Customer Reviews

Amerzone

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I actually enjoyed this game quite a bit and I'm not entirely sure why. It shared a number of traits that I have found quite annoying in other games, but for some unknown reason they did not annoy me here.

Except for the initial "chapter," Amerzone is very, very linear. There is only one way you can go and one thing you can do at any given time. The linearity becomes more and more pronounced as the game progresses. This is partly due to the plotline, in which you have to travel up a river, making stops along the way.

Every puzzle in the game except for one was either inventory based or a simple matter of flipping a switch. So gameplay was essentially a matter of looking around and seeing what you could pick up. Solving the puzzles was VERY easy, especially since you could simply keep trying various inventory items until one worked, but this was never really necessary. There were one or two puzzles that I solved without knowing what I did or why. I think I would have liked it if there had been just a little more information about certain things.

The first thing that struck me about Amerzone was the beauty of the graphics, particularly the watercolours in Alexandre's journal. This is a very restful game to the eyes. The human characters are very cartoony -- almost resembling Terry Gilliam animations. This is not surprising as designer Benoit S. is a French cartoonist. Weirdly, though, the cartoony-ness of the characters didn't stand out horribly as it does in some other games.

The ending is abrupt and a little lame. I think this might be a good game for a younger person who hasn't played an adventure game before and wants to see what it's all about. I personally played Amerzone at a stressful time in my life, and found it soothing; I liked looking at the pretty pictures and the puzzles were merely a way to see more pretty pictures so I was kind of glad they were easy. If you want a challenge, though, this isn't the game you want.

Well, Amerzone is no masterpiece, but it's well worth the money! (I doesn't coast much anyway). Graphics are smooth and clear, and the interface is easy to use. Granted, this game has borrowed a lot from Riven (Myst2), but overall it makes for a nice game. Amerzone is very simple, so it's not for those who are on the lookout for mindboggling puzzles. You won't find them in Amerzone. The storyline is simple also (follow in the footsteps of an explorer, and make good his wrongdoings). I liked it, but I could imagine that Myst-players miss the deeper layers. The atmosphere of the games, to wich the sounds contribute a lot, is great. From misty France to tropical Amerzone, it's quite beautiful and enjoyable. It has plenty of humour too, wich is lacking in some other adventuregames. The game is very short though, even with four cd's, you could play it in a day or less. But if you're tired of rewandering the difficult routes as in Riven and Exile, this makes for a nice, easy change. It's a good buy.

I'm on a new game kick right now, so you might notice my page has many game reviews crunched together. I am trying to find that "just right" game. If you have a 12 yr. old, or are an adventure game "beginner" ...this game is sure to delight. It's literally a junior version of "Myst". It is riddled with beautiful graphics, rich color, and has a great mystical story line. Unfortunately, for all of us average gamers (who did solved the fantiscally frustrating Myst a while ago) this is not for us. The game's puzzles are too simple, many times, unrelated to the plot, and frankly, I just can't see it holding an advanced gamer's attention for more than an hour. It's just too easy. I give it 3 stars for a junior player, but 1 for young/average adults. Don't waste your money. Since I am "test-driving" a few others after this, please feel free to check my page here at Amazon for the others I try out (you know, for that perfect "game fit"):)

If you like Myst and Riven, and are waiting for a nifty treat to get you through until the next Cyan game is available, consider Amerzone. It is a gorgeous game! The plot is fun: you need to return a sacred egg to a jungle volcano, to redeem a bad deed done years before when the egg was stolen. Amerzone's puzzles are not very hard, so the game won't take long to finish. But if you like "rides" in games, you'll love the Hydrafloat! Also the game has a subtle sense of humor which is fun. But most of all, it's beautiful. And it doesn't cost much! I recommend it.

A dying French explorer tells you to take a mysterious white egg back to its rightful tribe in the Amerzone. So begins your fascinating journey across continents and time. Amerzone is a short game, but full of unique creatures, modes of transportation and an original storyline based on Benoit Sokal's comic books. The graphics are simply gorgeous. The Amerzone journal contains pen and ink sketches of the flora and fauna of the Amerzone, watercolours of important scenes, etc. It is like an interactive gallery, but there are clues hidden in the notebook as well.

