Codex Gamicus
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Interactive Maps
navigation
Main page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Admin noticeboard
Forums
Company Index
Character Index
Hardware Index
In-Game Index
Ratings Index
Video Game Index
Fandom
Gamepedia support
Report a bad ad
Help Wiki
Contact us
FANDOM
Fan Central
BETA
Games
Anime
Movies
TV
Video
Wikis
Explore Wikis
Community Central
Start a Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Sign In
FANDOM
Explore
Current Wiki
Start a Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Sign In
Sign In
Register
Fandom's centric source of video game knowledge
42,409
pages
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Interactive Maps
navigation
Main page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Admin noticeboard
Forums
Company Index
Character Index
Hardware Index
In-Game Index
Ratings Index
Video Game Index
Fandom
Gamepedia support
Report a bad ad
Help Wiki
Contact us
Editing
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst
Back to page
Edit
VisualEditor
View history
Talk (0)
Edit Page
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Infobox VG| title = Uru: Ages Beyond Myst | image = Uru box art.png | developer = [[Cyan Worlds]] | publisher = [[Ubisoft]] | composer = [[Tim Larkin]] | caption=The box art to the initial release of ''Uru'' shows the player's personal Age, Relto. | engine = | released = {{vgrelease|NA=November 11, 2003<ref name="gs"/>|EU=November 14, 2003<ref name="gs">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/similar.html?mode=versions|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst (Related Games)|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref>}} | genre = [[Adventure game|First-person adventure]], [[Computer puzzle game|Puzzle]] | modes = [[Single player]], Multiplayer (cancelled) | platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]] | input = Mouse and [[Computer keyboard|keyboard]] }} '''''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst''''' is an [[adventure game|adventure video game]] developed by [[Cyan Worlds]] and published by [[Ubisoft]]. Released in 2003, the title is the fourth game in the [[Myst (series)|''Myst'' canon]]. Departing from previous games of the franchise, ''Uru'' takes place in the modern era and allows players to customize their onscreen [[avatar (virtual reality)|avatars]]. Players use their avatars to explore the abandoned city of an ancient race known as the D'ni, uncover story clues and solve puzzles. Cyan began developing ''Uru'' shortly after completing ''[[Riven]]'' in 1997, leaving future ''Myst'' sequels to be produced by third party developers. ''Uru'' required five years and $12 million to complete. ''Uru'' was initially conceived as a multiplayer game; the single-player portion was released, but the multiplayer component, ''Uru Live'', was delayed and eventually canceled. The online video game service [[GameTap]] released the multiplayer portion of ''Uru'' as ''[[Myst Online: Uru Live]]'' in February 2007, but the service was canceled again the following year due to a lack of subscribers. GameTap passed the rights to ''Uru Live'' back to Cyan, who announced their intention to resurrect the game. ''Uru'' was not as well received as previous ''Myst'' titles. Critics admired the visuals and new features of the game but criticized the lack of multiplayer in the retail version and clunky controls. ''Uru'' sold poorly, while the first three games had sold millions of copies each. The game was a critical and commercial disappointment for Cyan, causing the company financial troubles; nevertheless, it has attracted a cult following. == Gameplay == [[Image:Uru screenshot.png|thumb|left|''Uru'' is a departure from previous ''Myst'' games in that it takes place from a third-person view and uses real-time rendering in contrast to pre-rendered environments.]] ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst'' is a puzzle-adventure game that takes place on worlds known as Ages. Gameplay can be viewed from [[First-person shooter|first-]] and [[Third-person shooter|third-person]] perspectives, a departure from other ''Myst'' titles. Players navigate Ages from the third-person perspective, but can switch to the first-person view for closer inspection of clues and objects.<ref name="uru-manual">{{cite book|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst- User's Manual|publisher=[[Ubisoft]]|author=Cyan Worlds|year=2003|edition=Windows PC version|pages=}}</ref> Players in ''Uru'' can neither pick up objects nor carry an inventory of items; puzzle items must be pushed or kicked into place.<ref name="gamespy-review2">{{cite web|author=Harker, Carla|date=2003-12-22|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december03/urupc/index2.shtml|title=URU: Ages Beyond Myst (PC) Review (page 2); Dude, Where's my MMORPG?|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> The onscreen interface is minimal, having no health meters, maps, or compasses to distract from exploration.<ref name="gamespot-impressions"/> Players create their own [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] when beginning the game.