Uru: Ages Beyond Myst

THE BAD:
Character control is a bit awkward at the very beginning.

SUMMARY:
Like the Myst games before it, Uru pioneers the newest technological advancements in world design and gaming graphics and sound. The first thing anyone will notice about Uru is that the scenery is uncannily realistic. And then as you start walking around, your ears will pick up the slightest hints of your surrounding environment, so subtle and natural that they draw you fully into the gaming experience.

And then, the classic Myst storyline starts to unfold. I've been playing Myst for years, and the concept of books linking to various lost Ages has never grown old, especially because the developers always manage to bring a fresh feel to the idea while also staying loyal to the adventurous spirit that makes Myst a unique series.

Uru, unlike previous Myst games, incorporates an actual character that you maneuver around the worlds. The scenery itself is different too, because now instead of static, photograph quality graphics that you progress through in a slide-show format, the world is fully rendered 3D that moves, lives, and breathes as you explore. The detail of the movement is absolutely amazing and there are things like discernible weather patterns, celestial movements, etc.

I would highly recommend this game to anyone with the system requirements to play it, and I would recommend that anyone without said system requirements upgrade their computer so they can play it!