Music is scarce. Sound effects are brilliant, especially nature sounds: birdcalls, hoots and groans from unknown species of the Amerzone. Voice acting is so-so, although like Myst you do not meet many people (somewhere around four or five). There are some awkward translations from French to English.

You start your journey in the windswept, rocky, drab grey region of Brittany (the Celtic region of France). The game will whisk you away to a South American country (obviously modelled on Brazil) oppressed by a dictator. The natives have been exploited, and their white egg was stolen by the aforementioned explorer. Your mission is to return it to them. Along the way you will discover that the explorer/inventor left behind many interesting gadgets and modes of transportation. Yes, there are some flaws of logic: floppy discs in the 1920s? But this is a beautiful, unique adventure game that always feels real. You have the chance to explore a lighthouse, a sleepy Hispanic village, a native village, an abandoned airplane hangar and bar (complete with poster of Casablanca on the wall), a jungle and a volcano.

If you are a fan of Myst and exploration games, this is for you. This is a slow-paced beginners' game that is different from the rest, both in visual style and in content. Amerzone is worth the trip, believe me.

If you loved Myst - you'll love this game! It of course is not AS good as Myst 3 or Riven, but IT COMES VERY CLOSE. The graphics are pretty good although kinda see through in spots, but up close: VERY GOOD. And, it WORKS WITH XP. I was worried about that, but had NO problems at all. The journey was very good and the storyline good - the puzzles weren't too hard but they were a challenge - I was very pleased and had a good time, wish it would have lasted longer and not ended so soon. I am looking forward to more games from Microids.

This game will disappoint those who are more experienced at adventure games.

Amerzone was the third modern (post-1985) adventure game I played (after Harry Potter and Chamber... and Syberia II). I found the gameplay easy to learn (click where you want to go, click to pick up the object, click to use the object, etc.), but problem-solving puzzles involved scenarios that seemed either illogical or contrived. In many cases, the "problem" to be solved was just within grasping range of the character, but because of the visual perspective, you have to roll your head around and up and down to find the related object. Combined with a sometimes "fishbowl" perspective, I found myself getting dizzy and nauseated at times. To save my sanity, I used "walkthroughs" from other web sites to help me find those objects "right under my nose" but which I was otherwise too sick to start pixel-searching on my own.

Also disturbing was the disjointed way you jump from scene to scene as you progress. Thus, if you face north, and continue straight ahead, you'd expect to still be facing north. But in many cases, you transition into the next frame by facing another direction. In settings like swamps, jungles, and underwater lagoons that have poor visibility anyway, this can be disconcerting. I became lost several times.

After playing Syberia II, also by Benoit Sokal, I anticipated Amerzone to have a richly engaging story, but was disappointed to discover that I didn't much care about my mission or the characters. Also disappointing was that the game is played in first-person so you never see yourself, and that nearly all personal interaction is with characters you'd normally avoid under other circumstances. There were no engaging personalities, no witty dialogue, and--just like Syberia II--no chance to repeat a dialogue if you missed what was said (unless you reloaded a saved game). At least with Syberia's Kate Walker, the character you play sometimes speaks charmingly to herself so that you have somewhat of a personality and don't mind spending time by yourself. In Amerzone, however, most of the time you're alone, with no dialogue, and no "inner dialogue" of the mind like Kate Walker had--I felt as lifeless as a doorknob. I guess after a stellar game like Syberia II, my expectations were way too high.

On the upside, Amerzone's storyline was imaginative, there was no violence (only one instance where someone points a gun at you at close range and then he expires of infirmity), no sexual content, no coarse language (except one instance where the aforementioned character alludes to the lovemaking practices of disinterested women--this is mentioned very quickly and under a drunken stupor so you might miss it if not paying close attention), no nudity (except some journal's line drawings of natives in sparse clothing), and the scenery was filled with fantastical creatures and lush landscapes.

The cut scene movies were illustrated dreamily and smoothly--although I had some technical difficulties on Disk 1 with the first major cutscene as you take off in the Hydraboat-thingy: the music and visuals were choppy and kept blacking out. This may be because I am running Windows XP with advanced hardware and software--too advanced for the aging nature of the game. There were a few other minor technical bugs in the program (such as the inability to perform certain actions when I know via walkthroughs that I was supposed to be able to), but they resolved themselves. I also discovered that it is best to play this game with as few other software programs running as possible--otherwise your mouse movements will be choppy and difficult to control.

