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Uru archived preview

When it was released almost a decade ago, Myst was one the first games to fully exploit the possibilities of CD-ROM technology. While other developers have tried to copy its success (with mixed results), Cyan has been quietly working on another equally innovative game. Uru: Ages Beyond Myst—previously known only by its working titles Mudpie, Parable and Myst Online—has been in development for five years, and presents a bold new step for the Myst franchise.

Uru will give gamers 30 hours of single-player experience out of the box, but it’s not designed to be a sequel to Myst or Riven. Players can also subscribe to Uru Lives (not a typo), a multiplayer environment where new content will be added on a daily basis. Unlike what you’d expect, Uru is not a massively multiplayer role-playing game. There’s no economy, levelling, killing or dying. The online component is built solely on social interaction, allowing players to meet each other and solve puzzles together. The single-player element is said to offer a complete story, but for those who subscribe to Uru Lives, the storyline will evolve on an almost daily basis, while new chapters in the story will start every three months.

The game will again take place in the D'ni universe—a lost underground empire built on Earth some 10,000 years ago. While the D’ni people thrived, they created alternate worlds that could be accessed through so-called linking books. After a great catastrophe ended their civilization, the underground D’ni cities were left uninhabited, and their world-building technology seemed lost forever. In Uru, players will be able to explore a vast maze of tunnels leading to a deserted city of the underground D'ni civilization and discover the surreal Ages its inhabitants left behind.

The demo Ubi Soft was showing at E3 seemed more visually stunning than any adventure game ever seen before. If you thought realMyst looked great, you’ll be completely blown away by Uru. The worlds are vast and surreal, each with their own original concept. Although Uru looks as photo realistic as its predecessors, the real-time 3D graphics of Uru are much warmer and natural. The Ages appear much more earthy and weathered, as opposed to the feeling of being in a synthetic VR environment. Not only that, Uru features a living, breathing world, with fish moving in the water, grass swaying in the wind and realistic rainfall and fog.

A common complaint about Myst is that there were no other characters to speak to. In Uru, you’ll have the choice of enjoying the serene beauty of the Ages on your own, or roam among the vast crowds of players that will inhabit the D’ni world. It’s also possible to invite friends to explore an Age together. In fact, some puzzles require two or more people to solve. Although Uru uses a third-person perspective for a better view of yourself and the people around you, it’s still possible to switch to a 1st person view if that’s what you prefer.

The game’s starting point is the “island in the clouds," a mysterious personal environment that becomes customizable as you collect rewards from solving puzzles. You’ll be able to add a waterfall, plant trees, or add new furniture to your home. Inside this little hut, a library of linking books is kept on a bookshelf, acting as a hub for the entire game. The longer you play, the more linking books you'll acquire, and the more areas it will unlock.

Whether the addition of new content will be enough incentive for players to keep coming back, let alone pay a monthly fee, remains to be seen. Many massively multiplayer games are struggling to survive, with much lower revenues than expected. Then again, Cyan should be praised for doing something different. Uru looks gorgeous, it’s highly innovative, and it may just mean another great step forward for adventure games. Even adventure fans who are instantly turned off by the Myst name will want to keep their eye on Uru; it could surprise everyone.

 

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