<ref name="uru-manual"/> Different skin tones, facial features, clothing, and hairstyles are available for customizing these player representations. Players also receive a special linking book, a volume that serves as a portal to a personal world or Age, known as Relto. The main objective of the game is to explore and restore power to other Ages; players must also find seven "journey cloths".<ref name="ign-review1">{{cite web|author=Krause, Staci|date=2003-12-04|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/444/444432p1.html|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst Review (page 1)|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2008-10-29}}</ref> These cloths serve as [[Saved game|save points]] in lieu of a game-saving option; characters are transported to the last cloth they touched when they restart. As in previous ''Myst'' games, player characters cannot die. For example, falling off a cliff sends characters back to Relto.<ref name="gamespy-review2"/> The personal Age serves as a hub in ''Uru'', containing a bookshelf with linking books to Ages players have explored, as well as avatar customization options and game information.<ref name="ign-review1"/> During the course of the game, players uncover clues about the D'ni, an ancient civilization, and the archeological group dedicated to learning more about them, the D'ni Restoration Council. Aspects of the D'ni civilization such as social structure, marriage, and how Ages came about are also imparted as players progress through the Ages. Players may collect Relto pages, which offer cosmetic customization to the player's personal Age—for example, making it rain or adding a waterfall.<ref name="gamespy-review1">{{cite web|author=Harker, Carla|date=2003-12-22|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/december03/urupc/index.shtml|title=URU: Ages Beyond Myst (PC) Review (page 1); Knowledge Is Power|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> ''Uru'' was originally to ship with a [[Massively multiplayer online game|massively multiplayer online]] component, which was delayed and never integrated into the retail release. Initially branded ''Uru Live'', the multiplayer portion was designed to allow two or more players to work together to overcome obstacles or complete puzzles. Players would be able to chat in real time and cooperate in specially-designed puzzles.<ref name="telegraph-preview">{{cite news|author=Slagle, Matt|date=2003-05-25|title=Myst moves to the interconnected masses; The puzzle-solving game will require a lot of teamwork|work=[[Telegraph-Herald]]|page=E8}}</ref> In previews of the multiplayer component, there were three distinct types of Ages. The personal Age provided links to other Ages, which were unlocked by solving puzzles in prerequisite worlds. Neighborhood Ages were analogous to an invite-only party, and City Ages provided places for players to congregate; [[IGN]] called the Age "a giant lounge".<ref>{{cite web|author=Sulic, Ivan|date=2003-05-14|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/401/401852p1.html|title=E3 2003: Uru Preview|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref> == Plot == Unlike previous games in the series, ''Uru''{{'}}s story mixes fictional plot elements with real-world events. According to the game's fictional history, archeologists found an entrance to a vast underground cavern in the 1980s near a volcano in [[New Mexico]]. The caves led to an ancient abandoned city built by the enigmatic D'ni civilization.<ref name="escapist-story1"/> The D'ni practiced an ancient ability known as the Art. By writing a description of another world, the D'ni created "linking books" which served as portals to the worlds described, known as Ages. Soon after making contact with a single human, the entire civilization suddenly disappeared two hundred years ago.<ref name="making the story">{{cite video |people=Miller, Rand |date=2003 |title=Making of the Story |url= http://schaeppi.bahro.com/uru/urustory.mov|format=.MOV |medium= |publisher=Cyan Worlds |location=Spokane, Washington}}</ref> In ''Uru''{{'}}s story, the video game ''[[Myst]]'' was created when the archeological leaders approached a development studio, [[Cyan Worlds|Cyan]], and asked them to create a game to educate the public about the D'ni. ''Myst'' sold millions of copies, and Cyan continued to produce games based on D'ni findings.<ref name="escapist-story1">{{cite web|author=Berens, Nathaniel|date=2007-11-06|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_122/2598-The-Ending-Has-Not-Yet-Been-Written|title=The Ending Has Not Yet Been Written (page 1)|publisher=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|accessdate=2008-11-19}}</ref> In the present day, a group known as the D'ni Restoration Council or DRC reopens the passages to the D'ni caverns and begins to rebuild the abandoned cities.