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Too Bad price/ship date are wrong

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 40
Date: April 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Over at the Riven Unofficial Home Page I found out this information is wrong. But, there is good news and bad news. Ubi Soft has decided that this is neither the official price nor the official release date. That's the bad news. The potential good news is that it seems that a reluctant Cyan may allow Ubi Soft to twist their arm into making them create a single-palyer game separate and in addition to the multi-player elements.
Obviously this happened because Broadband Internet connections did not follow market trends and expand like crazy. Even though two consoles have joined the online fray (GameCube's effort so far is so weak as to not even count), broadband is still just a blip on gamers RADAR screen. I cannot wait to see what happens.
Oh, here is posible bad news (at least for me and the few rebellious stalwarts like me), it seems that Cyan has not recieved funding for the Mac version. Darnit -- The Man strikes again! ;-)
P.S. I would have left the ranking blank since it is too early for a review, but Amazon.com wouldn't let me. So, 5 is just really a hope and a place holder.

Great Game ... will run fine if you have the requirements

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 23
Date: December 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I don't often submit reviews for games I have purchased, but after reading some of the misleading reviews on here, I had to chime in. First off, to those complaining about the onboard Intel cards not working, a built in Intel card doesn't even have it's own memory (let alone the 32MB needed), it burrows memory from your system (8 MB in most cases). The specs call for a high powered computer, and unfortunately, many people think the new computer they just bought last week will do the trick. The problem with this, is that most computer companies (Dell, HP, Compaq, etc) make their machines cheap by using "on-board" video rather than a real video card. This onboard video will work fine for most applications that require minimum video processing, but if you try to run a state of the art graphics intense game like URU, you are SOL. So to sum up, don't blame the game maker, blame your lack of computer knowledge, your computer manufacture(for using onboard video) or your reading comprehension (it lists supported video cards on the box and the website).

Now, for those of you that have one of the video cards listed (Gforce or Radon) this game is beautifully rendered and will make use of all of the advanced features of the video card. The reason that URU is one disk is because it is all rendered on the fly (thus the graphics requirements) rather than 6 disks full of static pictures that are displayed as you move to that area.

Good clean single-player fun; CHECK SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 20
Date: December 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was very pleased that this game was released in a single-player version; I have the broadband connection to play Live and I'm looking forward to that, but I appreciate having a full single-player game as well!

I expected the single-player to be less than what I've come to expect from MYST series games. I was wrong. It's no Riven, and there will never be another MYST; like the original Star Wars movie, part of the MYST experience was playing it for the first time, and how incredible it was *for its time*. In terms of plot and storyline, URU compares favorably with MYST III: Exile. In terms of gorgeous places to wander around in, it's the best MYST game yet. Graphics have gotten better and if you have the right graphics card to run URU, you'll find a beautiful immersive environment. In terms of puzzles, I found it comparable to Exile adn the original MYST with some simple puzzles for us duffers and a few really tough nuts for those who love a challenge.

In terms of backstory, this is the best MYST game yet. Players who don't appreciate having access to lots and lots of information that fleshes out the story may not like URU. It is fairly clear in-game which items are game-critical and which are "extras". Those of us who like piecing together the backstory will love URU for this.

The live game shouldn't be reviewed yet, because it isn't fully available. If you purchase this game in 2003, register for Live immediately; you should expect to be on a waiting list for a while. You will not be charged for playing time during the Prologue, the introductory period in which the developers are working out the bugs related to going fully live, and you should receive one month free *after* the "grand opening" in 2004 when the Prologue ends and the game goes fully Live. For now, in 2003, the live Prologue should at most be treated like a playable demo.

CHECK THE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for this game. It runs on Win98SE but not on Win98; there is currently no Mac version; only certain NVIDIA and RADEON graphics chipsets are fully supported. Here are the requirements from the UbiSoft site:

PC Requirements for Uru: Ages Beyond Myst:

Supported OS: Windows® XP/ME/2000/98 SE (only)
Processor: 800 MHz Pentium® III or AMD Athlon™
RAM: 256 MB RAM
Video Card: 32 MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 1, 2, 3, 4, or FX; ATI® Radeon™ 7000-9800 or better
Sound Card: DirectX® 9-compatible audio card
DirectX Version: DirectX 9 (included on disc)
CD-ROM: 4x or faster (not recommended for use with CD-RWs)
Hard Drive Space: 2 GB free
Peripherals Supported: Mouse, keyboard
Display: 800x600 16-bit display

Consider the playable demo, which can be downloaded from http://uru.ubi.com/us/downloads.php
to determine if URU runs on your system... and if it's the kind of game you like.

