- Platform: Windows NT, Mac
- Media: Video Game
- Item Quantity: 1
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Product Description
Amazon.com Review
A collision with a meteorite has stopped Earth from rotating on its axis! Now half of the planet is turning to a ball of ice while the side facing the sun gets hotter... and hotter. If the planet is to survive, you must generate enough electricity to power a giant impulse machine, the only device that can get the planet rotating again. The only problem is with the impulse machine's electrical generators--not only are they scattered throughout the world, none of them is working correctly.
Physicus is a first-person role-playing game in the style of Myst, designed for players aged 10 and older. Players click through a nearly endless series of gorgeously rendered scenes, scanning any stray objects they find and using them to repair and activate the electrical generators. The key difference between this and similar games, though, is that all the puzzles in Physicus are based on solid scientific principle.
Fortunately, you do not have to be a wizard in optics, Newton's principles of motion, or any other aspect of the physical sciences to play this game. The expert is provided for you, in the form of a virtual laptop, which can guide you through your world-spanning task. Within the laptop, the fundamental concepts of physical science are laid out in a clear and entertaining format, complete with diagrams and animated illustrations. This banquet of information is broken into bite-sized morsels for younger players, and is available for access at any point in the game. What's more, the game is very well cross-indexed, with links to the correct sections of the laptop appearing whenever a puzzle presents itself.
Physicus is one of the rare educational games that genuinely have it all: great story, super graphics, and truly interesting puzzles. Visually, it melds a lush Victorian retrotech sensibility with hardcore educational content. The first-person interface gives the players the opportunity to fully imagine themselves in this complex adventure. Engaging enough to hold the attention of adults as well as younger players, it makes an excellent shared project for a parent-and-child team. --Alyx Dellamonica
Amazon.com Product Description
A meteorite has hit the planet, causing it to stop rotating around its own axis. One half of the earth looks set to freeze solid in arctic conditions, while scorching heat is making life unbearable on the other half. Can humankind be saved from this terrible disaster? Just one enormous repulse set off from a large impulse machine could set the planet rotating again. Players who feel up to the challenge must get ready to be confronted with a series of physics-based riddles, scientific problems, and conundrums as they journey through the visually stunning 3-D fantasy landscape of Physicus.
A number of exciting locations and scenarios will be uncovered by the curious player intent on finding the tools he must scan and then beam into action to set off electrical charges and connections. Doors must be opened and secret combinations must be found, and pulleys and lifts must be jolted into action.
Players must light up dingy corners and hallways, activate switches and transformers, and operate all shapes and sizes of machinery, all the while keeping a constant eye everywhere for clues. No corner must be left unturned in your effort to generate electricity and take your challenge to the final step of firing the giant impulse machine.
The key to everything can be found and understood by assessing the vast database of scientific knowledge stored within a laptop-style recorder. These last-chance instructions have been left behind by the last of the survivors who set sail following a failed final attempt to fire a repulse big enough to save their planet. Their hope ran out along with the last of the electrical charges. Along with the database, you will encounter an audio-visual recording that will relay the tale of the last attempt and give you clues and additional scientific background. Listen carefully and leave no stone unturned or corner unchecked--you are their last hope!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best computer game I've tried,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Physicus (Video Game)
This was an outstanding game. Not only was it instructive but it was a lot of fun as well. The graphics and sound effects were top notch. I can't say enough about this game. I just hope the company, Tivola, continues to make similar products.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Physicus,
By A Customer
This review is from: Physicus (Video Game)
Physicus is a terrific game. It is similar to Myst, with the game play and graphics, and has the added bonus of being very informative. The information on optics, mechanics, acoustics, electricity, and heat are excellent. Some of my middle school students love it. They have fun playing, and they're learning.
36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I was hoping for so much more...,
By thomasbc (Kents Store, VA USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Physicus (Video Game)
Yes, the instructional chapters on Physics are fabulous. Yes, the graphics are stunning. And, yes, the overall idea for the game is admirable. However, I was still disappointed in the depth of overall game. Tying the puzzles of the game to principals of physics was such a great idea, yet, I can't help but feel that the designers came up way short on fulfilling that potential. Most of the puzzles are "physics-related", but a lot of them just barely attain that distinction. One puzzle has you quickly matching a flashing optical lens to one of the four push buttons on the key panel in order to obtain access through a door. This is physics? Exploration of the landscape of the game was very limiting and disappointing as well. Several times I was disgruntled to find that not all directions of panning were available (sometimes you can't even turn around). This leads to the potential of NOT turning or panning in a not-so-obvious direction that ends up being very critical to the solving of the game. Also, the overall scope of the landscape is pretty small. With the exception of one "elevator" all other conveyance in the game is on foot. I was so excited to find a rail car on a track that leads down a hill into the town only to be disappointed to find out that you just walk down the track instead of riding the car. Also, I heard references to a submarine which I thought might convey you out to the island with the giant "impellor" device. But, no, the "submarine" is just a shell "up on blocks" with a generator in it. Bummer, I want to go somewhere else in the game! Oh well, its not such a bad little game, but it could have been a really great "physics-bound" adventure game.
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