|
|
Amerzone
|
|
|
|
|
|
Graphics & Sound:
The Graphics are beautiful. Amerzone utilizes a 3D “warping” method, taking a single 360-degree image and wrapping it around so that you can turn and look any and every direction. This is enhanced by the fact that they have added some animation into these views, so the world doesn’t appear to be flat and static.
The background sounds are very ambient and immersive, perfectly complementing the graphics to present an enjoyable game. The presentation is high quality, but the gameplay is targeted to a certain niche. |
|
|
Gameplay:
If you like wandering through vast open spaces where you can choose from any of a billion different actions to take... beware! Amerzone has its appeal, but it is completely linear. Completely linear, you ask? Okay, not completely linear; a movie would be completely linear. Amerzone allows you to make choices, try different things and explore. But to progress, there is only one correct choice. In some parts of the game, that means that you can choose to wander around for a while before continuing onwards, but in other parts, that means that you cannot progress until you correctly and successfully complete a task, regardless of the existence of other things to try. At one point, I had to grapple a rock to pull myself down a river. This is, mind you, after I had been grappling rocks and pulling myself a little ways already. At a certain point, I had a hard time figuring out which rock I was supposed to grapple onto. (There were several to choose from, as well as a cliff to one side.) With no other option to even attempt and no way to exit the boat, I continued searching for just the right spot until my grappling hook finally took hold. If you have the patience for puzzles such as this, like exploring, and don’t mind trading in some of your freedom of movement in exchange for a great story and an immersive environment, then Amerzone could be one of your favorite diversions.
|
|
|
Difficulty:
Amerzone is an interesting game, filled with puzzles and intricate tasks. Some of these tasks and puzzles are far from obvious. Exploring the environment always helps you to work them out, but the solutions are not always straightforward, even once you know them. If you enjoy games such as Myst and Zork Zero, then you may find Amerzone to be intriguing. But, prepare to be stumped for a while on some of the puzzles... especially if you are new to these types of games.
|
|
|
Game Mechanics:
Amerzone is primarily an interactive movie of sorts. The game consists of a series of 360-degree viewable locations with “clickable” areas, strung together with explanatory movies, and enhanced with immersive ambient sounds in the background. That doesn’t mean the game is not good. On the contrary, the game is very good, indeed! It simply isn’t extremely sophisticated. This type of game engine allowed for the artistic elements to play a bigger role, and also provided for a coherent storyline.
Amerzone is a shining example that you don’t have to develop or license the newest 3D graphics engine and render lens flares at 300 FPS in order to have a beautiful, enjoyable game. Sometimes you can create a great product by simply investing time in the actual content of the game. Imagine that!
|
|
|
-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins |
Minimum System Requirements:
Pentium 166 Mhz, 32 MB RAM, 4x CD-ROM, 60 MB free disk space |
|
Test System:
K6-II 400, 64MB RAM, Voodoo 3 2000 PCI, Aureal Vortex II A3D Sound Card |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