<ref name="gamespot-impressions">{{cite web|author=Colayco, Bob|date=2003-09-03|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/news.html?sid=6074500&mode=previews|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst Impressions|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2008-11-16}}</ref> Players begin ''Uru''{{'}}s story in New Mexico near the Cleft, a deep fissure in the ground that leads to the D'ni caverns. A man who introduces himself as Zandi sits in front of his trailer by the Cleft, encouraging the player to discover the environment and join the exploration. The player stumbles across a hologram of a woman, [[Characters of Myst#Yeesha|Yeesha]], who tells him or her the story of the D'ni and requests for help to rebuild the civilization.<ref name="cgw-review">{{cite journal|author=Cook, Denise|year=2004|month=August|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst; Look before you leap into this puzzler|journal=[[Computer Gaming World]]|volume=1|issue=235|pages=62}}</ref> The player must solve puzzles in and around the Cleft to find seven journey cloths, which enable a path to the Age of Relto. The plot is unresolved at the end of the single-player game; later expansions and online content continue the game's story. == Development == [[Cyan Worlds]] began development on its next project after the company finished 1997's ''[[Riven]]'', the sequel to the bestselling ''[[Myst]]''. The game that became ''Uru'' would take more than five years and $12 million to complete.<ref name="usatoday-preview">{{cite news|author=Gerianos, Nicholas|date=2003-11-23|url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-11-23-uru-debut_x.htm|title=Creator of 'Myst' launches new game|work=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=2008-09-17}}</ref> While under development, ''Uru'' was codenamed ''DIRT'' ("D'ni in real time"), then ''MUDPIE'' (meaning "Multi-User DIRT, Persistent / Personal Interactive Entertainment / Experience / Exploration / Environment"). ''Uru'' was officially announced as ''Myst Online'', before being renamed ''Uru'' in early 2003.<ref name="gamespot-announce">{{cite web|author=Calvert, Justin|date=2003-01-09|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/news.html?sid=2908289&mode=news|title=Uru: Online Ages Beyond Myst announced|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2008-11-17}}</ref> ''Myst'' co-creator [[Rand Miller]] released a statement along with an outline of the game: <blockquote> ''Uru'' is a revolutionary adventure game that takes the best qualities of the Myst franchise and makes them even better. The single-player experience will eclipse the beauty, grandeur, and mind-challenging elements of previous titles. Plus, with the option to join a constantly updated online universe, the adventure never has to end. From new machines and puzzles to special events and entirely new Ages, players will find more to do, more to see, and more to explore each time they return—and this time, they can discover everything with old and new friends.<ref name="gamespot-announce"/></blockquote> Miller considered ''Uru'' a major departure from ''Myst'' and ''Riven'' in that Cyan wanted to create a persistent world, where actions occurred while the player was not online.<ref name="wired-interview">{{cite journal|author=Ashe, Suzanne|year=2003|url=http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.06/play_pr.html|title=Exploring Myst's Brave New World|journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|volume=11|issue=6}}</ref> Miller did not consider the game a true [[massively multiplayer online game]], saying "there is not leveling and skills and monsters and experience in any artificial sense. The 'leveling' is finding and exploring and owning new Ages that are released regularly; the experience is what you really learn while exploring that will help you later—not points on a scale."<ref name="ign-interview1">{{cite web|author=Aihoshi, Richard|date=2007-02-26|url=http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/767/767789p1.html|title=Myst Online: Uru Live Interview (page 1)|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2008-11-29}}</ref> Miller considered two benefits to such a system: first, that players care more about being part of the story, and second, that even new players could make discoveries and be part of the community.<ref name="ign-interview2">{{cite web|author=Aihoshi, Richard|date=2007-02-26|url=http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/767/767789p2.html|title=Myst Online: Uru Live Interview (page 2)|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2008-11-29}}</ref> The game was designed as more of a spin-off than a sequel to previous ''Myst'' games, due to the merging of items from the contemporary (traffic cones and t-shirts) to the fantastic (books that transport the user to new worlds).<ref name="ign-interview1"/> The game was originally conceived as a multiplayer-only game, where players could meet and solve new puzzles that would be added monthly. At the request of publisher Ubisoft, Cyan eventually developed a single-player portion as well.<ref name="nytimes-preview">{{cite news|author=Herold, Charles|date=2004-03-04|title=Tackling the Mystery of the Missing Game|work=[[New York Times]]|page=G5}}</ref> Cyan announced players would be invited to participate in a multiplayer beta test,<ref>{{cite news|author=Johnson, Ian|date=2003-01-10|title=On-line 'Myst' sequel seeks beta testers|work=[[Globe and Mail]]|page=C [Technology]}}</ref> which drew 10,000 to 40,000 participants.