Rating: 
Summary: Investigating a haunted house
Review: System on which this was tried out: Pentium III 733 MHz, nVidia TNT 2 Pro, 128 MB RAM, Win98, with a monitor with 1024 x 768 resolution. Designed for Win95.When AMBER: Journeys Beyond is run, it automatically runs its opening credits and start-new-game routine; if you want to reload a saved game, you'll have to invoke the menu yourself. (You can also save different states of the same game, though you really don't need to - you'll never get stuck in any unwinnable positions.) The effect establishes the atmosphere nicely for a new game, though - the opening shot is of a friend's email message to your character, complete with modem sound effects, with voiceover to keep you from thinking the game actually *did* dial out. A mutual friend, Roxy (Dr. Roxanne Westbridge) runs a small company, Bio-Psi Technologies, that's developing a technology for 'tracking paranormal activity'. While Joe hasn't been able to say much about their 'new product line, let's just say that the latest stuff goes beyond tracking. Way beyond.' Roxy has always intended to run tests herself, and she bought an old, supposedly haunted house in the Carolinas that can double as a lab - although it's pretty isolated, has a subpar electrical system, and she only has early prototypes out there. (Nice touch; naturally, Roxy is also reviewing draft documentation for the prototypes, and keeps records of her own work, although you'll have to search for it.) Joe's message dissolves into your viewpoint, driving through a rainy afternoon through evening to Roxy's house - only to have a 1-car accident, dumping the car into the lake in front of her house when a sparkling apparition suddenly drifts into the road. You take over and begin the game by getting to your feet on the dilapidated dock just downhill from Roxy's place. This first person adventure's movement system is Myst-like, with the addition of an inventory. The viewpoint doesn't take up your entire screen - the inventory is visible, because as you search the property for clues to Roxy's whereabouts and what's going on, you'll have the opportunity to pick up some of Roxy's prototypes, which will give you more information. For instance, Roxy's got video surveillance through the house, tied into a system that detects paranormal activity - if you've got the right gadget, it'll basically page you when any of the cameras pick up something, and you'll see the video output on its display. You need to move around a lot, searching for clues, and this ensures that you won't miss any interesting poltergeist activity while you're in another room. The bad electrical system at Roxy's place forms an integral part of the atmosphere and plot - it tends to blackout whenever any interesting experiments requiring a lot of power are being run, something very suggestive given that it's blacked out when you first arrive. Roxy, unfortunately, rashly ran an experiment with the AMBER prototype without waiting to install a new part that might have made the experiment safer, although any gadget that basically puts a living person's mind into a ghost's world isn't exactly 'safe' to begin with. The player essentially has 4 scenarios to work through. First, the main problem of finding Roxy and rescuing her from an experiment gone wrong. Second through fourth, though, is that you must help the ghosts with *their* issues before you can really help Roxy - they're stuck in their own subjective little worlds because of unfinished business. They don't really realize that they're dead - they're suffering from a kind of amnesia, and when you reach each ghost, you need to locate the clues that'll help them remember what happened so they can move on. Their problems can be tackled in any order. The present-day real world is more creepy than most of the ghosts' perspective - plenty of sound effects, but no music. (The game has music, but mostly tied up with the ghosts' apparitions and their perspective.) Imagine searching a haunted house and grounds at night, where the lights might go out at the drop of a hat, where the only sounds you hear are your own footsteps, humming electrical equipment, creaking doors, and the ghosts' activities. There's some blood - two of the ghosts committed suicide, although they don't recognize their own dead bodies - but little gore, although their situations are tragic - the third ghost was a child who drowned in an accident. Seeing the world from their subjective points of view excuses the peculiar nature of some of the puzzles. One ghost hanged himself - you have to find out why - and he had some odd beliefs, including a superstition about bees, so from his perspective a stirred-up beehive's noises sound like words. (Another ghost, a woman who shot herself during WWII, is voice-acted by one of the co-creators of the game. Very nice atmosphere for the WWII sequences, complete with radio broadcasts, posters, rationing, and so on.) Most of the replayability value would be in looking for details you missed in an earlier session; there aren't any random factors (combination locks never change their codes, for instance). However, the basic premise could've been used to create a whole series around Bio-Psi Technologies - plenty of material there. NOTE: The installer allows you to pick the game's directory on disk, but not the menu into which the icons will be added. The game requires QuickTime, and comes with version 2.1.2.59, but will give you the option of not installing it if you'd prefer to experiment with another version. The jewel case includes a leaflet with troubleshooting suggestions; the only problem I've run into is that in a couple of sequences where another character is speaking, the audio got out of sync with the video.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't work on XP
