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A New Start, A New Adventure.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: December 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, is a successful re-invention of the almost dead Adventure genre. Unlike so many 'Myst'-clones and 'Longest Journey' clones out there, this game is refreshing with every minute you spend with it.

Unlike thre previous 3 Myst games, URU, allows you to create an avatar that looks ALMOST like you. You can choose to play the game in either third person or first person mode. The graphics, as with all Myst games, are stunning, from the surreal giant mushroom realem of Teledahn to the purple hue Lothlorien world of Kadish Tolesa. For the first time in the series, you can jump and choose where to go.

You are given a home and a wardrobe ( known as the Relto Age ) where you can collect pages to add things to the home island of yours.

The puzzles here are refreshing challenging. For once in the adventure genre, URU actually features LOGICAL puzzles that can be easily solved by logical thinking. Clues are everywhere!

There is an online and offline portion of the game. You start off by playing the offline bit. The online portion is not yet completely ready HOWEVER you can register with the game publisher to be selected for a part in its prologue (final beta testing). I am part of it. So far, I have met extremely helpful players and the Guild Of Greeters, who are doing an excellent job in helping confused new players. Also part of it's storyline has started... and it is intriguing!

Once the online portion offically begins (in 2004)you get register and join the exploration straight away, and don't worry, you won't miss out on anything.

URU is an excellent adventure game for new comers and Myst fans who are willing to accept the new concepts begin injected to the Myst series. A great family (no violence, no blood and gore... just beautiful landscapes and human interaction) gift this season.

Uru - Begin Your Adventure......

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: November 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

What can I say about Uru except that it is awesome. The graphics are hands down the best I've ever seen as well as sounds, music, and general atmosphere. The Myst games have always had a kinda of eerie feeling about them and this game holds true to that. A couple places I was really spooked out because of how creepy it felt just standing there. Other places I couldn't help but just stand there and look at the surroundings.

There are a couple things to keep in mind about Uru. For one, it does require a powerful computer to run it and have all the bells and whistles turned up. I recommend having an audigy or audigy 2 card to hear the awesome sound effects and a video card from the last year or two. Also, good to have lots of ram!! You get to create your own character and see them move around and actually move objects and puzzles(not just you click and something moves by itself like the other myst games). Some people do not like the new 3rd person view the game presents and I am one of those. Thankfully, you can switch to first person and move around using keyboard and mouse combination setup.

One last thing I felt I should mention about Uru is that it is truly a different genre of game in itself. Is it an rpg? Adventure game? Multiplayer game? Well, it's all those in one! When approaching this game keep in mind that it was designed and conceived with the idea that you can play it online and receive a virtually never ending supply of new content and updates. Some people may play through the single player game and not understand the point of it all. The point is to play to explore, solve puzzles, learn about an ancient race of people, and uncover a mystery. That's why this game is so different and original. Only problem is that the online portion has not completely taken off yet. Only a few have been allowed in. This will give the developers the time they need to perfect the online portion and hopefully deliver one of the coolest experiences ever!

So, is Uru for you?? If you love adventure games and more importantly the myst games, then this game should find a spot on your hard drive. This game is incredibly polished and has very high production quality. They spent like 5 years making it so it'd better be good and it is! Prepare yourself for URU!

Some Good News and Some Bad News

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: December 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Uru: Ages Beyond Myst continues the superb quality of graphics, sound and story line that made Myst, Riven, and Exile so enjoyable. So too does it continue the tradition of puzzles which can be solved in the context of clues existing in the Uru "world" (some are very difficult, but that's as it should be). All of this is the good news.

On the minus side, the game developers apparently thought it would be a neat idea to require some physical exertion: jumping, running, jumping while running, etc. Some of these maneuvers must be performed by your game persona within some rigidly defined areas, and the penalty for failing is the need to try again... and again, and again. It's almost as if the design team hired a laid-off arcade game developer at some point in the development process. Shades of some of the early C64 games!

I digress. Definitely recommend this game to the veterans of the Myst worlds and to newcomers alike. It's a good game -- perhaps even a great game, but could be even better if the component of physical action had been avoided.

Feeling Ripped Off By Amazon and UBI? I am!!!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 23 / 33
Date: December 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Feeling ripped off? I am! I bought this game through Amazon, but first I checked the "systems requirements" to make sure it would run on my PC. Looked good - got game - can't install or play it because - guess what - I don't have the right video card or sound card!!!! This game doesn't work with INTEL graphics controller!!! INTEL, for $#@# sake! Can't return to Amazon because it's opened! So please, trusting consumers, DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT without doing some solid research - which is what I should have done, but no...I trusted Amazon and UBI/CYAN. Big mistake. p.s. I only filled in one star up above because I had to in order to get this review posted.

