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Wow. The reviews are harsh.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: January 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

What is the deal with these 'playa-haters'? This game is very nice. Yes, it distinguishes itself from the other Myst games. As each newer one distinguished itself from the one that preceded it. The gameplay is more varied than in previous games. The addition of 'complete' immersive play is done wonderfully, in my opinion. The character is easy to control, except for the 'jumping' feature. That's the one thing that i grew impatient with at first. After growing accustomed to that glitch in game-play, it was easily forgotten. I ran this on a 'duron 1.6 ghz' system with a geforce 4 4800 video card, and 512 meg ddr ram. Along with an Audigy 2 Soundblaster sound card. It ran outstanding, with all features pushed 'up'. Also, the 80's retro music that peppers the background of the game is very cool. I found that very enjoyable. Do not trash this game. Even the first Myst was not good enough for its' own developers. They had to 're-create' it to be happy with it. This, in my opinion, is a welcome change. And, a true step into the future for Myst. Look for a less 'puzzle-driven' expierience this time around. More 3D exploration. As far as plot goes, there are no spoliers here. But, suffice it to say, there is a comprehensible plotline. You learn that after about an hour or so of playing. So, the folks who are complaining here about no 'plot' must not be capable of solving a few simple puzzles to find out just what that plot is. It truly is interesting. Note : I have not played, nor do i have any interest in, the online portion of this program. So, i cannot comment on that. I have only played single player.

Beautiful, fun, captivating...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: January 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As an avid Myst fan (and Mac user) since the first game came out in 1993, I have awaited Uru somewhat impatiently. Having finished Uru Prime (aka the single player game), and now wandering around the Live version, I am thrilled with what the game has provided, and what it promises to continue to provide as more worlds are added.

In response to many concerns by folks, I have this to say...

1) Regarding video cards and load speeds-- as many others have said, know what your computer's capabilities are before you buy the game. I agree with other posters who emphasis that video card requirements (not to mention processor speeds and RAM) are not new to the world of gaming-- especially high quality graphic games. Know your computer's specs. Not every computer is going to be able to play this game. However, PC's are inexensive to upgrade and build. If yours is outdated with Uru, it's going to be outdated with several games coming down the pipe-- think about the upgrade, or have a new computer built for you so you can customize it. Mine was $500 total. Find a computer geek-- most are happy to help since they enjoy building the machines anyway!

2) In response to the issues with having 3rd person "avatars". The option is built into the game to play it in the traditional Myst-like 1st person mode, or in 3rd person. I enjoyed having the option, and found that both were extremely helpful during different puzzles. Simply press F1, and the viewpoint changes.

3) The jumping and need to carry things without being able to carry them is irksome, and was probably my largest complaint about the game. I will give credit to those who find this as a real fault-- because it did seem fairly pointless.

4) Fellow Mac users-- the reality is that unless you have a higher-level G4 or the new G5, this would not work on your computer at all. It's only been extremely recently that Apple realized that video card upgrades might be a good idea. Don't blame Cyan for this-- this is an Apple problem, and hopefully one that will get fixed as time goes on. They didn't create it for the Mac because the Mac specs at the time of production would not have met any standards for the game. It sucks, I know-- but is no reason to give the game a single star.

So far Uru Live has been a bit buggy, but fun nevertheless. The city is beautiful-- both in color and in design. I look forward to what Cyan has in store for us!

See you around the Cavern (Kestra on all shards)

Used a "walkthrough" for the first time in a Myst game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: March 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I wrote one review already, but I had to add a little more detail.

Let's forget about the graphics problems... lets talk about the game...

I solved Myst, Riven and Exile without any walkthroughs or hints. That was a true testiment to the greatness of the puzzles and logic in those games, because how many role playing games can you actually do without a help guide? (not many)

I was hoping URU would be the same, but URU turned out to be a joke.

Click on the link for my nickname to see my reviews of Exile... I remember when I wrote those, and how great I thought that game was (and Exile wasn't even as good as Riven!)

Don't fool yourself with URU. It really is THAT bad.

People who just enjoy the graphics, and who commonly use walkthroughs to get through adventure games won't have a problem with URU because it is very similar to other adventure games where you just use the walkthrough, click on the right stuff and walk in the right place. Those are the reviews you read from people who just say how great the graphics were and that the puzzles were so much fun... ppppllleeeassee!!! FUN? give me a break! If you thought those puzzles were fun, you've got to be a very sheltered person. But regardless, the only circumstances where you'd think the puzzles were fun is if you used a walkthrough to get through them. Otherwise, you're just fumbling around for the right answer, and when you get the write answer, you move on, but you don't really know why most of the time.

If you enjoyed solving the puzzles in Myst, Riven and Exile, and you liked not having to use a walkthrough (even though the puzzles were still a challenge) to get through those games, you'll hate URU.

