UBI SOFT Myst V: End of Ages Collector's Edition ( Windows/Macintosh )
by Ubi Soft
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Product Summary
Brand: UBI SoftFormat: CD-ROM
Platform: No Operating System
Model: 21612
Publisher: Ubi Soft
Product features:
- Solve new types of puzzles never before seen in adventure games that challenge the path of your journey and aid your success
- Easy point-and-click interface - Explore vast 3D worlds with just a click of the mouse
- Dynamic new slate interface lets you alter you environment and Communicate with mysterious creatures to do your bidding
- New photorealistic worlds ripe with life, weather, movement and mystery
- Pioneering cinematic 3D scenes spring to life, through a live-action Video technique new to video games; Innovative facial mapping technology brings characters alive
- Logitech MX518 Gaming Optical Mouse - Metal
- Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
- Ideazon Zboard Gaming Keyboard
- Razer Pro Click v1.6--1600 dpi Mouse for Mac/PC
- Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac ( 967664-0403 )
Video Game Reviews of UBI SOFT Myst V: End of Ages Collector's Edition ( Windows/Macintosh )
Customer Review: Myst 5 is an extension of Mysts 1 - 4
Summary: 5 Stars
I just completed the 5th and last of the Myst series of adventures and come away totally awed by the entire experience. Myst 5 is breathtaking in its scope and accomplishment; pushing out the envelopes of capability and vision into new realms. It is hard to even begin to imagine how some of the Myst 5 puzzlements could have been devised let alone then realized in interactive graphics software that could actually be engaged and solved by visitors.
Myst 5 can take quite a while to complete depending upon the number of recreational hours allocatable to this adventure. But this is true of all the Myst adventures and should not be a problem for anyone who is into 'the process' of adventure, and not into rushing to 'the goal' of completion as quickly as possible. After all it is very disappointing having one of these adventures come to an end after so much quality mind-bending time together. The Myst adventures are so fascinating in their detail and imaginativeness that some of us have delighted in prolonging the experiences by exploring all areas that are off-the-beaten-path just to examine the excellence of the designers' achievements, or by stopping just before the final steps and giving tours of our favorite places that are all open and working to family members; then returning for the completion.
The Save feature of Myst 5 is unique among the set in that it enables returning automatically to the place where one last left off. Unfortunately, it is not possible to manually Save at a strategic point in order to try out the other endgame scenarios. Myst 5 requires one to make only one final and permanent decision -- hopefully the right one. Of course it is always possible to complete entirely new run-thrus from the beginning that can be ended differently.
The Myst worlds are archaeological in scope and seem to be designed for people who are very patient, thorough, and detail-oriented, and who do not mind retracing their steps (sometimes many times over) in order to probe, analyze, understand and solve. One can get lost in this stuff. When complex mechanisms actually work after dissecting them fully and logically, the sensation is magically rewarding. The Myst worlds also presume a certain threshold level of intelligence and creative problem-solving ability, along with a good measure of multi-dimensional and conceptual thinking ability. The Myst explorations are not for air-heads nor those who are into empty shooter mayhem. Yet Myst worlds can become so richly rewarding and immersive for many people that, in time, the places visited come to occupy a similar kind of memory as that of real places visited on trips or vacations, with vivid details readily recalled years afterward.
That being said, the puzzles and story lines in Myst 1, 2, and 3 comprise a sort of 'self-discovery' phase, in that one can pretty much noodle one's way through them with persistence and trial-and-error and without outside help. In this phase there is much random roaming about trying to figure out what's going on and how things work. There are underlying levels of checklists that need to be completed but the order of completion within a level is arbitrary. However, one cannot proceed to the next level without having first completed all tasks within a given level.
Some participants in these early explorations become frustrated with the amount of time it takes to work out the underlying genius of the puzzlements that must be solved to facilitate advancement. Therefore, to enhance the real pleasure of 'the process', and the sense of accomplishment, it is useful to keep a personal journal or notebook in which to record facts, things figured out, and discoveries that could be useful later on. This also prevents having to travel back long distances to re-examine clue-like items previously encountered. These diaries are also helpful should one wish to re-visit the Myst worlds over and over without having to re-expend the sometimes heavy time investment in former trial-and-error discoveries.
Myst 3's story line is just slightly askance -- kind of like a backstory -- from the previous and subsequent characterizations, but the quality of the imagery and everything else in it are so absolutely top notch that this journey is well worth the time and mental energy expended. [Another medial adventure called URU: Ages Beyond Myst was introduced but turned out to be premature in concept since the Myst Ages were not yet completed. [URU will be re-introduced as an online, real-time, multi-avatar, monthly-subscription adventure. There's no way that I'll get involved in a Myst adventure that requires a monthly subscription.]
