Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	8
Sound:	5
FunFactor:	8
PlasmaFactor:	4
Overall:	6.4

Aura: Fate of the Ages Review
July 22, 2004 by Matt Wetsel

by mattw - July 22, 2004

First of all, if your interest in this game extends from the use of the word "adventure", I encourage you to hit "Back" on your browser and just stop reading right now.

What words come to mind when one things of adventure games? Intriguing plot, dynamic characters, a sense of duty completeing the game's objectvies? This game offers none of those things, although the advertisements and descriptions on the box will say differently. The story is painfully generic: a group of "Keepers" hold the "sacred rings of the Worlds." Using the rings, the Keepers can apparently travel between worlds which contain artifacts. If one was to unite the rings and artifacts, they're said to become immortal, which is exactly what you're character, Umang, intends on doing. Umang, in all sincerity, is probably the lamest, most uninteresting character ever concieved, and never will you feel as though you're assisting him on some great quest. If it wasn't for the equally boring cutscenes, you could easily forget he's even in the game (and you'd be better off). The same can be said for the rest of the plot, with the puzzles never offering much of an incentive to be solved beyond the sheer fact that they CAN be. If insanely difficult puzzles sound appealing, though, then this game has quite a bit to offer.

Frustration = Fun

Aura plays very much like the puzzle games of previous generations - all gameplay is controlled by the mouse. The cursor will turn into an arrow if you can move in a certain direction, will glow if you can pick something up, or if something in the screen can be manipulated or added to. The whole game is mapped out on pre-rendered backgrounds (which look great) and, almost instantly, you have a rediculous amount of places to explore, things to pick up, objects to rotate, and levers to pull. Talking to the right NPC's and looking at the right things will add clues to your journal, which consists of illustrations which give step-by-step instructions on what to do with the various machines, etc in order to proceed. Those who are concerned this will spoil the challenge need not worry; the journal entries are often equally if not more frustrating than the puzzles themselves. The best part is that once you figure out what needs to be done, the journal will make perfect sense and you'll wonder how it was so confusing.

Another nice feature is that once an object/machine/etc has been used for it's purpose, you can no longer select it to view it closer. For example, there is a charger on a bookshelf in the cottage at the beginning of the game. Examine the shelf, pick up the charger, step back. The bookshelf is no longer accesible, which is an excellent confirmation that you didn't miss anything. In a game where you'll be retracing your steps many, many times as you attempt to solve puzzles, it's the least they could do. A word of advice: you have a 360 degree view point at all times, so USE IT. There were a few instances where I wandered around for 20 minutes because the item I needed was in an obscure place. Oddly enough, the first section's puzzles are almost entirely inventory based, requiring items to interact with machines and gadgets. Later sections in the game are a bit more linear with puzzles more based in logic, which is a relief. The first section of the game must have taken me 3 or 4 times longer than the 2nd! The pace of the game, which is slow by nature, can often feel like a crawl if and when you have to backtrack through an area. The pre-rendered backgrounds have a load time of a few seconds, which can really add up when you are just wandering around for clues.

Beautiful Backgrounds, Ugly FMV

So many games in the past used pre-rendered backgrounds to make up for the lack of power available to developers at the time (Resident Evil 1-3, Final Fantasy 7-9, and the Myst series come to mind) that one can almost expect them to look wonderful. That said, the backgrounds are undeniably gorgeous, whether you're outside on a stone walkway, inside a cabin, or standing before snow-covered temples at daunting altitudes. However, excellent graphics are becoming more and more common among PC titles, and a 3D interface could have greatly improved the pacing to Aura, and they still could have used pre-rendered graphics for the closeups. That's just a minor gripe from a gamer who's used to faster paced titles, though, so I'm sure fans of the genre won't think twice when they see some of the beautiful designs Aura has to offer. I would encourage you to turn up the gamma, though, either in-game or on your monitor, or else you can pass over clues or items on occasion.

