Windows

The Egyptian Prophecy

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Egyptian Prophecy. I'd been expecting "another Egypt game" that was very similar to the previous ones I've played. But The Egyptian Prophecy was more fun to play than any of them. Having the heroine occasionally enter dreamworlds to solve puzzles made the gameworld more varied than having her confined exclusively to the arid world of Egypt. And some of the more interesting puzzles were in the dreamworlds. I was also impressed by how the game contrived to make magic seem believable. Maya's interactions with the gods in the imaginary realms had real consequences in the physical world of Egypt. Yet the magic was not so overtly fanciful as to make the game seem unrealistic.

If this review is a bit on the short side, it’s because the game is on the short side. More episode than epic, the game has a no-nonsense brisk pace and a compact structure. Think of it as a really good made-for-cable “Lifetime Television For Ancient Egyptian Women” movie. I didn’t mind this, but if you’re a stickler for long games (in which case you should probably be playing RPGs, not adventure games) then the game’s brevity might rankle you a bit. As for me, I had a surprisingly good time helping Maya struggle to bring all of the events back into the bosom of the benevolent gods. Tight story, excellent puzzles, attractive graphics -- what else could we grouchy adventure game players ask for?

But, like I said before, The Egyptian Prophecy is pleasant enough to play. It’s nice to look at, there are frequent cut scenes, the interface is intuitive to use, and the nine chapters in the game each take about an hour to play, and so there’s about as much playing time as you’d expect from an adventure. I gave every category about 80% in my scoring, and that sums up The Egyptian Prophecy pretty well. Nothing about it is amazing, but nothing about it is bad, either. There are definitely worse ways you could spend your computer game money.

All told, The Egyptian Prophecy is a nice little diversion. Even though the game is amazingly short—I clocked about eight hours, maximum—and very linear, the game is still fun. Not even my annoying mouse problem could completely ruin it. If you're looking for something to push the boundaries of adventure gaming, then look elsewhere; however, if you're looking for an afternoon's entertainment, then why not spend it traveling the Nile of a bygone era? Anoint yourself in perfumed oil, don your ankh and linen shift and join Maya in her quest to discover the fate of Ramses II.

TEP is developed by Kheops Studio, a French development team who released Crystal Key 2: The Far Realm only days before TEP. The similarity between the two games, however, is virtually non-existent. Having just finished playing CK2, I must admit that my expectations for TEP were not very high. So I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

Der dritte Teil der Egypt-Reihe ist sehr schön anzusehen und es macht Spaß sich auf die Spuren einer Jahrtausende alten Zivilisation zu begeben. Leider ist das Spiel etwas zu kurz geraten. Neben der detailgetreuen Darstellung wären etwas größere Schauplätze wünschenswert, die mehr Möglichkeiten zur Interaktion bieten. So ist der Weg schon sehr vorgezeichnet, was sich negativ auf die Spieldauer auswirkt. Als geübter Spieler ist man deshalb schon nach wenigen Stunden am Ende des Spieles angelangt. Egypt3 richtet sich somit eher an Geschichts- oder Ägypten Fans, die mit der beigefügten Enzyklopädie wohl mehr anzufangen wissen. Unabhängig davon ist der dritte Teil bislang der schönste und wohl auch gelungenste. Allerdings hätte man sich mit der Geschichte und den Voraussetzungen an Technik und Experten ein umfangreicheres Spiel gewünscht.

Though Egyptian Prophecy is unlikely to win any acclaim or interest from gamers who don’t generally pay regard to the adventure genre, it stands as a fine example of why the genre still lives. It is at once intriguing, educating, amusing and ultimately fulfilling. It builds upon the solid foundation of adventure conventions masterfully, much as the brilliant architects of ancient Egypt erected temples and monuments that even today challenge our conception of what mankind is capable of. The subject matter is interesting, as countless documentaries and Hollywood mockeries can attest to, and the game behind the history is as well. Overall, an excellent job, even if it suffers a bit from a limited range of appeal.

If you prefer action titles like Far Cry or you’re a gamer who is drooling over the latest screenshots of Doom 3 or counting the days until Half-Life 2 is released than The Egyptian Prophecy ain’t gonna do it for ya. If you love the methodical click-click approach of the adventure genre then I can recommend this one to you. The atmosphere alone will appeal to anyone interested in the subject matter.