<ref name="gamesindustry-postmortem">{{cite web|author=Boyer, Brandon|date=2008-09-18|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/myst-creator-warns-of-over-ambition-in-mmo-space|title=Myst creator warns of over ambition in MMO space|publisher=GamesIndustry.biz|accessdate=2008-11-19}}</ref> ''Uru'' was released on time, while the multiplayer portion was delayed. Small groups of players were allowed to come online, and journalists were told they would be invited to play soon after, but ''Uru Live'' was canceled before being released. Cyan stated that there were not enough projected subscribers to support the service.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=2004-02-04|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/news.html?sid=6087441&mode=news|title=Uru Live canceled|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref> After ''Uru''{{'}}s release and ''Uru Live''{{'}}s demise, Cyan announced that new content would be added via expansion packs. The first, ''Uru: To D'ni'', added the never-released ''Uru Live'' online content,<ref name="houstonchronicle-review"/> thus focusing on the past of the D'ni.<ref name="gamespot-final expansion"/> ''Uru: The Path of the Shell'', extended the story of ''Uru'' in the present and added multiple never-before-seen Ages.<ref name="gamespot-final expansion">{{cite web|author=Thorson, Thor|date=2004-05-26|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/news.html?sid=6099296&mode=news|title=Ubi announces final Uru expansion pack|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> Unlike the first expansion pack, ''Uru: The Path of the Shell'' was not free, but was boxed and sold in stores.<ref name="houstonchronicle-review"/> ''Uru'', ''To D{{'}}ni'', and ''The Path of the Shell'' were also packaged together and sold as ''Uru: The Complete Chronicles''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Ring, Bennett|date=2004-08-07|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/06/1091732078427.html?from=storyrhs|title=Thriller in the Myst|work=[[The Age]]|accessdate=2008-10-28}}</ref> === Audio === ''Uru''{{'}}s music was composed by [[Tim Larkin]], who had started his career at game publisher [[Broderbund]], and lobbied hard to be included on ''Riven''{{'}}s development team.<ref name="justadventure-interview">{{cite web|author=Miller, Jennifer|date=|url=http://www.justadventure.com/Interviews/UruTimLarkin/UruTimLarkin.shtm|title=Interview with Tim Larkin|publisher=Just Adventure|accessdate=2008-10-19}}</ref> Larkin worked on creating different sound effects for ''Riven'' and was chosen to score ''Uru'' after composer and ''Myst'' co-creator [[Robyn Miller]] left Cyan in early 1998.<ref name="myst is riven">{{cite web|author=Lillington, Karen|date=1998-03-02|url=http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/03/02feature.html|title='Myst' Partnership is Riven|work=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]|accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> The music for the game was collected as a soundtrack, ''Uru Music'', that was released in 2003. Larkin chose the instrumentation for each track based on the various digital environments in the game. When the player is in the game's representation of New Mexico, for example, Larkin used a [[resonator guitar]] and flutes, creating what he called something "indigenous to a southwest type of feel that's very contemporary". In other areas Larkin described the game's music as being "less typical than what you would find in most games" because of the exotic landscape the developers had created.<ref name="uru album"/> To create contemporary and exotic types of music in the game, Larkin employed a combination of real and synthesized instruments. Sometimes Larkin replaced synthesized performances with those of real musicians, as in the track "Gallery Theme", where a synthesized vocal part was eventually discarded in favor of [[soprano]] Tasha Koontz.<ref name="uru album">{{cite album-notes| title = Uru Music materials| albumlink = Uru: Ages Beyond Myst#Audio| bandname = [[Tim Larkin]]| year = 2003| authorlink =| publisher = Ubisoft}}</ref> To create an exotic feel, Larkin used a group of [[Maasai]] tribesmen's chanting, who were recorded during their visit to [[Spokane, Washington]], where [[Cyan Worlds]] was located at that time.<ref name="justadventure-interview"/> The ''Uru'' soundtrack received two Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) nominations in 2004—one for "Best Original Vocal Song (Choral)" for the "Gallery Theme" (which won), and another for "Best Original Soundtrack."