Mysts 4 and 5 comprise a 'guided' phase of the saga. Whereas 1, 2, and 3 allowed for much rambling about in search of meaning -- which is ascertained from the contexts and discoveries -- 4 and 5 provide more tailored and orderly story lines that do have 'preferred' pathways that are not to be comfortably diverged from. Many of the puzzlements are also SUBSTANTIALLY more difficult than any previously encountered. Even considering 1, 2, and 3 as important training exercises does not help with the maddeningly sophisticated and tricky devices and situations of 4 and 5. 4 and 5 also have fascinating and highly detailed back stories for almost every situation and context. For these reasons, the experiences when visiting 4 and 5 are greatly enhanced by working through them using the Official Guides produced by PRIMA Games. These Official Guides also enabled me to set aside the adventures for sometimes months at a time and then to pick up where I left off when my schedule permitted. [One wonders what kind of incredible puzzle adventures could be devised that are actually designed to be experienced along with a mandatory off-line guide without which it would be impossible to complete them.]
The PRIMA Official Guides for 4 and 5 are actually stunning achievements in themselves. Beautifully illustrated and artfully constructed, they serve as the uncovered diaries of previous participant visitors who explored these worlds and provided needed inputs to enable the dramas to unfold. Written in the first person, they are like dusty old notebooks that reveal the appropriate pathways through the mystical environments. In addition to being jam-packed with all sorts of fascinating and intriguing story information, the guides pretty much show how to arrive at the solutions to all of the puzzlements as they are encountered. For some this can be a major spoiler. Of course the new visitor can always ignore the in-line solutions [recommended] and attempt to scope out the natures of newly encountered locales before surrendering [in frustration] to the solutions in the guides. One thing is for sure, these guides are useful for keeping one on the proper story pathways and avoiding unfortunate and uncomfortable time-consuming detours. It sometimes does not pay to belligerently ignore the most obvious choices that are made available. And there is something surprisingly satisfying in approaching Myst 4 and 5 with both printed and electronic tools. Myst 4 and 5 also provide automated camera journals to record significant discoveries. Unfortunately these journals cannot be separately saved for future use, so manually prepared journals are still beneficial for repeating the adventures later on.
In the 12 year span from Myst 1 in 1993 to Myst 5 in 2005 much had happened in the world of computers. Each successive Myst release took advantage of, and often required, these newer hardware developments. Needless to say, a very fast computer with lots-o-memory enhaces the entire experience. Myst 2 ('Riven'), for example, was so much more complex than its predecessor that it was initially released in 5-CD sets separately for Macs and Windows. It offered artistically beautiful packaging but was maddening to constantly change CDs as one traversed the environments. Soon all five CDs for both platforms were placed onto only one DVD which immediately increased user levels of involvement and enjoyment by magnitudes. DVDs rule! Also, the technology of environment traversal improved with each subsequent Myst release; culminating in the advanced approach used in Myst 5 where the mouse and 'w' and 's' keys enable the visitor to easily fly about the spaces through 360 degrees.
Each subsequent Myst adventure also offered more and better ambient sounds, more music (available as separate CD soundtracks), more surface details, greater complexity of structures, more flora and fauna, and more environmental and story-related animation and video details. With all of these adventures it is very important to relax and take the time up front to use the tools provided to properly set up for maximal visual and auditory effects. A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones enable one to fully experience the immersive aural ambience of the Myst worlds. In a silent room, closing one's eyes from time to time while visiting any of the Myst adventures -- just resting and listening carefully for a few minutes -- reveals a rich tapestry of background sounds and musics that are usually subconsciously inaudible while one is exploring, problem-solving and otherwise mentally pre-occupied. The ultra-deep and complex bass sounds associated with the movement of large stone structures are particularly viscerally satisfying with good headphones or gigantic speakers. The only things missing are smells which, interestingly, are described in detail in the PRIMA Official Guides to enhance the mood for certain places.
Taken as a group the Myst adventures are also a profound work of art. Some maintain that they really are museum-grade technological art. The aforementioned musics, soundscapes, textures, flora, fauna, colors, surfaces, mechanisms, devices, design excellence, architectural and structural beauties and mind-boggling details everywhere, represent sheer jaw-dropping creativity that transport one into times and spaces at once weirdly alien and yet beautiful and enticingly approachable. They also seem to be influencing real world developments. If you have a chance, check out photos of the Aquaventure tower at the Atlantis complex on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. It is highly suggestive of the kind of architectural structure and design that was first encountered within the Myst worlds, as is 'the book' for visitors at atlantis.com. Enjoy.
Description of UBI SOFT Myst V: End of Ages Collector's Edition ( Windows/Macintosh )
Myst V: End of Ages improves upon a series that's already regarded as a high point in gaming. In this chapter, you'll embark on an epic journey into the heart of a shattered empire. You're the only explorer with a chance of saving it - but you may also destroy it with the wrong choices. After generations of pain, the legacy of Myst and the burden that one family has shared comes to a final judgment. Special Limited Edition contains: Bonus DVD with soundtrack, trailer and making-of documentary; Exclusive 152-page collector booklet with world-premiere preview of the new Myst book, The Book of Marrim.Strategy Games
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