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Amber
Journeys Beyond |
| Sold Out |
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(Win95/98 Only) (Retail) (AMBERJPR) |
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Hue Forest Entertainment
Ratings:
A+ and
A- from Just Adventure
 4 stars from Computer Gaming
World
4½ stars from Strategy
Plus
Death Is Not the End
Journey into the unknown, exploring supernatural realms of
extraordinary beauty and haunting elegance. Unravel mysteries hidden within
compelling stories of heart-rending tragedy, mind-numbing obsession, and
child-like innocence.
With incredible attention to detail, Amber: Journeys Beyond
is completely unlike anything you have ever experienced. Touching on the
supernatural in ways seldom explored, Amber: Journeys Beyond exposes you to an
existence well beyond our own, while grounding you in familiar realitites which
serve to starkly contrast what we see and hear with that which lies hidden to
our senses.
Through a combination of amazingly life-like images, subtle
environmental sounds, compelling soundtrack, and thoroughly developed
characters and stories, Amber: Journeys Beyond will completely immerse you in
the experience of several lifetimes.
 Elegant, Versatile Interface
Over 250 Spectacular Animations
Stunning Photo-realistic, 3-D Environments
Intriguing Characters & Compelling Storyline
Real-world Ambient Sounds
Digitally-Recorded Original Musical Score
On the Haunting Edge: Exploring Life
After Death
Unorthodox Scientist takes on the Ultimate
Mystery
BOSTON: At first glance, the office of Dr. Roxanne
Westbridge, founder and CEO of Bio-Psi Technologies, looks like any other high
tech office, with tons of computer equipment and cables flowing around the
room.
On closer inspection, however, its easy to see there is
one big difference. Instead of developing hardware that crunches numbers or
creates pretty pictures, Dr. Westbridge, or Roxy as her employees call her, is
developing technology that she hopes will give us some of the answers about
life after death.
While it may seem unorthodox, this foray into the unknown
is the latest step in a company history that has been filled with sucessful
eccentricity.
(See Haunting Edge, page 3D)
Welcome to the realms of Amber: Journeys Beyond. Explore an
old Victorian house with a dark and mysterious history. Unlock the secrets of
the past using the latest in high-tech paranormal tracking equipment...and
experience in-depth encounters with the supernatural. Prepare yourself for an
unprecedented journey into worlds beyond, where the rewards are great...and the
risks are even greater.
 Requirements:
Windows 95/98 (Only!) on an IBM or 100% compatible
486DX2/66 or faster (Pentium recommended), 8Mb rAM (16Mb recommended),
high-color (16 bit) video card, 15Mb of free hard disk space, CD-ROM drive (4x
recommended), sound card.
Reviews:
Just Adventure by
Jenny
Guenther and
Ray
Ivey
Jenny: "...But this game literally took my breath away. In
retrospect, I can't believe I hadn't played it yet--I have had it for at least
a year and kept passing it by because it looked like some metaphysical
exploration/know yourself kind of junk. But no, it turned out to be a horror
game extraordinaire. ... The tension in my computer room was palpable as I
played this game. I kept having to take breaks because the walls were closing
in on me, I was feeling little breezes blow through my hair (turned out to be
the heater), and I kept hearing noises. This story is thick with atmosphere and
manages to be sweet, sad, horrific, terrifying, and believable all at once ...
it's a real ride on an emotional roller coaster. ... In conclusion, if you want
a horror game without gore (there is the teeniest amount of blood but it's on
people already dead and not at all disgusting) that truly will cause chills to
run up and down your spine, I recommend Amber over any other that I've played
in the horror genre." Final Grade: A+.
Ray: "...Believe you me, at this point you very quickly
realize that Amber is not your average haunted house game. What makes the
difference? First of all, instead of cheesy "scary music" a la Shivers,
Amber bravely foregoes any traditional soundtrack at all. The only
sounds you hear are 'real life' sounds. Therefore, entering this silent, dark
house that you know good and well is haunted is literally a hair-raising
experience. Each footstep on the wooden stairs, each creak of an opening door
or slide of a drawer, each chirp of a cricket, makes the hair on the back of
your neck stand up. ... Amber has beautiful graphics and an elegant,
uniquely chilling atmosphere. However, it is short and may be too grim for some
players. That being said, this one is a must-play for those in need of an
elegant scare!" Final grade: A-
Computer Gaming World, April
1997
"With an emphasis on storytelling and spooky atmosphere,
Amber: Journeys Beyond succeeds where almost every other Myst clone
fails..."
"Maneuvering through Amber is a snap with the game's
stylish, unobtrusive mouse-driven interface. The minimalism of both interface
and on-screen inventory puts the focus of the game where it belongs - on the
unsettling environments.
"And what environemnts they are. The designers wisely opted
for ambient sound instead of a full musical soundtrack, and the effect is
outstanding. Hushed wind, the low thrum of machinery, and pained creaking of
floors make the sense of isolation and loneliness on Roxy's estate much more
palpable than that awful cross of Yanni and John Tesh that plagues other
Myst-influenced games."
"Amber is a good game troubled by questions of what might
have been. If gameplay were only half the quality of the rest of the game,
Amber would've been a real standout. Gaming novices can add a half star to this
game's rating, since they are most likely to enjoy all that Amber has to offer.
More seasoned gamers...well, they can drop a half star or, better yet, buy
Amber for a newbie friend and watch over their shoulder. Odds are they'll see a
personal style and vision seldom seen in the realm of Myst-like
adventures."
Strategy Plus by Chuck Klimushyn
"Somewhere back in Introduction to Art 101 I remember
learning about something called minimalism. The art of minimalism implies using
the least amount of a chosen medium to convey the maximum emotional impact.
Amber is so good at using understated effects to scare the pants off the
player, it could well end up being required study in colleges across the
country!"
"Amber parallels the story development of the best horror
and mystery novels. The game will oh- so-slowly increase in tension and
suspense. The player will feel the knot in his stomach grow as events unfold,
much like a mainspring being wound ever more tightly. By the time I actually
had my first encounter with the home's posthumous residents, the gasp I let out
was almost a welcomed relief..."
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