Windows

Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy

Mildly annoying interface aside, the gameplay more than makes up for it. Of Light and Darkness has a rich plotline that can both captivate and disturb you. The surreal imagery molds the game elements together nicely. This game isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy surreal artwork and some deep meaning in your games, this one is definitely worth a look. Bottom Line: Fascinating artwork that is both beautiful and disturbing. Sound and music help bring the gameplay elements together in one lovely, surreal package. Gameplay is interesting and requires some detective work, but can be a bit repetitive. Interface is usable, but could have been a lot better.

Great ideas and some very good work on all levels. The graphics are outstanding and the game is unique. The storyline is well-thought-out and it plays like an interactive music video at times, though perhaps not quite often enough. The dialogue is very well-written and often quite funny (visions of James Woods as Hades in Disney’s Hercules kept coming to mind). As with the unfortunate curse of other games of this type, there isn’t a lot of replayability, although the specific assortment of the various star colors and Apparitions does change from game to game (be sure to save your game after each level) and there is a customize option. The gameplay itself suffers from being both a bit too hard to figure out at first (unless you do the smart thing and read the manual that has so thoughtfully been included), and then a bit too easy once you’ve figured it out.

Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy is incredibly engaging. The story combines surrealistic originality with actual myths from various cultures throughout human history. This is one of the few games that have completely drawn me in.

Voor wie is OlaD nu hèt spel waarop hij of zij zat te wachten? Vereisten zijn zeker een goed stel hersenen want dit is geen plezierreisje. Het niveau ligt nogal aan de hoge kant en een goede kennis van Engels is deze keer zeker geen luxe.

This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever undertaken. In many ways, I want to give the creators of the work an award for writing, acting, and artwork...a genuine heartfelt handshake for a phenomenal idea. There are many merits here, that much must be made crystal clear. In part, it is valuable enough for me just as a collection of gorgeous artwork and thoughtful story design. And for people more interested in concepts and beauty than gameplay, it is a work of excellence of seldom parallel. But as a computer game in the traditional sense, there is not enough there to sink one's teeth into. Ultimately, you must decide. This is a game about a fundamental choice. You yourself must now judge, given the evidence, if the experience is worthy.

Die ungewöhnliche Story sorgte erst für Stirnrunzeln, doch dann springt der Funke über. Hat man einmal kapiert, wie die Erscheinungen gerettet werden, möchte man nicht mehr aus dem Dorf der Verdammten zurückkehren. Dafür sorgt nicht zuletzt die coole Präsentation.

At its best, Of Light and Darkness will remind you of the classic TV series The Prisoner. It can be artfully disorienting and promise hidden depths of meaning. But at its worst, it seems more like the second season of Twin Peaks, when the obscurity gets self-serving, and the payoff is meager compared with its initial pretensions. The unorthodox gameplay, while not varied, is very refreshing. As an experiment, Of Light and Darkness is fascinating. But as an engrossing game experience, the sum just isn't equal to its parts.

Of Light and Darkness never falls on its face - it's occasionally spooky, sometimes mildly thought-provoking, and always visually stunning - but neither does it come close to setting a new standard for adventure gaming (a shame, since the subject matter is ambitious, if pretentious, and could have been the starting point for a more unique venture).

What Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy boils down to is a game with a lot of misused potential. The gameplay is very repetitive and tedious as players will have to work with the manual and take notes about the sins apparitions are guilty of, the color they can be redeemed by and what their artifacts are. Designers should have thought of ways to make the game more intuitive and playable without consulting the manual every ten seconds. The highly detailed environments and the exceptional voice acting show that a lot of work went into this game. It is a shame that the same amount of attention was not paid to gameplay issues.

Rendern ist nicht alles: Of Light and Darkness wirkt einfach leblos. Herumschwebende Köpfe und Videoübertragungen können nun mal keine "richtigen" Gesprächspartner ersetzen. Während die Maschinen in Riven zumindest in einer netten Umgebung stehen, ist die Spielwelt von Of Light and Darkness viel zu düster. Lediglich die launigen Kommentare aus dem Off verhindern den Fall ins Spielspaßloch.

Sie handeln dabei unter Zeitdruck und durchstreifen in Kamerafahrten eine surrealistische Welt. Spiel kann man das überfrachtete, auf die Dauer monotone Spektakel eigentlich nicht nennen: wirr, bunt und voller unausgegorener Ideen – allenfalls unter ästhetischen Gesichtspunkten interessant.

This is the real problem: Of Light and Darkness just isn't fun. Unless you're new to the idea of a using a mouse, the game's basic gameplay, boring puzzles and average graphics won't keep anyone in front of the computer for very long.

Die Qualität der per Kamerafahrt verbundenen, gerenderten, teilweise animierten Szenarien bewegt sich auf dem Niveau von Shivers 2 oder The Journeyman Project 3, erreicht aber bei weitem nicht die Brillanz eines Riven – nicht zuletzt wegen der unzureichenden 256 Farben-Grafik in 640x480. Bei Interesse lohnt sich das Warten auf die deutsche Fassung (erscheint im Juli/August). Damit sparen Sie sich zumindest eine Menge Zeit und Nerven: weil die Anleitung der US-Version mehr verwirrt als aufklärt, müssen Sie Steuerung (umständlich) und Spielprinzip (interessant aber auf Dauer schlichtweg eintönig) durch Ausprobieren herausfinden.

The first thing that needs to be said about this game is that it will probably take you some time to learn what it is you are supposed to do and how to do it. The second thing that needs to be said is that once you have done it you will, no doubt, be asking yourself why you bothered, as I did.