Love it or hate it Myst ushered in a new age of adventure gaming. Utilizing a first-person exploration experience as the player wanders around the environment solving puzzles and learning about the lore contained therein made it unique in its time. And The Eyes of Ara looks to take this idea and make it its own. It’s a fully 3D first-person adventure game where you explore a long abandoned castle. That’s the pitch, but there’s more to it than that.
The castle in The Eyes of Ara has its own fair share of secrets and mysteries left unsolved. And, like the genre that it’s a part of you’ll be left to your own devices to solve these puzzles and uncover the clues left behind by its previous inhabitants. Just what went on there and why are there weird happenings occurring now? These puzzles range from simple and mundane “find the key to open something locked” to the downright mindbending that covers multiple stages and several rooms. There are lots of things to do in the castle and not all of them are mandatory.
One thing that sets The Eyes of Ara apart from the rest of the games it’s inspired by is that while there are a number of tasks that must be performed in order to continue the investigation there’s several more that are completely optional. And if you’re of the completionist sort you’ll want to unlock every nook and cranny to get the full story.
The castle is divided into four sections, each one having its own devoted chapter. The fourth one, “The Tower of Night”, will only be unlocked if you complete all of the optional puzzles in the previous three. It works as an epilogue of sorts. So, if you’re a fan of games like Myst you should check The Eyes of Ara out.
Track the progress of the Eyes of Ara Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
Backed!
Yay! As soon as I read the pitch I had to back it myself. I’m a sucker for Myst clones.