<ref>{{cite web|author=Milano, Dominic|date=2004-03-04|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2083/postcard_from_the_gdc_2004_the_.php|title=Postcard from the GDC 2004: The G.A.N.G. Awards|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref> Beyond its use in Uru, "Gallery Theme" was later used in the theatrical trailer for Steven Spielberg's film, ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Larkin, Tim|date=2005-12-05|url=http://www.timlarkin.net/news.htm|title=News: Spielberg's Munich trailer gets Tim's underscore|publisher=Tim Larkin.net|accessdate=2008-10-28}}</ref> The ''Uru'' soundtrack comes on an [[enhanced CD]], containing a (nearly) four-minute music video called "Uru: The Makers" and an audio-only interview with Rand Miller and Tim Larkin. {{tracklist | collapsed = | headline = ''Uru Music'' tracklist | total_length = | title1 = Atrus Open | length1 = 1:00 | title2 =Beyond Gira | length2 = 5:34 | title3 =Out of the Hive | length3 =2:59 | title4 =Badlands | length4 = 2:29 | title5 = Gallery Theme | length5 = 2:34 | title6 =Air Stream | length6 =4:06 | title7 = Yeesha's Theme | length7 = 3:46 | title8 =Convergence | length8 = 2:57 | title9 =The Well | length9 = 3:24 | title10 =Spore Me | length10 = 2:35 | title11 =Baron's Theme | length11 = 2:11 | title12 =The Library | length12 = 1:33 | title13 =The Vault | length13 = 6:13 | title14 = Trailer Music | length14 = 2:23 | title15 = Fall of D'ni | length15 =3:07 | title16 =The Bahro | length16 = 1:52 | title17 = Dirt | length17 = 2:07 }} === Uru Live === {{main|Myst Online: Uru Live}} To compensate for the cancellation of ''Uru Live'', Cyan published all the developed online content as single-player expansion packs. Meanwhile, a small group of dedicated fans, many of them the ''Uru Live'' beta testers,<ref name="ja-until">{{cite web|author=Washbourne, Robert|year=2007|url=http://www.justadventure.com/articles/UntilUru/UntiUru.shtm|title=Until Uru; the semi-living remains of Uru Live|publisher=Just Adventure|accessdate=2009-01-31}}</ref> were allowed to maintain their unofficial servers, called "shards".<ref name="escapist-story2">{{cite web|author=Berens, Nathaniel|date=2007-11-06|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_122/2598-The-Ending-Has-Not-Yet-Been-Written.2|title=The Ending Has Not Yet Been Written (page 2)|publisher=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|accessdate=2008-11-19}}</ref> Cyan released binaries of the original ''Uru Live'' servers and coordinated with the fan shards so that players could verify their authentication keys, necessary to play the game. The shards were often unstable and no new content was released; rather, they provided a place for fans to socialize.<ref name="ja-until"/> In February 2006, Cyan opened their own official shard, called D'mala, open at no charge to ''Uru'' owners, though an invitation from the community was required. Miller revealed in a letter to fans that Cyan had received "limited funding from a third party that allows us to breathe some refreshing new life and optimism into all things ''Uru''." As with the fan-operated servers, D'mala would feature no new content, instead allowing Cyan staff called "surveyors" to interact with fans and gather information.<ref>{{cite web|author=Allin, Jack|date=2006-02-16|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1132|title=Cyan Worlds returns to Uru; Developer provides official server for Until Uru|publisher=[[Adventure Gamers]]|accessdate=2009-01-21}}</ref> In April 2006, [[GameTap]] announced it was relaunching ''Uru Live'' as ''[[Myst Online: Uru Live]]''. A major reason for the resurrection of the game was the fan support. According to GameTap's vice president of content Ricardo Sanchez, "One of the reasons [GameTap was] so attracted to ''Uru Live'' is that it had this persistent group that kept it alive during the dark days of it not being a product."<ref name="cnet-rising from the dead">{{cite news|author=[[Daniel Terdiman|Terdiman, Daniel]]|date=2006-05-18|url=http://news.cnet.com/Online-game-rising-from-the-dead/2100-1043_3-6073611.html?tag=nefd.top|title=Online game rising from the dead|publisher=[[CNET]]|accessdate=2008-11-17}}</ref> While Cyan devoted its time to ''Myst Online'', it promised not to shut down ''Until Uru'' in the meantime, although it would offer no new authentication keys.<ref name="ja-until"/> GameTap released ''Myst Online'' in February 2007. A Macintosh version, using the [[TransGaming Technologies#Cider|Cider]] translation layer engine so that Intel-processor Macs did not need a Windows installation to run the game, was released in March. At the time, ''Myst Online'' was the only Mac-compatible game on GameTap.<ref>{{cite web|author=Cohen, Peter|date=2007-03-20|url=http://www.macworld.com/article/56880/2007/03/gametap.html|title=GameTap releases Myst Online for Mac|work=[[Macworld]]|accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref> New content for the game was released in the form of online "episodes",<ref name=episodiccontent>{{cite web|url= http://www.mystonline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=155030#155030|title= The Future of Myst Online: Uru Live|accessdate= 2008-07-03|author= Ryan 'Greydragon' Warzecha, Cyan Worlds Community Manager|date= 2007-05-04|publisher=Myst Online.com}}</ref> adding new Ages, puzzles, and plot continuation with each episode. Due to business reasons, GameTap announced in February 2008 that the game would go offline in April; Cyan reacquired the rights to the game and announced that it would give the ''Myst Online'' source