Excellent game, highly recommended

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: December 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I liked very much Uru. It is very immersive, the graphics quality is great, the music and sound are excellent and there is certain magic and sophistication in it. Some people have complained about the interface and the 3d person view but I personally disagree. After 1-2 hrs you really get used to the interface and you can easily switch between 1st and 3d person mode whenever you like. The only kind of negative comments I have is about the difficulty and lack of logic in many puzzles, particularly those in the Kadish Tolesha age. It may take you for ever to finish the game if you don't consult any hints in a guide or in the web. One reviewer said that you can finish the game in 10 hrs and I am telling him that if he was able to do that he should quit his job as a game reviewer and go to work for some high level cryptography position for the government or in the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton (Einstein used be there).

One word: Amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: December 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Myst series, started in the early 90s by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller under the company name "Cyan" founded by the two, was a phenomenal series of computer games that would quickly move up to the top in a list of the greatest video games in gaming's history. From the beginning, Myst was an artistic, as well as technological, masterpiece. Scene by scene, Myst was carefully pre-rendered into amazing detail, while at the same time providing extremely challenging puzzles and an amazing storyline. The amount of effort put into this game provided a photorealistic environment, while at the same time exercising the gamer's mind more than any other game would. The Cyan team continued the Myst tradition in the two sequel games "Riven" and "Exile", each time making every aspect of the game increasingly amazing. Cyan has, once again, delivered every loved aspect of the original Myst games, incorporated into a new graphics engine meeting and exceeding all expectations of modern games. As I started Uru, I couldn't believe my eyes. Living in a desert myself for the better part of my life, I'm quite familiar with the landscape and skies of deserts. Starting the game in the territory of New Mexico on a graphics card that isn't by any means the highest-grade, a GeForce4 Ti4200, gave me graphics of the such I haven't seen in any other game. It almost immediately dove me into its amazing environment, storyline, and puzzles. Uru told me of a once-great, lost civilization, named "D'ni", and nearly every aspect of the culture and tradition of it. It provides the storyline with great detail, moreso than any other game on the market, breathing life into D'ni and sending you deeper into this civilization, its life and its worlds, than you'd ever imagine. Moving through the universe, each age(world in the Myst universe) provides a drastically different environment. While one may have falling leaves and abundance of wildlife, another may be desolate, deserted and gray. Variation between ages in the universe is amazing. Music throughout the game is beautiful, and pulls you even deeper in. The game also features various weather in each world. Different areas have different personalities in climate, yet cease to be repetetive and annoying. Uru is a whole other world, and from the moment you start the game, you see this. Words, however, do not do this game justice. If you're skeptical of the quality of Uru, download the demo. Make sure all graphical and sound settings have been tuned as high as possible to fit your system profile, and if you have a surround sound system, set it up properly; it's worth it. I strongly suggest any gamer to purchase this game and explore the world for themselves. It's more than worth it.

Be among the first to visit D'ni!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 33
Date: April 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'm thrilled that Cyan's current project is letting us finally visit D'ni. Myst was beautiful, strange and new. Riven's quality blew everything else away. And now, the people who gave us both those worlds are going to let us join them in the most revered setting of all... the underground cavern of D'ni!

I will be the first in line to view this world with my own eyes; to walk where we've only read about in Myst: Book of Atrus, Myst: Book of Ti'Ana, and Myst: Book of D'ni; to stand where Atrus stood when Gehn first brought him down into the mysterious place Ti'ana discovered as a young woman...

... I can't wait to visit D'ni! I'm starting to pack, NOW.

~ Kha'tie
: )

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!

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.

The new, neverending story... for the Explorer in you!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The first thing you must understand about "Uru: Ages Beyond Myst" is that it is NOT Myst IV. Uru is really more of a "spin-off" than a sequel. Let me explain...

While the first three Myst adventures (Myst, Riven, and Exile) actually take place over a hundred years ago and you play the part of a mysterious and helpful stranger, Uru takes place in present day and you actually (in essence) play yourself. Strangely compelled to the New Mexico desert to a "cleft" in the ground at the base of a dead volcano, you (among others) discover the remnants of the ancient D'ni civilization. A group of archaeologists, the DRC (D'ni Restoration Council), have begun the process of exploring and rebuilding the remnants of this ancient civilization. You are now part of this rebuilding due to the "interference" of one Prof. Jeff Zandi... and the DRC isn't very excited about all the new explorers running around.

