Before I start this rather depressing post, I’m sure all of you have been wondering why I haven’t said anything since completing Dead Space 3.
Well I’ve been busy in Minecraft, playing legitimately in Single Player (taking a break from the MRT, since I’ve done all major road-related projects). I’m also on a new legit server with a few friends from the MRT Server; nighthawk998(NexZone30), chiefbozx(Chief), and BossOfGames(Boss) and his brother, Roflcopter.
But anyway, I’m starting to feel that I’m not really…needed in that server. Nex and Boss seem to handle things without me. And as for me, who would want someone that’s scared of anything that makes a sound? Yes, they’re not playing in Peaceful mode. And the “I don’t want to die” fear keeps going through my veins everytime I’m ordered to strip mine, or chop down trees on the mainland.
I even made myself a full set of iron armor, and I still don’t feel safe from the sound of Creepers.
Moving on (and the reason of this post), angry got me into an online game I think I heard hearing about before; Myst Online: Uru Live. I’ve been a fan of the Myst series eversince I saw my father play it, years ago. I believe I’ve played up to Myst 3, but I forgot most of it.
Anyway, this one is a game that was scheduled for development after Riven, but canceled and restarted many times until 2003.
So let’s talk about the three things I feel that make a game, a good one. Unfortunately, this isn’t. But one day it might be.
The good;
– Your own Age, called “Rolto”. There are many like it, but this one is yours. It’s a small island with a hut. In the hut it has books that you’ve found. Most are your instance of that Age. Your Rolto can be ‘upgraded’ (prettied up) by finding special pages that have a green symbol. These can be toggled anytime you wish.
– A Singleplayer Campaign. Shocking, since this is supposedly a Multiplayer game. The voices are really good. You got to find these “Journey Cloths” in these four Ages; 7 in each Age (some in multiple Ages) and help out a person named “Yeesha”, who’s said to be in Myst 3, 4, and 5.
– You have the option to co-op with a friend (or friends) to help you with the Singleplayer Campaign, or any other Age that is sharable of your or their Rolto.
– Like all Myst games, the puzzles make you want to pull your hair out thinking of the solution, which is always the fun part. And then facepalm and have a red embarrassed face when your friend shows you the answer that was hiding right under your nose. It’s still important to read everything that’s readable, as it might have a clue to solving a puzzle farther on. They’re not just going to tell you the answer; you have to think. Sometimes that pisses me off.
– It’s a free download, and free to play. It’s sustained by donations. But there’s a trick to this. Like Myst of not trusting what you see actually working the way it’s supposed to, free downloads aren’t always good things. Reasons below.
The bad;
– The SP Campaign is short. The rest of the game is repetitive, pointless tasks that are only for bragging rights, or having fun with friends. I rather have fun solving complex puzzles.
– Hard to get any help through Google or Youtube to solve a puzzle by myself. Since this game is pretty much a ‘port’ from the Singleplayer version; Uru – Ages Beyond Myst (technically it could be seen as “Myst 6”), all walkthroughs are for the Singleplayer version, instead of the Multiplayer version.
The ugly;
– Constant crashing/freezing/disconnecting/ridiculously long load times. Bad all around.
– Though it isn’t game-related, angry’s attitude is also in the ‘ugly’ category, and it ruins my fun for the game. His unnecessary “uhu” answer, when I’m trying to figure out a puzzle and see if I’m right or not.
The conclusion in my honest opinion? Myst Online: Uru Live feels like a bad port of the Singleplayer game. Myst is an awesome Singleplayer series, and should had stayed as such. The only thing I truly liked about the Multiplayer version, was the fact you can co-op on puzzles. But when that stopped, the game stopped being fun.
Others would disagree with me, but that’s their right and opinion. This is mine. But I’ve been told that the game is “unfinished”, and is still being worked on. Heard new Ages will pop up, and more exploring would be done of them. Once (and if) that happens, I will come back. But only for that; for new content that has a purpose and moves the story along.