Rating: Summary: Kept me playing! Review: This game is really good. It was worth the time and energy I put into it. Flying your hellicopter to a different part of the desert was fun. Solving the puzzles were rewarding. I love the mouse controls this game has. I really felt like I was there. Graphics were cool. Neat concept. It will be one in my collection. There is one con: If you freeze or you experience a "bug" in the game at one of the puzzles, (hint:blow arrow) the game sight has a patch for you to download. Once that is done...you are good to go for the rest of the game. Dont let that discourage you. Keep on going, its worth it.
Rating: Summary: Rubbed me the wrong way, I guess. Review: After playing "The Longest Journey" (sigh-I loved it) I was getting edgy for something new. I wanted to see if there were any games out there like it. "The Longest Journey" is still my favorite game and I wanted something similar or better (if possible). I read all the reviews of THIS game. Half of the reviews seemed favorable and the other half hated it. What to do...I contacted, via email some of the reviewers to ask them if they think I would like the game. Consensus showed I should get it. Okay so here goes.....The game began with little graphic and exciting scenes of what to expect and then BOOM! The actual game had horrible graphics. I mean real bad. It's so pixilated you can barely make out the Sphinx itself. I proceeded anyway because I was kind of feeling the Indiana Jones hype and went further..to the first and obvious puzzle. It seemed hard at first but I "unlocked" the puzzle in 5 minutes! That's right! 5 minutes. Okay, I gave it one more chance...I tried to find my way to the next step and the 180 degree turns and slow "Myst" click and move steps got me so annoyed and lost it took me an hour just to figure out where I needed to go. I could never get to the spot I needed to, because apparently I needed to download a patch to proceed. I found out after calling some game stores at the local mall that you need a few of these patches to improve the game. It is playable without them, but extraordinarily difficult. I really wanted this game to succeed. I had done my homework, giving it a fair chance and it failed. It really was like an Egyptian "Myst" minus the beautiful graphics, intellectually challenging puzzles and lacking a great plot. I am still remaining open to new ideas from anybody. I have since, returned "The Riddle of the Sphinx" and am looking forward to suggestions from other game reviewers. If anybody has ideas for me please feel free to email. Thank You. And to those of you who were so kind and helpful...I'm truly glad you liked the game..I guess it just wasn't for me.
Rating: Summary: Decent way to get lost in another world Review: After finishing Riven, which kept me wanting to go back and just explore the scenery even more, I wanted to play another really good game that was able to make me feel like I was in another world. I've been interested in Egyptology for some time, and although that setting isn't quite what I was looking for to compare to the feel of Riven, Riddle of the Sphinx caught my attention.First of all, the graphics are OK, but not great, although they do depict the pyramids very well. This game did a fairly decent job of creating another world to explore. One thing that kept it from being better is the fact that the sound kept cutting out every time I moved to another part of the scene. Music helps solidify a great "other world" adventure experience, and with music cutting out so much, it really took away from that experience. Gameplay was average, although at times, clicking in a certain direction would put you facing a different direction than that which was clicked, which was very confusing at times. Overall, it's a fun game, and is better than most Myst or Riven clones. If you like Egypt and are looking for an adventure game, give it a try.
Rating: Summary: ROTS on a PC Review: Frankly, I'm a little disappointed with the PC version of this game - the graphics leave a lot to be desired, which seems to be a problem with a game labeled "for PC" that was developed on a Mac. And, yes, at times they are so dark that I also have to turn off all the lights to see what is on the screen. Also, after a month, I am still waiting for my hints book, so although I started the game, I've had to archive it till when the hints book arrives. And even though I have done a search, I have not found a walkthru on the internet. I do wish the game had a mapping feature - one that drew a map for you as you played the game. I had another game that did this, & it was very useful. My favourite game is still Riven, & I am anxiously awaiting for Myst 3: Exile.
Rating: Summary: Simply loved it! Review: Fun, fun, fun! I just finished Riddle of the Sphinx (ROTS) and it was one of the best Adventure/Puzzle Games I have ever played. The storyline is familiar, yet intriguing: You will have to find the ancient secret of the sphinx. An archeologist friend of yours has disappeared after he solved the riddle, and now it is up to you to discover what he found out before his disappearance. The main objective in this game is to solve puzzles, interpret clues and look in each and every corner for each and every detail to help you solve this ancient secret. I cannot begin to say how much I enjoyed the rich, superb graphics and detail of the different locations. I still can't believe all this was more or less crammed onto only 3 CDs. Compared to the game I played just before this one (Gabriel Knight 3 - bad!), the ROTS graphics were pure art. Many times it felt as if I was right there, for example on the beach with the golden pyramid. Adding to this feeling of reality was the soothing music which also helped to "spiritually" send me to the shores of the Nile... The puzzles tie in well with the story, I never got the feeling that what I was doing had nothing to do with the purpose of my search. However, I admit that some of the puzzles were quite difficult to solve, I especially remember a particular one (the one where I had to press certain stones in a certain order to open a gate) where I would have been completely lost without a walkthru I found on the web. On a more fundamental level I would like to commend Dreamcatcher for continuing to make non-violent games like this one. There was a time when I thought this genre had disappeared for good. I am delighted to report that although you can die in ROTS (on very few occasions, by making a wrong choice), it is not bloody or gory at all. No fights, no weapons, no violence. Add to this the more than reasonable price for this game, and you have a true winner! I would have given this game 5 stars in a heartbeat. The only reason for why I didn't is that at times the screen was awfully dark and it was extremely hard to see where I had to go. I had to literally block out all light in my computer room to be able to see something. But this seems to be a problem that I have noticed in other games, too. ROTS is no worse than any of the others. It just bugs me that I have to click around blindly in order to find the one hole in the otherwise black and solid wall through which I need to go next... Other than that only one more thing: I hope Dreamcatcher will come out with a sequel! Soon!!