Then there are the ancient holographic messages left by Yeesha, the daughter of Atrus. (Yes, THAT Atrus.) It seems that Yeesha has foreseen the rebuilding of the D'ni civilization as well -- even though she is gone and has been for some time. She has her own vision for the future of D'ni... but it is definitely not the same vision that the DRC has... Then there are the mysterious linking books - the books that link to new worlds, other realities... the Ages of the D'ni..

Uru is, in a way, two games. Uru can be played as a single, offline game that has much the same feel and entertainment value as the previous installments of the Myst franchise - only larger and more breathtaking in scope. This time the entire game is in real time, immersive 3D and allows for complete freedom of movement and the ability to explore pretty much everywhere. The game prompts you to create a character that represents you (hair, clothing, skin tone, build, etc.) allowing you to play the game in third-person mode, something new for the Myst series; but if you prefer first person point-of view like the other Myst games, you may choose that option as well.

The second part of the game is "Uru: Live" -- an online subscription based continuation of the Uru adventure. What does this offer? 1) Interaction with actual players from all over the world. You will actually meet their "avatars" at certain locations within the game and may choose to explore and solve puzzles together. You will be able to voice chat, create buddy lists, have actual virtual gatherings, share pictures, and more. 2) New, exclusive content. There are areas right now that you may explore as part of "Uru:Live" that are not available in the offline single player version. 3) Continually added content. New worlds to explore as more mysterious D'ni linking books are discovered and as the underground city of Ae'gura is opened and approved for exploration by the DRC. 4) A continuing story. What is this new quest that you will undertake for the mysterious Yeesha after completing the single player version of Uru? How will Yeesha's plans for the rebuilding of D'ni clash with the DRC's goals? Who (or what) are the mysterious Bahro and what is their agenda?

I have barely scratched the surface. It's a difficult game to describe. If you want a first person shooter, don't buy this game. If you want action, don't buy this game. If you want a compelling story, mind-bending puzzles, and a jaw-dropping exploration experience -- buy this game.

Adjust. Adapt. Overcome. Then play.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 23
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Wow...as I read these reviews, I'm amazed at the level of technical declination among the reviewers, and at the intolerance of modern gaming platforms among Myst players.

Get over yourselves, and read the box, people!

System requirements are NOT established to be misleading, or to be a guideline - they are REQUIREMENTS. They're not different from doctor's recommendations, really...if you DON'T follow the instructions, you WILL suffer adverse effects. Like not being able to play the game because your hardware will not support it. Or like crashing because your system is struggling to run the software properly. You may even suffer problems you -won't- see unless you know how to look for them...like if you don't follow the doctor's orders.

Several reviewers have stated that your brand-new computer won't play it because your computer manufacturer cut corners on the graphics card. They're RIGHT. When you look at custom building a computer, you can choose to throw another $50-100 at it for a quality 3rd party (NVIDIA or ATI) graphics card, or you can skimp and run with the motherboard graphics chipset. While it's not bad for home office use, it will never run a video game or photo/video editing software worth a crap.

Uru's requirements call for a relatively high-powered processor and significant RAM; if your computer is 3 years or younger, it can handle it, roughly. That has NO bearing on what kind of video card you can use - most modern games draw their processing power, and memory, from the video card, not your CPU. Oh, and NVIDIA and ATI are manufacturers, with a RANGE of video cards available - and as I read the requirements, I saw that many CARDS are supported, though only two MANUFACTURERS are supported. So, you either go with a card from one of those two manufacturers, or you take your chances with your money and your time. The same story applies to your processor and RAM - the requirements are much looser than what you need for the video card, but if you're running a PIII 600MHz with 512 MB RAM, or a P4 3.28GHz with 192 MB RAM,...you don't meet the system requirements, so you won't get good (or any) performance.

Bottom line: Read the directions. Then follow them. I haven't even bought the game yet and I'll give Uru credit cause I agree with the positive reviewers, and am looking forward to it.

Lastly, for Macintrash users, and those with other OS'es...if software is not available on your platform, be patient. It will be. In the meantime, try it on one of your friends' machines. Until then, DON'T REVIEW IT.

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