Azurik: Rise of Perathia

"An exciting romp through the land of Perathia"

When I first saw Azurik: Rise of Perathia, I thought to myself 'Great. Another mediocre game with too much hype that'll take me three days to beat.' Boy was I wrong.

Azuirk, for some reason, reminds me of Riven and Myst. I think it's the way the whole puzzle theme and interlocking worlds strikes me. I was amazed from the moment I turned this game on, and still find myself thinking 'Wow' every time I see something else new.

Graphics 10/10: The graphics of Azurik are truly a sight to behold. From giant waterspouts and lightning strikes to waves on a beach and flowing magma, everything looks excellent. Environments are represented remarkably well in Azurik, and sometimes you'll find yourself drawn into the scenery so much that you'll get attacked and not even know it. Enemies are very well rendered, and look astounding when up close. This game is truly a graphical treat.

Control 7/10: This is the only real problem I have with Azurik. The control could have been sharper, and Azurik could have moved a little less clumsier. Accidentally running off of a cliff or missing a jump because Azurik simply decided that he didn't want to go in the direction you told him to can be frustrating. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's not as bad. It's more like a steep learning curve than it is a problem, to me.

Sound 10/10: Perfect. Simply put. The sound in this game always manages to fit the mood of the current location, which is something several games seem to have a problem doing. Waterfalls run in the distance and birds and other little critters peep and chirp all around you in some stages, while lightning strikes and lava blurbbles (is that even a word?) in other stages.

Gameplay 9/10: The gameplay is really varied in Azurik. Some parts involve combating several enemies, and using strategy to defeat them, while other parts have you painstakingly scrounge the level for keys, and some other parts have you playing 'Mario' all over again by jumping on floating platforms to reach switches. It never gets tiresome (tedious, sometimes, but never tiresome) in some parts, but, unlike most other games, you'll probably still be playing, long after you've gotten mad at it. Yes, you will get mad at it.

Buy or Rent?: A definite buy. You probably won't even get the first world fully explored in one week.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/09/02, Updated 01/09/02