In 2021, the classic 1993 puzzle adventure Myst – which helped sell millions of CD-ROM drives to PC owners – gained a new lease of life through an Unreal Engine powered remake, taking the pre-rendered visuals and capturing their mysterious essence in 3D. The vastly similar Amerzone, released on PC and PS1 in 1998 through French studio Microids, has now been given the same treatment, with its grainy CGI backdrops receiving a fresh coat of paint via UE5.
The game itself is also set in 1998 – perhaps explaining why floppy disks and VHS tapes feature so prominently – and casts you in the role of a French journalist. They’ve recently learned of an expedition led by explorer Alexandre Valembois in the 1930s, which resulted in the discovery of the Amerzone – an uncharted jungle, deep within South America. Valembois returned to France with a large unhatched egg belonging to a bird species now feared extinct. While on his deathbed, the explorer wished for the egg to be returned to the jungle, setting about an adventure that sees you following coordinates and maps plotted out some seven decades ago.
This simple storyline is pleasing, as the main objective is enough to carry the experience throughout its duration, while also making a change from the usual ‘explorer looking for fame and riches’ trope. You’re simply a humble journalist looking to return an egg to fulfil a dying man’s wish.
The adventure begins not with a dramatic crash landing into uncharted territory, but rather with a trip to the lighthouse Valembois calls home. This turns out to be a very smart move, as it gives a chance to build up an image about how the Amerzone looks and sounds by rummaging through slides, black and white photos, illustrations and more. It also sheds light on the life of Valembois and the company they kept. There are a few picturesque sights to take in, too, showing off the new 3D visuals, such as the view from the top of the lighthouse.
Under the lighthouse a seaport with a peculiar vessel, known as the hydrofoil, can be found. With our journalist protagonist silent for the most part, the hydrofoil pretty much becomes the star of the show due to its inventive transforming nature. The game’s equivalent of the Batmobile, if you will. Designed for exploration, it can change from a plane to a boat, then to a submarine, and later to a helicopter. It’s equipped with gizmos too, such as a grappling hook, and is powered by a computer terminal with wireframe graphics that’ll inform of any engine issues.
You’ll not only need to configure the hydrofoil manually for each transformation, but also source floppy disks and fuel. This ends up being a heavily relied on concept for progression, as even when in the depths of the jungle, you’re still required to locate a missing floppy disk to unlock the next transformation and head to the next area. This does at least give each chapter a clean-cut feel, starting in a new location and ending with your departure.
What we have here is essentially a linear point-and-click adventure, viewed from first person. While the environments are now full 3D – sporting visuals close to photorealistic – movement is still limited to following preset paths. Pressing ‘Y’ will highlight all available paths and show interactable objects, preventing lots of aimless clicking, and it’s possible to skip transitional scenes – such as walking down long corridors or using ladders. Find a map, and you’ll unlock the ability to fast travel too. Most chapters are spread across a dozen or so locations, so fast travelling does come in handy, although if you overlook a map, it isn’t much of a loss either as you’re still able to whizz through the leafy environs.
A running journal of discoveries and current objectives is kept, complete with an assortment of ongoing investigations wrapped up by finding diaries etc. It’s also possible to request a puzzle hint, with a subtle clue given first – such as an item’s whereabouts – before essentially providing the solution, be it map coordinates, lock combinations and whatever else is needed to progress. This helps keep frustration levels low.
Whereas Myst was intended to confuse and perplex, this is a much more grounded experience. There are a few elements of typical video game logic, such as a rope that must be cut with a knife instead of being untied and a small gate that simply cannot be climbed over, but these are generally few. The inventory is kept small for the most part and consequently manageable, usually consisting of no more than four items. Examples of having to try random objects to resolve an issue are almost non-existent, as often it’s obvious where an item should be used. In one location a salve needs to be created, and almost every ingredient can be found in the same room as the recipe. Indeed, puzzles edge more towards the casual side of things, with no grounds for failure (there’s no Game Over screen whatsoever) with the trickiest being to create a counterweight to open a flood gate. If you find yourself stuck, it won’t be for long.
Each chapter takes around an hour to complete, making for a modest 7-8 hour playtime. Upon the game’s completion a chapter select screen unlocks, making it easy to mop up missing achievements/trophies.
Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy is an experience carried by not just the compulsion to return the egg, but also the great lengths to reach that destination, with our hero becoming more scarred and weary over time. An action game this isn’t – escaping from a makeshift jail cell, roughly halfway through, is about as dramatic as it gets. In fact, it’s a little bit light on a few things now considered fundamental. While you do meet other characters, it’s at a rate of one every chapter or two, and after their introductory cut-scene they don’t serve much of a purpose. Even wild animal encounters are more common. You are, for most of the adventure, on your own, rummaging through shacks to find missing machinery parts, traversing the jungle, and tinkering with the hydrofoil’s control panel.
Although it is a bit light on fantasy elements, it does have rare splashes of creativity, such as ancient machinery constructed from wood and carved stone, and being an uncharted area there are a few undocumented creatures to discover too. The concept of following the path an explorer took some seventy years ago holds quite a bit of appeal, with the hydrofoil specifically designed for its egg carrying purpose.
This remake breathes life into a game not many will have likely heard of before, let alone played (my recollection of the PS1 original is seeing it languishing in Blockbusters) while keeping it authentic to its source. The storyline is focused and compelling, and the UE5 powered visuals certainly help draw you into the experience, with the only downside to its presentation being instances of small text and a heavy use of an italic ‘handwritten’ font, which makes certain words tricky to decipher.
Signs of the game’s age are evident – such as its linearity, limited NPC interactions, and its straightforward puzzles – but they aren’t to its detriment, as it’s still able to deliver an intriguing experience with richly detailed visuals and thoughtful touches that make it easy to get into. Intrepid adventurers are advised to take a trip to the Amerzone yet should ideally keep in mind that this is an experience based more on its calming tropical sights than fast-paced action. I’d like to think tastes have changed enough over the past 27 years for that to become acceptable, if not preferred.
Microids’ Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy is out 24th April on PS5, Xbox Series and PC.