The Legend of Lotus Spring

If a rating as adventure game is possible at all, I would rate this game with 75 % (recommandable good game). You should not play it when you 1. don't like love stories 2. expect challenging puzzles, a certain portion of action or intelligent dialogues ... I for myself just fall in love with this game ... as I said - look at the pictures!

So who would enjoy Lotus Spring? Quite simply, people who don't play computer games. Lotus Spring is perfect for your wife, mother or anyone who doesn't understand why you spend every waking hour in front of your Apple Studio Display banging away on a game pad. DreamCatcher realized this, which is why they they tie up the box with a gold string complete with a small gift card claiming Lotus Spring to be a "A gift of love..." It's also good for children, as it exposes them to other cultures and challenges them with puzzles. In fact, because all of the text in the diary can be narrated, it could also help them learn to read. And, of course, it's non-violent, and that's an important buzz-word these days, isn't it?

I gave this game a medium rating, mainly because it is far too short. Most players will be able to complete it over a weekend. Although the story is sweet, and the graphics and music are nice, there are no real puzzles to challenge the player.

To me, this game is more an interactive story book full of luscious and vibrant illustrations than it is a game. The visuals are certainly beautiful and full of intricate detail, and as befits a garden of beauty, they are accompanied by a quiet and tranquil soundtrack. However there is little game play, and I was not drawn into the story itself. Perhaps most tellingly, I did not find the garden an engaging enough place to simply walk around by myself. I enjoyed the solitude of Riven, and the historical discovery of Pompeii, and both those elements are present here. However for me, all the pieces didn't gell, and the predominantly passive nature of the game left me with an overall impression of looking into the garden from the other side of a wall.

Das "Ätzventue" geht auf eine wahre Begebenheit im China des 19. Jahrhunderts zurück: Damals war die Kaiserin eifersüchtig auf eine Geliebte des Herrschers, weshalb sie selbige entführte. Der Kaiser irrt nun durch eine Schöner-Wohnen-Quicktime-Parklandschaft, um Spuren seiner Holden zu entdecken. Dabei kann er ab und zu Objekte aufnehmen sowie im Tagebuch seiner Lotusblume poetische Ergüsse lesen. Himmel hilf! Lieber Chefredakteur, ich will nie wieder unartig sein, aber das nächste Dreamcatcher-Spiel geht an Roland, gell?