For those of you
who played Aura last year, Sacred Rings is more of the same. It takes up where
Aura left off, with Umang trying to keep the Sacred Rings safe from the evil
clan that is chasing him, and ultimately trying to deliver the Rings to the
Keepers. This preview build lets players sneak a peek at the upcoming game,
but only shows just a bit of what is in store.
Just as in Aura,
this is a first-person adventure in the style of Myst and Jewels of the
Oracle, with lots and lots of puzzles, many of them mechanical in nature.
Also as in Aura, the surrounding areas are somewhat like the ones in The
Lighthouse, metallic and sterile, but beautiful. The action of the game is all
exploring the areas for clues to solve the myriad puzzles; there is no
interaction with other characters, except in cut-scenes when the puzzles have
been solved. A journal is available that keeps up with the hints and clues
found, but even so, many of the these puzzles require some heavy thinking and
some pure luck, at times. It is useful to take your own notes, as well. I have
a feeling that the puzzles are going to be difficult to solve for the most
part, based on the these.
These puzzles
are connected, and most are of a mechanical nature and will run after being
solved. I hate to keep saying this, but it all does heavily remind me of The
Lighthouse, where many of the puzzles were big machines that were all
connected in some way.
The camera can
be moved 360 degrees, and also up and down. This is a bit dizzying at times,
but it’s pretty cool to look all around these gorgeous surroundings.
According to the
press release, the final game promises a huge game environment with many
challenging puzzles and interaction with characters (but I’m guessing this is
really just the cut-scenes that display when the puzzles are solved; these are
movie scenes with no real interaction). A non-linear path with different
possible paths is also promised, but whether or not those story elements are
available later in the game remains to be seen.
So far, Sacred
Rings promises to be just as much fun for puzzle fans of the Myst and
Lighthouse crowd as Aura was. It’s once again pure puzzle solving pleasure,
with no pesky distractions like dialogue or intensive inventory gathering.
This game is even more attractive in appearance than Aura, and just wandering
around clicking on things is pleasurable. However, it’s a very lonely type of
game.