Review: Be aware that this game does not run on Windows XP
Rating: 
Summary: My 'Journey Beyond' Stunk
Review: I really can't believe that this game has received four stars from Amazon reviewers.I had high expectations of this game because of the many positive reviews and the cheap price. The expectations where totally deflated when I realized how small the actually screen display was while playing the game. I've never had to deal with such an annoying small display ever in my PC gaming experience. Along with the poor dialogue and story, the opening was even worse. Every time you restart the game after quitting, you are taken to the beginning screen, when you should be taken to the load/save option. I admit this is a small detail to dislike, but none the less, it is unacceptable for an adventure game.
Some puzzles were very difficult to solve. I had to replay the 1940's scene many times just to get my idiotic character to say one particular line just so I could move the radio dial to enter a room, which would enable me to finally finish the scenario in one minute.
The somewhat creepy sounds and music, and the fact that it deals with the paranormal are the only reasons why I rate this game with two stars...
Rating: 
Summary: A scary easy puzzle game
Review: Amber is another first person puzzle game that is also a bit strange , and for some people scary. The graphics are not bad, even though it is a frame by frame view. The puzzles are not really challenging at all, so if your looking for another Myst type game, this is not the game for you. If your looking for an easy going, non-gory, scare type of game, then you have found the right game for you. Some parts of game play are a little confusing, like trying to move around and that sort, but over time you will get use to it. I also was able to finish the game in two days, so it is a bit short, and the ending is kind of dumm. I would also not recommend this game for younger children, it may frighten them to much.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the spookiest games I've ever played!
Review: This is a very simple game, much like many of the other "point and click" style Myst clones, but for some reason this game SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. Don't get me wrong, this is not a perfect game- it has it's ups and downs, but there were a couple of instances in this game when I actually got the "willies" (and that is rare for me with a video game). I will never forget sitting on a sunny summer afternoon playing this game and the hairs on my arm actually standing up- I kid you not! While Amber is a bit dated by today's standards, it is still a very attactive game with tons of atmosphere. I can't really put my finger on why this game got to me- sometimes the stars line up I guess, and this was one of those instances. This is definitely not for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely reccomend it.
Rating:
Summary: Can't play it
Review: I was suprised to read that other people have played this game. I have windows XP and I cannot get it to play. If someone can tell me how you got this to play, I would very much appreciate it.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: This was a very excellently made game! This is one of the few greatest games I've played that hasn't been played or heard of by many. This is definitly a winner though. Excellent graphics and sound. Just a tad graphic with the deaths of 4 people (3 ghosts, one vicitm) I believe. Three ghosts whom you investigate concerning their death in the same house only at deiiferent periods. You do not see them die though, just after they have been killed, by suicide, murder, or forces of nature. Very exciting game, hard to quit!
Rating:
Summary: Not the greatest game...
Review: For the price, it may be worth your time. The graphics are great, but the actual play is slow. When they say you have to pay attention to detail, they mean it...I would not hav ebeen able to get through this one without hints. It did not take very long at all to get through, and the story is just lame. If this cost more, I would say IT'S NOT WORTH IT!
Rating:
Summary: Does not work with Windows XP
Review: I agree, total waste of money.
Rating:
Summary: unable to use
Review: This game will NOT play on WindowsXP despite the minimum requirements listed.Technical support is unavailable so I was never able to play the game--total waste of money.
|