I hated URU. I confess... I had to cheat to beat it. But it was only because URU had me pulling my hair out with frustration. And, after I read about how to get through a certain puzzle that made no sense, I still thought it made no sense. The answer didn't draw from the plot and only partially came from clues, but usually had a completely contrived twist that did not derive from logic whatsever. The clues were usually really obvious too. You were basically handed the information to solve a puzzle on a silver platter, but even with the information, you couldn't solve the puzzle, because it didn't make any sense!!!

The end result, was that you realized that there was no way to really "figure out" the answer by searching around and finding clues. That made the game less fun in 2 ways:
1) searching for the answer to a puzzle was half the fun of the previous myst games
2) you had all the information to solve a puzzle, but still couldn't solve it... VERY FRUSTRATING!!!

I just have to say one more thing...

sit URU sit! good dog.

(had to say that)

Works on an Apple Macintosh

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

My best friend is a devoted Myst fan and was disappointed that there is not a Mac version out yet. But he loaded the Windows version into his new G-5. He has the one Apple claims this to be the fasted PC in the world. It is equipped with Virtual PC, a software emulation of Windows XP Professional that lets Apples run Windows programs. Guess what? It worked. After a little tweaking of the Virtual PC settings he was able to run URU faster - MUCH FASTER - than I could on my new Dell Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz, 512MB. Download time was seconds instead of an eternity. The entire experience is so much better than on my Dell - it makes playing URU a great experience instead of a wrestling match with sluggish technology.

In case you've got the clams to shell out for a system like his, the system is a G-5 equipped with dual 2.0Ghz processors, and 2GB RAM and an upgraded 9800 Radeon graphics card. He has a drop-dead gorgeous 23" cinema screen and way-cool looking and sounding JBL creature speakers to complete the awesome effect.

Needless to say, I spend a lot of time at his house now.

A sick joke???

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 16
Date: January 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was and am a huge Myst fan. So after I played Exile, not created by Cyan, and then saw that the Miller bors. (I think that's their name!) were coming out with this Uru thing and it had an internet part and so on and so forth, I was so excited. Never in my life have I seen such a horrible game. First off, let me say I have a 2.2 gig processor and an internet connection that Uru said it was downloading at over 300Kbs. Anyways, one moment in that volacno level I am walking across a bridge, then the camera change-- AS DOES MY CHARACTER'S DIRECTION-- and I walk right off a cliff. Second, the controls-- WTF!!??!?!! Worst FPS controls I've ever seen anywhere. Music: sucks. Graphics, great of course, but not as interesting as I'd expect from Cyan after all this time. Story-- oh I'm sorry, was there a story associated with Uru? I know there was with Myst, Riven and Exile. But I really don't think there is one here. On my way to trying to find a story however, my computer had so much trouble processing the game that it kept jolting the motion. Not like that hindered my fun or anything. So I thought "Well this can't possibly suck any more than this, so I'll try the online stuff." After ten minutes loading, I came back to the same place I started at the non-online part. I thought online meant something different, and maybe with other people on their computers. Silly me, why would they do that? I just assumed you know, after seeing the dedication put into Myst and Riven, that the same care would be taken once again. Maybe that was stupid of me. Or-- maybe, just maybe, the Miller's are sitting at home laugher their asses off because they pulled one of the cruelest, sickest, and in their mind funniest, jokes of all time. I'm going to reload Myst on my computer and play that. It was fun. Not like some other Cyan games, cough cough. Christ, Uru is just plain annoying. I wish I hadn't spent money on it. Acutally it was a gift, but I still feel ripped off. Come on guys, you could have done better than this!!!!!!! Ah well, 2 outta 3 games ain't so bad.

It doesn't stand out

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

When I first heard that Uru would allow the user to make their own character and place him/her into this world, I was very excited. However, once I got my hands on the game itself and learned how troublesome it was to simply move this person around the worlds, I was very disappointed. My father and I have been playing these games since Riven and have loved them immensely. Every year, right after Christmas we begin to play them and usually continue nonstop till we have beat it. However, it has been about a year since Uru has first come out and it is just now that we are actually beginning to go through it again and finish.

The past games had problems that could have been solved by using clues spread throughout the world. But I find with Uru that you just have to play guess and check a lot which I have never found to be the way when it came to Myst.

Now I am usually a patient person but the loading time between worlds is unbelievable. This game requires a lot of linking I have found and some of the problems are timed (I am thinking of the Paths of the Shell expansion pack on this comment), so you really start panicking when your computer takes a good 5 minutes before something actually shows up. And then to actually get the player moving without being all jolty, it takes another minute to load. Sigh. Very disheartening.

I have found that with Uru and even Exile the quality has come down. Riven seems to be their own real achievement currently but hopefully Myst IV will redeem them... if only I could get it to load on my computer. Sigh. These games have it in for me and my computer, I tell you.

Works Now - In No Rush - Confident Future Patch Will Rescue

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Upgraded my PIII from 550 to 1.4 GHZ CPU ($135), bought a 128MB GE Force FX5200 8X AGP (backward compatible to my 2X AGP slot but still the low-end card ~ $70), a Soundblaster Live Soundcard using analog interface ($30).