code and tools to the fans, making the game an [[Open source|open source project]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Sowa, Tom|date=2008-07-03|url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/txt/archive/?postID=6114|title=GameTap gives Myst Online back to Cyan|work=[[Spokesman Review]]|accessdate=2008-11-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Sowa, Tom|date=2008-12-12|url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/txt/archive/?postID=8731#more|title=Cyan makes it official: 'Myst' now in the hands of its fans|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|accessdate=2008-12-14}}</ref> == Reception == {{VG Reviews |title = Uru: Ages Beyond Myst |GI = 8.25/10<ref name="gameinformer-review" /> |GSpot = 7.8/10<ref name="gamespot-review"/> |GSpy = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="gamespy-review1" /> |IGN=9.0/10<ref name="ign-review1" /> | |MC = 79%<ref name="uru-metacritic"/> |GR = 76%<ref name="uru-game rankings"/> }} Initial reception to ''Uru'' was generally positive, but less so than previous games in the series. The game has average critic scores of 79% and 77% from aggregate web sites [[Metacritic]] and [[Game Rankings]], respectively.<ref name="uru-metacritic">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst?q=uru|title= Uru: Ages Beyond Myst (pc: 2003): Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=2008-10-18}}</ref><ref name="uru-game rankings">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/561642.asp?q=uru|title= Uru: Ages Beyond Myst Reviews|publisher=[[Game Rankings]]|accessdate=2008-10-15}}</ref> Though ''Uru'' was a departure from previous ''Myst'' titles, the differences were usually praised. ''[[Game Informer]]''{{'}}s Lisa Mason said ''Uru'' "successfully updated" the adventure game genre.<ref name="gameinformer-review">{{cite web|author=Mason, Lisa|date=2003-10-12|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200312/R03.1215.1105.26086.htm|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst|work=[[Game Informer]]|accessdate=2008-10-29|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080511190311/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200312/R03.1215.1105.26086.htm |archivedate = May 11, 2008|deadurl=yes}}</ref> The visuals and music were highly praised,<ref name="gamespot-review"/><ref name="ign-review2">{{cite web|author=Krause, Staci|date=2003-12-04|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/444/444432p2.html|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst Review (page 2)|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=2008-10-29}}</ref> and [[GameZone]] called the world of the D’ni beautifully rendered and brilliantly designed.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hopper, Steven|date=2003-12-23|url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21416.htm|title=Uru: Ages Beyond MYST|publisher=[[GameZone]]|accessdate=2008-11-17}}</ref> Newspapers appreciated the contrast ''Uru'' offered from violence-filled contemporary games.<ref name="houstonchronicle-review">{{cite news|author=Odelius, Dwight|date=2004-08-03|title=Myst series takes play to puzzling level; Game features dazzling graphics, but high frustration|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|page=4}}</ref><ref name="tribune-review">{{cite news|author=Slagle, Matt|date=2004-02-08|title=Latest Myst improves popular game|work=[[Oakland Tribune]]|page=1}}</ref><ref name="denverpost-retro">{{cite news|author="Thomas, David|date=2004-02-17|title='Uru' updates video game classic 'Myst' with full-featured 3-D version|work=[[The Denver Post]]|page=F1}}</ref> Reception to the game's third-person controls and the addition of instant failures by falling were not well received. Denise Cook of ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' called the third person option "choked" and "quirky".<ref name="cgw-review"/> While Cook appreciated the added depth and immersion provided by the real-time rendering, she found incidents such as slipping off rocks, falling into lava, and plummeting into canyons irksome additions to the previously stress-free ''Myst'' formula.<ref name="cgw-review"/> [[GameSpy]]'s Carla Harker found several puzzles highly difficult solely due to the poorly implemented control scheme which "never becomes intuitive".<ref name="gamespy-review2"/> ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s Robert Coffey and Cook considered the plot of the single-player release minimal and forgettable.<ref name="cgw-review"/><ref>{{cite journal|year=2003|month=December|author=Coffey, Robert|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst ; If Cyan builds it, will gamers come?|journal=[[Computer Gaming World]]|volume=1|issue=233|pages=50}}</ref> A major critic complaint about ''Uru'' was that the game did not ship with the multiplayer component. [[GameSpot|GameSpot's]] Andrew Park questioned why the game shipped with the multiplayer element open only for select players when the component had previously been beta-tested.