For imagination and originality, I'd give this game 5 stars. For interface, puzzle-solving, and value for your money, I'd give it 2 stars. Overall, a 3. Not really bad, just not really good.

(I would actually give 2-1/2 stars to this item, but it's not allowed.)

Amerzone is an adventure game from Dreamcatcher in which you must return an egg to the white birds of the imaginary country Amerzone.

Like most Dreamcatcher games, the graphics are very inspiring and eye appealing. Amerzone is a graphically beautiful, typical point-and-click, Mystlike adventure game. Much went into the programming, as it is a very stable game, with few crashes. My only complaint about the programming is that you're not allowed to skip the opening credit sequence, even after you've gone through it once. Every time you start up the game you have to see the Dreamcatcher logo/multimedia sequence.

The developers obviously took pains to make a more elegant interface, but this proved to be a double-edged sword. The inventory management system, for instance, automatically deletes items which are of no use anymore after you end a chapter in the game. When combined with a cursor that changes when you need to use an inventory item, however, the game becomes too easy. With so few items in inventory, all you had to do was experiment with each item until something happened. If the cursor said that I needed something to complete a puzzle, but I had tried all of my inventory, then obviously I had to go looking for other items in order to solve the puzzle.

There are a couple of appropriate reasons why you should get this game:

1. You really like adventure games or games with great graphics.
2. It's for someone young, probably around junior high school, or someone completely new to computers/adventure games.

Otherwise, I'd recommend a pass. Definitely don't buy if you don't like adventure games. Amerzone will not change your opinion. If you still want it, try looking around for a used or discounted copy.

Tip for those who do decide to buy: Pay close attention to the animation sequences when they come on. Many times you're not allowed a way to replay them, so you have to either go back to a saved spot or catch what they say the first time.

Not on par with Myst but still a very enjoyable game with some really nice graphics. The puzzles weren't overly challenging and some were downright too easy but all fit in well with the story line. This is the type of game to play when you just want to sit quietly and do a quiet activity. The ambient music and the settings within the game tended to be very soothing. I know that I will probably be playing it again as soon as I have forgotten enough of the solutions or I may just play it through to look at the graphics and experience the technology...

The two oft mentioned criticisms of adventure games are their rigid linear plot lines together with the, at times, incoherent presence of puzzles. These problems in adventure games have seen the genre collapse in recent years. Amerzone makes you think that that collapse is not happening quickly enough. If the Association for the Banning of Adventure Games was ever looking for exhibit number one in their case, then Amerzone is it.

Take the puzzles. The prescence of puzzles in any adventure game always requires a well developed ability to suspend disbelief. The least an adventure game designer should do therefore is make the puzzles interesting and challenging (e.g. Riven). All the "puzzles" in this game however are of a "pick up every item you can and then click them on every thing you can" variety. This to my way of thinking is not really a puzzle at all.

In terms of the linear thing this game really takes the cake. There is only ever one way to go. Okay this is basically true of all adventure games but the thing here is that you never at any point even feel like anything you do makes a blind bit of difference. It's like reading a very very bad graphic novel. The only difference being that you have to "solve" a pathetic and simplistic puzzle before you can read the next (equally dire) chapter.

The other thing that amazed me with this game was how very short it was (okay I now think that this is perhaps its only saving grace). I am astounded that so little could be put onto 4 discs. I finished the damn thing in an afternoon. Given that you can't re-play adventure games this is unforgivable.

Okay so the thing was cheap and a couple of years old. But really there is no excuse for this kind of dross. The obvious comparison to be made is to Myst, Riven etc. All I can say is that if you enjoyed the Myst games then you really shouldn't buy this. Despite all the criticisms of Myst et al, they at least try to be imaginative, offer a challenge, and don't simply rely on pretty pictures connected by the flimsiest of plot lines and the solving of the worst puzzles you're ever likely to find in a game. The world is indeed a strange place, (and indeed a much stranger place than the country of "Amerzone",) when people actually get paid to produce such utter rubbish.