Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen

by Mindscape

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002S62A
• Item model number: 378217
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 10, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,356 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Ring--The Legend of the Nibelungen is an ambitious experiment in pushing the boundaries of gaming entertainment. Combining far-future science fiction with an unlikely source--Wagner's epic opera, The Ring Cycle--the game creates a player experience like nothing ever seen before.

Ring casts you as four characters from the opera: the dwarf tyrant, Alberich; the heroic Sigmund; the Valkyrie Brunhilde; and a fire spirit known as the Loge. Each character pursues one Ring Cycle story line via a Myst-style first-person interface. The plot is utterly nonlinear so, at any point, you can switch from one chapter to another. Because you can finish the game's components in any order, the story's ultimate resolution varies, depending on your choices during play.

With Wagner as base material, it should come as no surprise that Ring comes with an immense focus on music. The digitally remastered soundtrack was performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the '60s, under the direction of Sir George Solti.

>From sound to visuals, Ring is conceived as a work of art, and players who prefer a thrill ride might be impatient with the long movie passages and musical sequences. A lot of gaming time is also devoted to sweeping through each 360-degree environment, searching for the hot spot that allows you to interact with an item or character or to simply move on.

For opera fans and players looking for a dynamic aesthetic experience, Ring is unique and utterly delightful. --Alyx Dellamonica

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars And Now For Something Completely Different, April 22, 2000

By 

rw9 (Stony Brook, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen (CD-ROM)

PROS: 1. The opening to Ring doesn't really feel like a game or an opera. It feels more like an MTV video, except that the graphics are so provokingly beautiful. At one point, you come out of your dream vision and realize that you need to use an inventory item, and you awaken with a start. Of course the item that works is a far cry from what you would expect. Then off you roar into your Tolkienesque medieval-fantasy-dreamscape again.

2. In general the dialog in Ring is very well written, with a feel for poetry and metaphor (and the delivery by the actors) that seems more Shakespearean than operatic. Charlotte Rampling, who voices the role of the Earth-Mother Erda, has the loveliest speaking voice I have ever heard.

3. During the game, you get to play as four different mythological beings: Alberich, Loge, Siegmund and Brunnhilde. Alberich looks like the mating of a troll and a stalagmite, and ad-libs a great scat version of the Valkyrie theme. Loge, an Egyptian fire spirit, adds new meaning to the words "slippery" and "ruthless." Siegmund, the Terminator with a red ponytail, has a hopeless, fatal passion for his twin sister. And Brunnhilde, the true heroine of Ring, is garbed like an Amazon warrior with feathers and face paint. She is the only one in this fascinating crew to have even an ounce of moral sense. Experiencing the story through these various characters is a lot of fun and gives you access to mythical worlds using some of the most colorful, imaginative graphics I have seen. (Play the characters in the order I've mentioned if you want the story to make sense).

CONS: 1. Ring has one location with three rather difficult puzzles: a sound puzzle in which you play back a melody piece by piece; a sliding tile puzzle; and a "guess-the-number" puzzle that relies on an obscure hint from your surroundings for its solution. Patience is required here.

2. Occasionally the views with 360-degree panning are somewhat pixelated.

3. The ending is frustrating. I was so involved with this game that I was actually angry at the ending. I don't mind playing a game that is leading up to a sequel, but I do prefer to know that before I play, so that I don't expect complete closure.

Bottom Line: Highly recommended for those who like myths and mythological worlds, or for those who simply enjoy the experience of thinking (and seeing) "different." Take a deep breath, and hold on tight for an eye-popping, thought-provoking, expectation-busting joyride. Then hope they make the sequel VERY soon!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating!, July 16, 2000

By 

mystry (Gibsonville, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen (CD-ROM)

Graphics are wonderful! The storyline is intriguing and the music enhances the scenes. The puzzles/tasks were mostly logical. I was unable to complete the game when I reached the "timed" puzzle. I did not have enough time to complete. I realize that I could have started over and probably done better, but I didn't love the game enough to do it. I prefer games with some lightness in them--this one was so emotionally dark! I will probably try again on a cold rainy day when I have nothing better to do.

I would recommend this game to dedicated, persistent gamers looking for something "different".

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, March 25, 2008

By 

Blondie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen (CD-ROM)

This was good. Not what I was expecting, but good. The best way to describe it is futuristic/religious. The game is non-linear. You choose the sequence of worlds you complete.