<ref name="gamespot-review">{{cite web|author=Park, Andrew|date=2003-11-21|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/review.html|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst Review|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2008-11-11}}</ref> GameSpy was disappointed that the feature advertised on the box and in the game manual was not available in the product.<ref name="gamespy-review2"/> Reviewer Bob Mandel found that the most disappointing part of the dropped multiplayer game was that "as you progress through the game, a number of tantalizing clues emerge of places you can go and activities you can undertake only through the promised online mode."<ref>{{cite news|author=Mandel, Bob|date=2004-01-20|url=http://www.avault.com/reviews/pc/uru-ages-beyond-myst-pc-review/|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst Review|publisher=The Adrenaline Vault|accessdate=2008-11-17}}</ref> ''Uru''{{'}}s sales were considered disappointing,<ref name="time-secrets">{{cite news|author=Hamilton, Anita|date=2004-08-09|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,994827,00.html|title=Secrets of The New Myst|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|accessdate=2008-11-17}}</ref> whereas the first three ''Myst'' games had sold more than 12 million units collectively before ''Uru''{{'}}s release.<ref>{{cite press release|date=2003-05-07|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-23203075_ITM|title=New and Expanded Features Revealed for Highly-Anticipated Uru: Ages Beyond 'Myst'|publisher=[[Business Wire]]|accessdate=2008-09-18}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine pointed to the game's relative failure as evidence the franchise had lost its touch, a notion the developers of ''[[Myst IV: Revelation]]'' sought to dispel.<ref name="time-secrets"/> ''Uru''{{'}}s poor sales were also considered a factor in financially burdening Cyan, contributing to the company's near-closure in 2005.<ref name="adventure gamers-cyan">{{cite web|author=Allin, Jack|date=2005-09-04|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1057|title=Sayonara to Cyan Worlds|publisher=[[Adventure Gamers]]|accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> The title's original graphics and story nevertheless attracted a cult following.<ref name="gamasutra-cult hit">{{cite web|author=Jenkins, David|date=2005-09-05|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6416|title=Report: Cyan Worlds Slims To 'Skeleton Crew'|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=2008-11-16}}</ref> == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == * [http://www.urulive.com/ Official ''Uru Live'' website] * [http://uru.ubi.com/ ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst'' website] ([[Ubisoft]] site) {{Myst franchise}} {{featured article}} [[Category:2003 video games]] [[Category:Adventure games]] [[Category:Massively multiplayer online games]] [[Category:Myst games]] [[Category:Peter Gabriel]] [[Category:Ubisoft Entertainment games]] [[Category:Video games with expansion packs]] [[Category:Virtual reality]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[de:Myst#URU - Ages Beyond Myst]] [[fr:Uru: Ages Beyond Myst]] [[it:Uru: Ages Beyond Myst]] [[pl:Uru: Ages Beyond Myst]] [[ru:Uru: Ages Beyond Myst]] [[sv:Uru: Ages Beyond Myst]]
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to the Codex Gamicus are considered to be released under the CC BY-SA 3.0
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Templates used on this page:
Template:'
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Bracket
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Citation/core
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Citation/make link
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite album-notes
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite book
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite journal
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite news
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite press release
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite video
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite web
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Featured article
(
view source
)
Template:Hatnote
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Infobox VG
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Loop15
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Main
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Myst
(
view source
)
Template:Myst franchise
(
view source
)
Template:Navbar
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Navbox
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Pad
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Rating
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Reception
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Reflist
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Track listing
(
view source
)
Template:Track listing/Track
(
view source
)
Template:Tracklist
(
view source
)
Template:Transclude
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:VG Reviews
(
view source
)
Template:Vgrelease
(
view source
)
Template:·
(
view source
) (protected)
Follow on IG
TikTok
Join Fan Lab