Windows

Comer

In these dark ages of adventure gaming, a beacon did shine into my eyes and draw me forth into the Renaissance, in the form of this small game from a small company, Shine Studio. Shine Studio is basically a one-man operation located in Hong Kong. Kyle Choi, that one man, loved the game Myst and set about to find its equal. Despite the plethora of Myst clones, he could not find anything to compare in his estimation and so set forth to create his own game. In so doing, the student surpassed his master. (I know how sappy this sounds, but I am always full of admiration for people who are talented in so many different areas: computers, graphics, music, writing ...)

If Comer had made its appearance around the same time as Myst, it easily could have been a bestseller. As it is, although the game offers a marvelously surreal feeling and an interesting premise, it's very short on storyline and feels entirely too Myst-derived to stand on its own merits. If you can't get enough of virtual reality adventures, or you believe games should be more meditative, it's worth a shot; if you're looking for action, move on.

Reste que le scénario, aussi long soit-il à se mettre en place, est une vraie invitation à la réflexion. Abordant des thèmes comme l'importance de la nature, le rôle de l'humanité et l'avenir de l'écosystème, on se laisse facilement entraîner dans l'aventure. Encore une fois, il faut bien garder en tête qu'il s'agit d'un vieux titre et il faut donc lui pardonner ses lacunes techniques. Avec cela bien ancré au fond du crâne, l'expérience Comer vaut que l'on s'y intéresse. Si vous êtes partant, vous trouverez toutes les informations pour le commander en cliquant sur le lien en haut à droite et qui vous mènera directement sur le site de Shine Studios.

Even though the game was published quite a few years ago it has not lost its freshness and has not aged too much. It has many of the characteristics that appeal to a true blue adventure player and can be played as a family game.

Comer is a game for quiet contemplation, for players who appreciate exploring mysterious lost worlds and drawing their own conclusions. I just loved the music and, like Blue Ice that had me running around searching for Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, Comer has already sent me out in search of Mahler. The game is not available in retail outlets so you can only purchase it on the Internet at Shine Studio.

Sadly, Comer is the exception to the rule. It's a game that irritated me so much that its Pretty Picture Get Out of Jail Free card just didn't quite fly.