Sold Out		(Win95/98/Me/2000/XP/Mac) (Jewel Case) (RHEMDJ)

Publisher: Got Game Entertainment

Multilingual: French and English

Ratings:

from Four Fat Chicks

Intrigue. Mystery. Adventure.

What is this place and why are you here? An intriguing first-person 3D adventure set in a mysterious land, RHEM features non-linear gameplay and a captivating story.

Your adventure begins when a commandeered rail car arrives in the land of RHEM. The rail car roams this strange world, allowing you to discover its mysteries little by little. However, you soon learn that your only hope of escaping RHEM lies in the contents of a letter which must be found, pieced together, and successfully delivered.

The world of RHEM is one of twisting and turning canyons, staircases and tunnels, ladders and buildings, and mind-bending puzzles. In search of clues, you will explore desert and water landscapes rich in environmental details that will lead to your ultimate escape!

Features:

• First person adventure with mind-bending puzzles!
• Environment consisting of individual pictures covering 360-degree views
• Non-linear gameplay
• Non-violent story
• 5000 rendered images in HighColor
• 15 minutes of QuickTime animation
• Stereo-environment sound

Requirements:

Win 95/98/2000/Me/XP: PC 300 MHz Pentium or faster, 32 MB RAM, 20 MB free hard disk space, 12x CD-ROM, display 640x480, 16-bit color, QuickTime 4 for Windows or higher, soundcard, videocard.

Macintosh: PowerPC 200 Mhz or faster, MacOS 8.5.1-9.2/OS-X Classic, 32 MB RAM, 20 MB free hard disk space, 12x CD-ROM, display 640x480, 16-bit color, QuickTime 4 or higher.

Reviews:

Quandary Review by Steve Ramsey

" Know I am on slightly shaky ground here. I can think of several gameplaying friends who will revel in the complex entanglements of the world, and will dismiss my comments as indicative of a gaming mind softened by too many straightforward lead-by-the-nose encounters. Certainly I don’t want flashing beacons leading the way and nor am I proposing simpler games or puzzles. It’s difficult to describe accurately without giving answers away but I remain of the view that some parts of RHEM are overly fiddly in the way in which they are put together.

"However you won’t have to put out of fires with wet fish, and there is no hotspot hunting. Further, the puzzles themselves encouraged me to keep plugging away, determined to work out the logic, which for me is a sign of a good puzzle. I would even find myself thinking about a puzzle when I wasn’t playing. They are enormously satisfying when finally solved, and more than once I felt quite elated with myself."

"RHEM will take you a long time to complete. This is not just a product of its length, but also because you have to take your time, and be diligent and observant. There are a lot of puzzles, and continuous exploration is essential. Make sure you have a large exercise book, that your inkwell is full before you start. I did think it tended toward being a bit similar to itself at times which can be a problem in a lengthy game. Despite this sameness though, I didn’t get bored, and thoroughly enjoyed its many hours."

Just Adventure by Bob Freese

"...But the puzzles – ahh, the puzzles – this is where this game really shines! RHEM offers up a vast array of very interesting and challenging puzzles which will have you adventuring for a very, very long time. Trust me, you will need a few hints here and there, and maybe a quick walker peek.

"When I started the game I was aghast at the size of the presentation on the monitor screen – small! But shortly after your rail car ride ends, the game expands to cover about 80% of the screen and feels very comfortable. The game is played in first person mode and is very non-linear. A small morphing “hand cursor” moves you about Rhem. There is no pixel hunting here, just puzzle solving in order to progress and find those four pieces of that letter which is your exit ticket. Whew! Levers, shapes, colors, water level controls, rotating bridges – this game has it all. Okay, I’ll admit it – I’m not a rocket scientist and did peek at a hint every now and again; but I did sometimes find myself lost! Thank goodness for unlimited save games!"

Mr. Bill's Adventureland Review

"But be forewarned this is not an easy game. You are challenged from the very beginning with just figuring out how to get around, and you must solve several major problems (like changing the water flow and turning on the electricity) before you can even start on your main quest, and find the 4 pieces of a letter that will enable you to escape.

"Thankfully the many interlocking puzzles are all well thought out and logical. And they are all part of the environment (buttons, levers, valves) so there is no inventory to find other than the letter pieces. Nothing is timed, you can't die, and there are no dead ends. And clues abound. But you soon learn that careful observation of your surroundings and attention to details (like numbers, colors and symbols) is essential. Just remember that nothing that you see is there by chance, so taking notes and drawing diagrams is a must. And you will definitely need a good sense of direction!

"Yes, Knut Mueller has created a game here that will challenge even longtime gamers. It will occupy you for days, perhaps for weeks, and even then there is no question that you may need to consult a walkthrough: we did. But hang in there, because we can also tell you that the sense of satisfaction that you get from finally solving one of those puzzles on your own is great."

Four Fat Chicks by Orb

"The story, or even the game goal, is not given to you right away; instead, an unusual amount of exploration must be done before any of this is explained. At the beginning of the game, a man appears, announces that he has been searching for a way to escape, steals the cart you've arrived in, and leaves you virtually stuck there to explore and solve the puzzles. As you explore, you find out that you will be able to get back to your own world, but only if you find four pieces of a letter a man named Zetais has written to his brother, assemble them, and take them to the brother. The plot is extremely thin—this is pretty much the entirety of it. So there are no lengthy tomes to read, nor any boring, overly complex, and badly written plot. It's just you and the puzzles, baby."

"The degree of initial exploration is surprising. Right from the get-go, there are some pretty good-sized areas to wander around in. Each subsequent area that opens up as gameplay progresses has this same expansive feel. Unfortunately, the first major puzzle, which opens up the remainder of the game, is very ornate and has a similar degree of complexity as the infamous organ puzzle from 9: The Lost Resort. If you are not carefully deciphering clues at this point, this could be a real show-stopper. Once past this, however, you better understand how to look at the surroundings for clues and solutions. The is a "pay attention" game."

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