Excellent but flawed game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: July 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is an outstanding game with exceptional images, sounds and puzzles ... so why four stars and not five?

Uru has two significant flaws:

1) You can't save your game.

Your save points are set by touching each Age's seven Journey Cloths. It's the game designers - not the gamer - who determines save points.

Good save points make it easy for the gamer to explore alternate endings, and more importantly, to avoid having to solve the same puzzle repeatedly.

But unless you play Uru perfectly, some Journey Cloths are placed so that you must solve several puzzles multiple times.

2) Your avatar can walk, run, climb and jump.

Unlike Myst, Riven and Exile, Uru is no longer restricted to point-and-click movement from one scene to the next.

But there's a problem.

Your avatar is keyboard and mouse controlled, not joystick enabled. Its third person perspective is occasionally sloppy. Moreover, it can't use its hands when moving objects; that's a ridiculous constraint.

Uru's minimum hardware requirements are...

800 MHz Pentium/AMD Athlon
250 MB RAM
32 MB nVidia GForce 1 - 4 or FX/ATI Radeon 7000 - 9800 or better

Assuming you don't want long delays between Age loads, I strongly recommend, "or better."

My guess, Uru really wants a 2 GHz CPU with 1 GB of RAM and a 128 MB video card. Uru is designed for higher end hardware.

Uru also has hardware requirement gotchas. Here are some of them...

* 98SE is specific; no allowance is made for Windows 98.

* The video card requirement is precise: it's either a 32 MB nVidia GForce 1 - 4 or FX, or an ATI Radeon 7000 - 9800 or better.

No other video card will work, including lower end versions of nVidia or ATI Radeon.

* The "CD-ROM: 4x or better (not recommended for use with CD-RWs)" requirement is imprecise. Didn't fully appreciate it until I bought the expansion pack, which clearly states, "This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some disk and virtual drives."

Uru will not work properly in either a CD-R or CD-RW.

Finally, here's an Uru synopsis:

You begin in the Desert.

After touching seven Journey Cloths, you are given access to a linking book, which takes you to Relto (Island in the Clouds). Relto is your refuge and starting point between game sessions.

To solve Uru, you must transfer pillars from Teledahn (Mushroom Age), Gahreesen (Fortresses Age), Kadish Tolesa (Mechanical Age) and Eder Gira/Eder Kemo (Volcano and Garden Ages) from the Bahro (Pillar Cave) to Relto.

When all four pillars reside in Relto, you transfer them back to the Bahro and return to the Desert to solve its remaining puzzles.

Correct System Requirements

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: December 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Amazon has the wrong requirements listed. Here is the correct list taken from the Ubisoft support website. Pay particular attention to the video card listing.

In order to play this game properly, your computer must meet or exceed these minimum requirements:

Supported OS: Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP (Only)
Processor: 800 MHz Pentium III or AMD Athlon or better
RAM: 256 MB RAM or more
Video Card: 32 MB Nvidia Geforce 1,2,3,4, or FX - ATI Radeon 7000-9800 or better
Sound Card: DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card
DirectX: DirectX 8.1 (Included on disc)
CD-ROM: 4x or faster (NOT recommended for use with CD-RW's)
Hard Drive Space: 2 GB free hard disk space
Peripherals Supported: Mouse, Keyboard
Display: 800x600 16-bit display

Come on, guys... buy it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: December 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is Cyanworlds' most recent "out-on-a-limb" game... breaking the known barriers for internet-based massive multiplayer games. While it contains a superb offline version, the online portion is what makes this game worth the manufacturer's suggested retail price!

Some people are concerned that URU won't do justice to the Myst series... I don't see how that is, seeing that Cyanworlds is the company who created the entire thing. I could understand the concern for Myst III: Exile, since it was NOT made by Cyanworlds... 'twas licensed to Presto Studios. But URU is Rand Miller's dream... it will not be something easily forgotten in the sands of time.

This game isn't a continuation of Atrus' storyline... ie: Myst, Riven, Exile... but is set in present day. You play yourself... as a common person feeling the call to you don't know what... but you find yourself in the vicinity of a dormant volcano and a strange fissure in the ground. Here is where you begin your journey to the dead city of D'ni, where a massive restoration is taking place by a group of archaeologists who call themselves the DRC, or D'ni Restoration Council. Many other people have felt the call, as well... and hundreds of people are flowing into D'ni.