If you’re a hard-core gamer looking for an action-packed challenge then go elsewhere. EP is designed for a mainstream audience and with a short play time you’ll probably wish you picked up Tomb Raider 17 instead. But if you’re an Ancient Egypt nut (or feel like you could be one with the right introduction) then this game is definitely for you. With little details pulled from the history books and what seems like a faithful representation of daily life in Egypt (with a lot of spectacular fantasy thrown in for good measure) this game should be in your library. I can also recommend EP to Myst fans since it takes that genre of game to a whole new level. I wish more attention had been paid to making a full-fledged game but a virtual reality jaunt through one of the most fascinating times in history will do me fine too.

Mit dem dritten Teil der 'Egypt'-Serie haben die Keops Studios ein durch und durch nettes Adventure geschaffen. Allerdings gibt es einige Kritikpunkte, die einen Sprung in höhere Wertungsregionen verhindern. Neben der teilweise recht schwachen Grafik und den zumeist wenig fordernden Rätseln, ist das Spiel einfach viel zu schnell vorbei. Ägypten-Interessierte und solche die es werden wollen, dürfen aber ruhigen Gewissens einen Blick auf den Titel werfen - wer aber ohnehin schon bei der Erwähnung des Wortes "Geschichte" erschrocken zusammenzuckt, sollte vielleicht doch besser zu einem anderen aktuellen Adventure greifen.

Honestly said, I thought I must scream, if I would come across another Egypt game next time, since the topic really doesn't earn the innovation award. Well, it wasn't that bad. Egypt 3 connects in very entertaining way historically proved facts and realistically designed buildings of the Ramses era with a ficticious plot with Gods and magic as realities. The mixture of facts and fiction is felicitous, only the personal appearance of the title hero 'Ramses' is missing. The time pressure for Maya and the possibility to die here and there makes the game more exciting than its predecessors. With perfect handling and simple puzzles Egypt 3 distinguishes as family game or game for beginners, even for the young players starting from 6. The story is not boring for advanced adventure gamers, but the fast walkover will limit their fun. They should play other Dreamcatcher games e.g. The Omega Stone.

Think of Egypt III: The Fate of Ramses as the interactive equivalent of one of those hour-long History Channel specials, and you should know right away whether to hit the Wayback Machine or run for the hills.

Egypte 3 n'est ni long ni difficile, et pourtant force est de constater qu'une fois qu'on a démarré une partie il est très difficile de décrocher. On est littéralement transporté dans l'Egypte ancienne et l'envie de progresser pour voir les prochains décors et énigmes que nous ont concoctés les développeurs est constante. Bien sûr, le jeu est assez court et linéaire mais il y a fort à parier que vous passiez un bon moment dans cet agréable voyage le long du Nil.

It's about 8 to 10 hours go to whoa, by which time you will have conversed with gods, visited the underworld and the Book of the Dead, saved lives, perhaps died once or twice, lifted curses, vanquished a villain, helped raise the obelisk, and become a great magician. You will also likely have had a good time doing so.

Although not at the top of the heap in terms of video and audio, the gameplay experience in The Egyptian Prophecy is thoroughly enjoyable. With a decent story, authentic backdrop, intriguing personalities and classic puzzles, there’s a lot to like here. The injection of magic and spells seems natural rather than artificially grafted into the plot. Though a bit short, a little too heavy on time pressure and too light on replay value, The Egyptian Prophecy is a pleasant enough diversion and a cut above most virtual adventures set in Egypt. If you want to take a short trip to the land of the Pharaohs without expending much money or brainpower, give this one a try.

The Egyptian Prophecy begins with Kaemouaset, son of Ramses II and a priest of the god Ptah, sitting in the great temple of Amon-Re at Pi-Ramses. He writes elegant characters upon a sheet of papyrus as the rising sun fills the chambers of the sun god's home on earth. His writings tell the tale of Maya, a magician, sent by the Pharaoh to oversee the raising of the obelisk that, through Amon-Re's blessing, could lengthen his life.

Das Spiel Egypt 3 vereint die Unsitten von Rundumsicht-Adventures mit den Segnungen ihrer Point&- Click-Kollegen. So geht es in den Rätseln nicht darum, antike Maschinen zum Laufen zu bringen, sondern um das Lösen von Kombinationsknobeleien.

Avec sa réalisation d'un autre âge, Egypte III gâche une histoire et un environnement artistique pourtant agréables. Tout dépend du prix, mais la courte durée de vie et la facilité des énigmes ne satisferont que les débutant. C'est pas bientôt la fête des pères ?

Wie in den Vorgängern rätseln Sie sich in Egypt 3 durch das alte Ägypten. Erzählt wird eine öde Story um Unfälle auf einer Tempelbaustelle. Rudimentäre Animationen und Soundeffekte sowie leblose Renderbilder erzeugen eine Atmospähre, die trockener ist als ein Eimer Sand. Ein Museumsausflug bietet mehr Spannung.