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Beyond Atlantis 2
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Graphics & Sound:
Adventure game graphics don't have to be stunning to suck the player into the world they are playing in. Not many people complain about the 2D graphics in the genre, or for that matter the 3D graphics. Beyond Atlantis 2 is a strange mix, as it lets you pan the camera in 360 degrees around you, but the graphics still aren't true 3D. There is some minor warping of your field of view as you move your point of view, and everything is a touch on the grainy side. For those who get motion sickness, beware; moving around in this environment will have your stomach turning and your head spinning. The CG cut scenes are great until you see people up close. Facial expressions and lip movements are totally inhuman, especially the main character's, which brings the property value way down. Apart from the music, which is definitely less than spectacular, there isn't much sound aside from the dialogue. A shame, really, as the voice acting is just a shade above par from that of Resident Evil. The main character is supposed to be an archaeologist, a title hard to attain and one that requires intelligence in both books and common sense. However, she acts like a high school bimbo who sniffs glue. It's not the sound quality that's bad, it's the content. |
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Gameplay:
The game starts you out at a dig site in a third world country that is being excavated by an evil British archaeologist and his cronies. They are searching for a portal that will allow them to cross time and space and find the greatest treasure of all time. You, as the main character, also have a clue as to where the treasure is, which gets you tangled up with the crazy Brit and also sends you hurtling through time and space, solving puzzles along the way. This is definitely not a plot for a best selling novel, but it does get the job done for progressing the story line. The story is only half the game though, and Beyond Atlantis 2 now relies on the puzzles to save it. Luckily, the puzzles are interesting and not all too confusing. They'll get you thinking, but not to the point of having a nervous breakdown. There is also no lack of them. You won't have to worry about going too long without having to use your noggin. There is very little in the way of character interaction, at least on the level of solving puzzles. You'll have to talk to people, but usually just to get some clues on the subject at hand. Not that you'll want to meet more people, because just about every character in the game is unappealing, and you'll want to quickly move on with them. |
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Difficulty:
With no difficulty settings, getting through this game will rely on your ability to solve all of the puzzles. Most people shouldn't stumble too much anywhere near the beginning, but around the end, the problems can get a little harrowing. However, getting to the end means you have solved all the problems prior to it, which should get your mind set for what is ahead. Basically, you don't have to be a puzzle freak to play this game, but it may take you a little longer.
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Game Mechanics:
Beyond Atlantis 2 does not have controls that are much different from other adventure games. Set in a first person view, the cursor in the middle of the screen will guide you as it lets you move, talk, and pick up items. You don't actually control the walking part of it, rather, you find a place where the cursor says you can move and you click there, which relocates your position. Finding the areas to which you can move is easy, as the areas are quite big. On the other hand, trying to find items is harder than it should be. You have to be dead on with the cursor, and a lot of times the items look so much like the background that they are nearly impossible to find. Beyond Atlantis 2 doesn't have what it takes to be a great game. It's not bad, but it certainly could have been better. If you don't mind nauseating screen effects and thin story line, you'll enjoy this game for a little while. But if you really appreciate good adventure games, the only pleasing aspect here would be a handful of real quality puzzles.
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-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz |
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 98/ME/XP, 333 MHz processor, 32 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM, DirectX compatible sound and video card |
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Test System:
Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection |
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