Rating: Summary: ROTS - The Best PC Adventure Game Ever Review: Over the past 5 years, I've been very selective with the PC adventure games I've played/purchased. My previous favorites have included Obsidian, Riven, The Black Dahlia, Grim Fandango, The Last Express, Blade Runner, and Myst. I must rate Riddle of the Sphinx well AHEAD of all of these games, for the following reasons: outstanding themes, wonderful ambience, coherent game structure, marvelous soundtrack, and the logical nature of puzzles. In sum, Riddle of the Sphinx is the best adventure game I have ever played. My suggestion is to BUY IT. If you enjoy pure adventure, this game delivers it in spades--you will not be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: Almost a Success Review: Riddle of the Sphinx is a classic puzzle game that draws its theme from many of the New Age, Atlantean and alien invasion versions of human history. Sort of a blend of Indiana Jones and the X Files. It is set at the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx in contemporary Egypt. As indicated this is, like many Dreamcatcher games, a puzzle game, not a true adventure. As such the action is limited to running back and forth in order to find clues and complete puzzles. It is a difficult game to evaluate fairly. It is the product of a small team (two to be exact) that literally worked out of their house. As such it represents a remarkable effort. Unfortunately, like many games from Dreamcatcher, there is little cause for excitement. When compared to a game developed by a full team - such as Ultima IX or The Longest Journey, these efforts come off very badly. One has to keep in mind that Dreamcatcher sells these games for considerably less than its bigger brothers. The truth is that ROTS is almost a very good game. It does have several flaws. First of all, it is not clear what your real object is until the end of the game. It turns out that this is intentional, but it leaves you feeling a bit at a loss when you are trying to make sense of the clues. Another problem is the somewhat unorthodox user interface. I was perpetually hitting the wrong key. This will take a bit of getting used to. The scenery is very pseudo-Egyptian, but doesn't really ring true. It is the source of several of the irritating inconsistencies in the game as well. Finally, there is a hint book for sale. It seems that every time game designers market a hint book as well as the game, they view this as a license to create puzzles that are hard to virtually impossible (It sells hint books, after all). This turns a reasonable priced game into a purchase of questionable value. This is really a 3.5 star game, but I cannot in all conscience give it the benefit of the doubt and round up to a four. Even so, the designers display a good bit of talent. Hopefully future efforts will benefit from there initial experiences.
Rating: Summary: Dreamcatcher has done it again! Review: In the true style of a Dreamcatcher game, comes Riddle of The Sphinx. The graphics and storyline are mystifying. It is a "can't stop playing" type of game. I have almost all of the Dreamcatcher games and I am not disappointed by this game either. Thank You Dreamcatcher for being so entertaining.
Rating: Summary: Riddle of the Sphinx is One of the Best! Review: After reading the reviews, I really expected this to be a hohum game. I have played all of the Myst games and have to say that this game is better in theme, puzzles, gaming and difficulty. The only downfall is the navigation was a little deceptive in some critical areas. Although, this is common in all software games of this kind. It took a week and a half of about 3 hrs each night. It was a truly enjoyable experience! This game is worth double its cost. If you don't buy this one your missing a great classic.
Rating: Summary: Just Good and Okay, but not Excellent Review: I enjoyed playing this immersive adventure to Egypt--I am always fond of adventure games that incorporates mysticism and ancient artifacts. The puzzles presented in the game are indeed logical and can be accomplished without consulting a walkthrough. I loved the puzzles and walking around the Giza and the Cheops pyramids. My dissatisfactory comments goes to the graphics--something Dreamcatcher is notorious for. The sky graphics are inadequately designed with bands and the helicopter needs work to display the the realistic texture. The immersive experience of "Riddle of the Spinx" is 3 from a scale of 1 to 5. "3" because of the helicopter and the skies strips the immersive factors away from the game. If you can't wait for Myst 3: Exile, purchase this title to alleviate your impatience for Myst 3. I am certain that Myst 3 is what we adventure fanatics have been waiting for since Riven came out in 1997.
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