I'm in no hurry to play/finish the game. I can play (maybe) 1-2 hours a week. I don't buy many other games so I'm going to savor this one. The graphics are beautiful and the sound is awesome. For $230 I "rescued" my aging PC (faster on all other applications, so not a waste of money). And, I can enjoy the sequel to Exile (my favorite Myst game to date). I fully expect this game to exceed Exile in effects. I'm glad to hear URU has some tough puzzles too. I don't buy cheater books and don't accept any "hints" from others (Riven took me over 2 years to solve - but I'm not in any rush as I don't play any other games ~ well, I've got one other favorite ~ Prince of Persia and I have bought the latest but haven't taken it out of the box yet). The thrill of discovery and the challenge of solving puzzles adds to the enjoyment this game offers.

Yes, even with my "upgrade" I still have to "baby" the game and reboot my machine after playing for 30-60 minutes (the game can still freeze my Windows 2000 OS). But, it's playable and enjoyable and I'm confident a future patch will be released that deals with the freezing of the video (from time-to-time).

So - why did I give this 4 stars? The question asks: "How much fun is this game?" The game is tremendous in sound and graphics and normally would get a 5-star rating from me. It is a visual and audio adventure that is amazing and enjoyable. I can't wait to explore more in the months to come. Even the "testing" I had to do to fine-tune the game (have it play at it's best without crashing the machine) was fun for a computer tech like me. But for that same reason, I had to lower the rating to 4 stars until a (hopefully) future patch resolves some of the technical issues that still interrupt the game play from time to time.

Works Now - In No Rush - Confident Future Patch Will Rescue

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Upgraded my PIII from 550 to 1.4 GHZ CPU ($135), bought a 128MB GEForce FX5200 8X AGP (backward compatible to the 2X AGP slot I have on my PC) but still a relatively low-end card compared to others available today ~ $70), a Soundblaster Live card using analog sound ($30).

I'm in no hurry to play/finish the game. I can play (maybe) 1-2 hours a week. I don't buy many other games so I'm going to savor this one. The graphics are beautiful and the sound is awesome. For $230 I "rescued" my aging PC (faster on all other applications, so not a waste of money). And, I can enjoy the sequel to Exile (my favorite Myst game to date). I fully expect this game to exceed Exile in effects. I'm glad to hear URU has some tough puzzles too. I don't buy cheater books and don't accept any "hints" from others (Riven took me over 2 years to solve - but I'm not in any rush as I don't play any other games ~ well, I've got one other favorite ~ Prince of Persia and I have bought the latest but haven't taken it out of the box yet). The thrill of discovery and the challenge of solving puzzles adds to the enjoyment this game offers.

Yes, even with my "upgrade" I still have to "baby" the game and reboot my machine after playing for 30-60 minutes (the game can still freeze my Windows 2000 OS). But, it's playable and enjoyable and I'm confident a future patch will be released that deals with the freezing of the video (from time-to-time).

I Love the game but it isn't MYST!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I did enjoy this game overall, and I would recommend it to all MYST lovers, but be prepared for a somewhat frustrating change. I am a HUGE fan of the MYST series, which I would have given 5 stars each, I love the no stress atmosphere they have always brought into play. This game however, while it's fun and Beautiful, in the MYST tradition, has to a lesser extent, the character control aggravation of Tomb Raider games, without the shooting and fighting, of course!

The "avatar" is often difficult to move in the direction you want to go and there are some puzzles that require specific Physical aspects to solve them. Once I got more comfortable with the control it was less stressful, but I would have prefered NOT to have had that change in the series. I'm afraid there will be many Myst fans who will not ever finish the game because of this. . :(
I also felt that those puzzles which required the physical parts were harder because the logic wasn't always there. Even as I stumbled on the "answer", or turned to a walkthrough, which I didn't have to do in previous MYST games, I wonderd how was I supposed to have "Figured" that out. . . . guess you're not, you just have to accidentally discover it, or "cheat"!

I also was disappointed that they made this game so high in the system requirements area!! I just got a new computer, with lots of gaming "power" so I was fine and have plenty of "system" to handle it, but I know others who had to update several aspects of their computers in order to play!! I think the game developers need to give us a break, after all, who can afford to update hardware every time a new game we love comes out??

Simply amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

That's all I can say about this game. It's just amazing how good it is. Fans of the last games will have nothing to fear, Uru is a sequel that's worthy of the name "Myst." Plus, anyone who played "Riven" to the end will be rewarded immediately upon stepping into the game (I wish I could tell you how, but it's too much of a spoiler). The worlds are so immersive, just mere seconds after loading I found myself lost in it, and almost felt it was real. It's very rare for a game to be that immersive.

I hope to see more people on-line in the next few months. This game has the potential to be one of the greatest online games ever, but it needs people to keep it going. Don't let this end up in a "Most Under-rated Games" article ten years from now... but it today!

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