A Very Disappointing Product
Pros:
Graphics aren't bad, free book
Cons:
too short, jumping puzzles, horrible sound, jumping puzzles, boring gameplay, did I mention jumping puzzles?
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Well, Eidos and Timeline Computer Entertainment has brought us a hell of a game based on a best-seller book with the same name by Michael Crichton, the same person that brought us ER and Jurassic Park. The game is a first-person adventure in which you get into a time machine and travel to 14th-century Europe. You will run into numerous puzzles that will bore you to death both with their stupidity and ease. The developers probably thought the game would be too hard for us, so they added a travel companion Kate to help you in solving the puzzles. All you do is follow the directions of your friend Kate, and you will be done with the game in 5 hours tops. To make the game even more "exciting", numerous jumping puzzles were added, since we all love jumping puzzles because they are so intellectually challenging.
The story of the game is also unsatisfying. I did enjoy reading the best-seller, but the game just doesn't cut it, leaving out numerous parts of the book that in my opinion are essential to the story. Basically, you travel to 14th-century Europe to rescue a fellow Professor and then your time-machine operation device is damaged and so on. I did, however, learn a great deal about the history of medieval Europe, but that's not why I bought this game.
Of course, the high point of the game is probably your weapon. At the beginning of the game, you are issued your non-violent weapon (So that you change the past as little as possible). The weapon is called a Stun Wand and it sure beats the hell out of a good rocket launcher. The weapon is very convenient, just a wooden stick with something tied to the end of it and all you have to do is touch someone with it, and your enemy is stunned. There is nothing more "exciting" than walking around and sticking your Stun Wand into 14th-century European faces. I don't know about you people, but that's not my idea of fun. The sound is also horrible and voice acting is often hard to hear. I found myself referring to the subtitles on numerous occasions.
The game's graphics are pretty good, relatively - the 14th-century locales and castles are beautiful, while characters could use some work. You also get a free book with the game, which I enjoyed reading. This doesn't add up to the value of the game, however. There is not much more to say about this game, only that you should stay away from it and buy the book instead.