What makes this game unforgetable, is the MASSIVE storyline! What you play in the offline version is a sort of prelude to the gigantic plot that Uru Live introduces. I am currently a part of the online portion, and, let me tell you, I have never, in all my roleplaying, seen such a game as this. Even in Prologue format, the storyline is ALIVE... it's not fixed. Even as I post this, something happened in the game that will change many convictions that people have about certain things. If you're such a game-player as I am, where storyline is what you look for, then you WILL NOT be disappointed. But there are also stunning graphics and a trove of music and sound effects to compliment the story. There is so much literal depth to these worlds, that you can look, and look, and look, and always see something new.

This is quite possible THE best game I have ever played. I am a huge fan of Cyan/Cyanworlds and I will stick with their games through thick and thin and defend them with a passion. Most of the bad reviews you will see are from people who are complaining about the lack of a Macintosh version (and therefore have NOT played the game) or have purchased URU without paying heed to the requirements list.

Please be aware that Cyanworlds wants to VERY BADLY make a Macintosh version. But they are simply out of money! URU was a massive seven year project that drained their income of the first two games. Once, and if, the sale of this Windows version earns them enough profit, they promise to create a Macintosh version. And they are not a company to take their promises lightly. But if people listen to the reviews of those who are bashing this company for not releasing a Macintosh version side-by-side, there won't BE a Macintosh version.

I leave you now, hopeing you will consider what I've said, and make this the best online game in existance. If nothing else... please acquire yourself the DEMO, as it is completely free.

Thank you for your time!

But they better stick to their promises...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: June 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I don't normally write a "review" for a product that has yet to be released (preview?), but all of the advance information that I have heard about this game has compelled me to rant and rave a little.

First of all, the screen shots look incredible. I wouldn't expect anything less from the folks at Cyan. Also, the promise of Real Time 3D Rendering (RTR), with worlds as lush as this, is enough to make any adventure gamer drool. This means a radical departure from the typical point-to-point navigation through the game and a migration to a more fluid, "go anywhere, look anywhere" environment. Anyone who has played RealMyst knows what this means (also could mean pretty bodacious technical requirements - get those video and sound cards updated, or even a new box)!

Now for the ranting. Two of the most talked about new features of the game are the switch to a third-person perspective with customizable "avatars" and the introduction of the online world of "Uru Live" where you can explore (and talk) with your friends or anyone else. Sure, these features are an admirable attempt to get the adventure gaming genre into the 21st century of technology so as to appeal more to the "sophisticated" Everquest-type players out there, but they are definitely NOT for me.

The strongest appeal of the games of Myst, Riven and Exile was the sense of isolation; a "me against the environment" feel. The first-person perspective of seeing the world through the computer screen "eyes" was an absolutely critical facet to this appeal. I don't need to see who I am (i.e. a computer-generated avatar). I know what I look like. I don't need some goofy looking representation of me (or any other player) to interfere with the beauty of the rest of the environment.

Fortunately (and I hope they stick to this promise), the Uru website states that there will be an option to switch back to a 1st person perspective. The site also claims that the additional online content will be explorable either on your own or with a group of as many people as you chose. I guess I'm a little selfish when it comes to these types of games. I want the whole world of the game to myself with only limited contact with inhabitants of that world and, definitely, no other "tourist" to get in the way!

The only time I would want to stray from this would be if my wife and I both wanted to play the game together on two separate machines. We usually play games together as a "single" player anyway. Even more fun would be if I designed her avatar and vice versa without letting the other see what we chose...but, I digress!

If they stick to these two previously mentioned promises, my wife and I will absolutely love this game and any additional content they subsequently "publish" in the online area. Otherwise, it will be tossed aside in favor of other upcoming games in this genre like Crystal Key II, Mysterious Journey II and Forever Worlds (to name a few). Long live the 1st person adventure game!

Exceeded My (High) Expectations

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: December 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've been a Myst fan for years, so obviously I expected a lot from Cyan, but their newest title, Uru, blew me away! This is yet another journey through beautiful, immersive worlds of a quality rarely seem in games. Visuals were, to use a trite word, stunning, sound and voice acting were superb, story was compelling and, in general, the whole package exceeded even my high expectations. The option of third person view takes a bit of getting used to, but in general I highly recommend this title even if you can play single player only and can't access the online portion.

Something different from the Myst genre

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: March 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Pretty much everyone has heard of the breakthrough game Myst, which in its day was a revolutionary and unique adventure game with no instructions, no defined goals, cutting-edge graphics and mindbending, original puzzles. The followups, Riven and Exile, have continued this tradition in much the same format as Myst.

Uru is another Myst game but in a different vein - and so some Myst fans will love it, some will hate it.