As previously mentioned, the game has FMV's for certain things, like going up and down stairs. Nothing more than a novelty, the FMV does not come close in comparison to the pre-rendered backgrounds, and is often grainy. Considering they will be viewed multiple times, I'm surprised the developers didn't A - make them much more pleasing and worth the trouble or B - get rid of them all together. The cut scenes in between levels and when you interact with NPC's feel less out of place, but don't look any better, and it's amusing how when characters speak, their mouths barely move. Again, minor gripes, since the movies aren't there to impress, but merely advance the (rediculous, generic) story

If the Voice Acting Was Free, They Paid Too Much

Between the talented artists which created the backgrounds and the level designers who created some downright difficult puzzles, it would appear that the sound department didn't have much of a budget. Objects make the type of noises one would expect, with metals clanking, pages crinkling, and machines whirring all in a suitable fashion. The music seems to fade in and out, definitely taking a back seat to the rest of the game. You couldn't expect much else from a game like is, and with everything mentioned so far, it's hard to find a complaint.

The complaints are reserved for the absolutely laughable, terrible voice acting that accompanies the cut scenes. If you have no interest in playing this game, then I must encourage you to find a way to hear the voice acting just for the sake of getting a good laugh. Sadly, the cutscenes occasionally offer advice on what to do with certain items and one would be ill-advised to skip over them.

Surprisingly Entertaining

Whether or not you'll have fun with this game is a matter of what you consider "fun". Gamers used to fast-paced action will find their finely tuned reflexes useless here, and gamers who value the story aspect of games will also be disappointed. But, those who like to challenge themselves and are willing to invest the time and frustration to give Aura a shot will find a game that can be very rewarding. Sometimes there will be a series of puzzles which aren't as closely related or difficult as, say, the first area's puzzles, and once you get a flow going, it's hard to walk away as you become more determined and confident to get through the game. Personally, puzzle games of this variety wouldn't usually spark my interest but I still found it entertaining, which says a lot about it.

Perhaps the Game Doesn't Want Me to Play It?

With a game like this, you wouldn't expect to encounter many technical problems, but alas, nothing is perfect. Installation took 3 or 4 attempts as the installer insisted that certain files on the CD's were not there. The first time the game launched, it did so without my instructing it to, taking me to the title screen but unable to interact with any of the options. Instead, my desktop beneath it kept blinking in and out of the picture, which I was equally unable to interact with. Though this only happened once, it was frustrating enough that it's worth mentioning.

What was also frustrating was the unprovoked, seemingly unpredictable crashes I experienced. Sometimes after 5 minutes of gameplay, sometimes after an hour, the game would decide I had had enough for one day and crash to my Windows desktop, offering no explanation, error message, or sympathy in regards to my unsaved progress. I searched the internet for patch information, technical support, web forums, etc, but could find nothing on these glitches. As of this writing, the game has been out a little less than a month, and the lack of a patch seems almost inexcusable in today's gaming world. The fact that I couldn't find any more information on it, though, could mean that it isn't a very common occurance with other users. Either way, I encourage anyone who plays this game to save as often as possible to prevent yourself from replaying through whole puzzles again, because once is enough. Speaking of which, there isn't much to do when the game is finished. Knowing all the secrets to a game like this means that replaying it wouldn't be much fun, but that seems consistent with the genre.

 

The Last Word

Aura: Fate of the Ages is a game that will cater to a very specific audience, and if rip-your-hair-out hard puzzles are your cup of tea, than this title comes fully recommended. Fans of older games like Myst will feel right at home, and those hungry for games like it should jump at this one since it's a genre which is practically dead. Despite the slow pacing, the game can be really absorbing at times, and the sense of accomplishment with getting past certain puzzles is unparalelled. The inexcusable instability, though, will make some never want to play the game again, which I suppose is fine since there is virtually no replay value. Don't be fooled by the use of the word "adventure", either, as the story and characters are so flat that they make walls jealous. As a $20 budget title, though, the price is definitely right, and there's plenty of fun to be had for hardcore puzzle fans.