. It's very long and can be frustrating if you don't know what to do. The graphic quality is excellent although it freezes a bit and is obviously outdated. The story itself is beautiful and some of the scenes are quite breathtaking. Don't even try to finish it without at least a few online hints. I wouldn't go near this game without a walkthrough. However, it's definitely worth all the time and effort put into it. A fantastic game that has yet to be upstaged.

Beyond Atlantis is like a mini-vacation!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I recently finished playing Beyond Atlantis (called "Atlantis 2" in Europe) and want to tell you some of the things I liked most about this game.

In general, what I like about DreamCatcher adventure games are the beautiful worlds and the immersive experience they offer. Their games are like a vacation-on-a-disk. Playing them leaves me feeling refreshed.

I bought Beyond Atlantis because I wanted a mini-vacation, and I wasn't disappointed! Setting the game in three very different locations -- Ireland, the Yucatan, and China -- and including the unique cultural elements of each place made the game a lot like a real vacation. I got to experience many of the benefits of traveling with none of the stress!

In addition to the beautiful sights, the sounds enhanced the whole game play experience tremendously. The voice acting was very well done. I particularly appreciated the excellent music, which fit each cultural setting perfectly. Saving the most beautiful and moving music for the end of the game made for a very effective and satisfying conclusion -- I even replayed the ending a couple of times just to hear the music again. I later learned that the entire soundtrack consisted of original compositions by the very creative and talented musician Pierre Esteve, and I even bought the soundtrack on CD.

The game's puzzles were both challenging and satisfying to solve. I appreciate all the research that went into creating some of these puzzles. Using the Mayan base-20 number system and the cycles of creation and destruction for the five elements from Traditional Chinese Medicine as the basis of puzzles in the Yucatan and China was a wonderful idea. It made for some great puzzles, and it was also very educational in a very enjoyable way. (Unfortunately, some reviewers have unfairly criticized the game's puzzles as illogical; the logic was definitely there -- they just didn't see it.)

I enjoyed the game's parody of Hell, which I thought was quite clever. For many of us, the endless paperwork we must complete, with exacting precision, according to incomprehensible instructions, at the demand of not-very-helpful government officials, is indeed Hell! (To underscore this point, the administrative offices at my university are in Needles Hall, which the students have aptly renamed Needless Hell!)

The reason I didn't give the game a full 5 stars for fun was that I did have a few frustrating moments. For example, I was frustrated that I had so much difficulty moving in the giant spider web in Xibalba, the Mayan Land of the Dead. Afterwards, I realized that this wasn't a bug -- it was a feature! The game designers wanted to simulate the stickiness of the web. At the time, I felt they did their job only too well -- but now I can appreciate this touch of realism.

Recording the journeys in the crystal globe was the only puzzle I felt wasn't reasonable. Fortunately, there are good hints and walkthroughs available for free on the web which overcome this minor problem. The Universal Hints System (UHS) file by Jeanne Muse is particularly good, and really enhanced my game playing experience.

In conclusion, I found Beyond Atlantis to be a wonderfully well-made game that provided me with many hours of enjoyment and satisfaction (over 20 hours, in fact). It makes me look forward to playing Beyond Atlantis 2 (called "Atlantis 3" in Europe) all the more.

Mixed bag with Beyond Atlantis

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

It's currently March 2004, and this game shows its age a bit - not that it could do anything else. I played it this past week using Windows XP and it ran equally with and without dropping it into 95/98 compatability mode. Sometimes the pauses between steps/movements got to be irritating; by today's standards, it needs polish. Motion is guided and limited, the progression leans heavily toward the linear, and there's a fair amount of disk-swapping.

That being said, the brilliant dialogue and characterization this game has won't be bested for years to come, if ever. On top of that, the graphics are wonderful, and the music (both beautiful and appropriate), has a definate part in the role play. These advantages more than make up for the limitations of the mechanics.

My hat is off to the writers and voices - an extended conversation with the Mayan bat is a treat not to be missed, the entire Chinese section is undertoned and hillarious, and the Irish birdman is perfection.

I bought the jewel case version used for under $4. I'd happily pay the current game rate of $50 if that's what it would take to replace it.

The ending I did not care for. For that, I deducted one star - the story quality took a definate nose dive right at the end - and even the fantastic artwork couldn't save the last two cut-scenes.

But they aren't part of the game.

Buy it soon, folks. They aren't making this one anymore.

Puzzles are not intellectually challenging

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: September 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game because the reviews said the puzzles were as interesting and intellectually challenging as the 7th Guest; but it is far less so. Too many of its puzzles require guess-work and don't require logical analysis. Also there are too many "jump-though-hoops" steps, i.e. completely random use of an object, not based on any clue or information from any of the characters. In fact, to get the 5th level, I had to go to a hint guide to find that I had to go back through all four previous levels and click on one completely random place in each level. Yeah I want to waste my time, but I'd at least like to use my brain while doing it.

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