Rather than the prerendered graphics of the previous games, Uru contains immersive 3D environments that are rendered on the computer and so allow you much more freedom to wander round and explore. Unlike the static first person views of the other games, you control an avatar that can run, jump, climb and crawl all over the gameplay area. So if you ever wanted to try to jump on a rock, slide down a handrail or wade in a lake, you can.

Of course, this represents a major departure from the lack of any challenges requiring running, jumping, or timed character manipulation in the earlier games. People unfamiliar with this sort of interface will take some time coming to grips with it. And the presence of timed puzzles where your avatar must do certain things within a limited time will frustrate those whose control of the avatar is not that good. There are not many absolutely crucial jumps or timed runs, but it is frustrating in a Myst game to work out what you have to do but just not have the physical ability to get your avatar to do it. Even more frustrating is the fact that you can 'die' - well, not die exactly, but if you miss a jump and fall into a lava pit you have to link back to another area, then restore your game to where you were before. The game automatically saves your progress to a certain extent, so you won't be caught out having to redo a puzzle, but it is frustrating having to wait a minute or two for the various game sections to reload in order to continue.

The game looks fantastic and perhaps the best aspect is the many large, spectacular landscapes that you explore, all of which have their charms. Of course, this comes at the cost of needing a high-end system more suited to first person shooters than adventure games. Adventure gamers may need to shell out to upgrade their system to play this game, which you may think is a brave move on the part of the developers until you recall that the original Myst game caused millions of people to go out and buy a CD-Rom drive for the first time. Upgrading to play a Myst game is not new.

There are the usual fiendish puzzles. I've written before about the new elements of dexterity that are needed for some of them, which will put some people off. Also, the logic for some of the puzzles is extremely elusive. And the game commits one of the cardinal sins of adventure games, requiring you to go back and forward transporting things from one area to another more than once. This just causes frustration - you've solved the puzzle, why trudge back and forth to complete it?

The greatest disappointment with the puzzles, however, is that there are not many of them. Only one 'age' is puzzle-intensive in the way we've come to expect from the Myst series. Two others have a moderate number of puzzles, and one has, in reality, only one puzzle in the whole age.

In fact, while there are vast areas to explore, many of them are not related to the gameplay at all. Several of them were clearly intended as spaces to be put to use in a planned online extension of the game, which has now been cancelled. The game is certainly self-contained, but is also clearly a lead-in for the online game. There are a number of locations which will not make much sense to the offline player, as they play no part in the offline game.

The story is also much more basic than earlier games. Essentially, both Uru and the proposed Uru Live were about gaining access to the ancient city of D'ni and exploring a number of ages. You have no real quest, merely a mission to explore, and the reason why you are exploring is never quite clear. The game then becomes a simple treasure hunt. In each age you need to find seven panels and then depart through a final portal. There are also bonus items that are not essential to the game but which allow you to customise, to a degree, your own 'personal age', Relto. Really, the plot goes not much further than that, although there is a back story that involves Atrus' daughter, Yeesha, sending you on a quest that never really develops.

Perhaps to enhance the sense of exploration and make up for the lack of story, there are copious journals scattered through the game written by other explorers describing the history of the D'ni people, and their own explorations. These don't advance the story at all and are of pretty much no use in playing the game - they're just there for colour. This would be frustrating to the dilligent gamer who takes copious notes of everything found just in case it becomes relevant.

Uru was initially intended as an online game only, and it was only late in its development that the decision was made to take some of the content and release it as an offline game. This is no doubt the reason why the game lacks some of the structure, logic and coherence as a total package that the earlier games had. It was probably a wise decision to do this, as signup rates for the online game were apparently very poor - and as many of the reviews here show, a lot of people had no interest in the online game. To compensate for the cancellation of the online game, a free expansion pack is being released for downloa in mid-March that should tidy up at least some of the current loose ends with the game, as well as providing some new areas to explore and new 'goodies' such as clothing items for your avatar and customisations for Relto.

The initial release of the game was fairly buggy, so be sure to download the patch available from the publisher's website or via the 'update' feature in-game. You will definitely need a machine that matches or betters the tech specs given - the game is hungry on computing power. Even with a high powered machine, expect some slow load times on particular areas. Fortunately the game comes on one disc so there is no CD-swapping.

In brief - if your system is up for it, and you would like to journey through some truly spectacular scenery with the odd mindbending puzzle along the way, give the game a go. Also, don't forget to keep your eyes out for an expansion pack when it becomes available. The interface can be awkward but stick with it because the visual rewards are great. It is disappointing, however, that the game's origins have prevented this game from continuing in the Myst tradition of carefully plotted, highly logical, high concept games that were far more than just pretty scenery, and which appealed to so many outside the usual gaming market.

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