Microids has really found its place with adventure games, publishing and developing the likes of Syberia: The World Before. Benoît Sokal was a prolific game director and writer whose games are well remembered by those who play them. One that released back in 1999 has been given new life in Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy. Based on a comic strip that Sokal had published a few years before, it became a cult classic. Now, with the advent of remakes such as Riven and newer ones like The Room reviving the genre, it was time to bring back this classic. Rebuilt in Unity using their knowledge from making the latest Syberia title, this new version looks fantastic – but is it in practice?
Players step into the shoes of a burgeoning journalist. Finally, they get their big break by interviewing Alexandre Valembois, an explorer who had been to the Amerzone on a past expedition. Side note: Valembois is the main character of the aforementioned comic strip. However, things go a little awry and Valembois suffers an unfortunate accident, leaving the player to explore his lighthouse home himself.
This lighthouse level is the tutorial in a way, introducing all of the game’s mechanics and setting the scene with a small zone that has a good spread of puzzles. Controls and design are kept in line with the original title, meaning this first-person adventure has no direct player movement. Instead, controls involve looking around and interacting with small areas before moving on by selecting an exit.
After the lighthouse, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy opens up. After some chill journeying and story, players are now set to explore the Amerzone, uncovering both the past and present of the region while completing Valembois’s last wish: to save the White Birds of the Amerzone by delivering the egg he had safeguarded all these years since his journey. The tale has twists and turns aplenty, exploring many themes that Sokal loved to include in his stories.
There is actually a lot of interaction here, and it makes puzzles very engaging. Reading environmental clues is standard in each area as it can lead to important objects or interactables, or if that is too complex, hold “Y” to reveal all interaction points in the current zone. Some of these points are simple environmental touches or flavour text rather than important interactables. This is a good vessel for world building, and it helps make the places feel more lived in and realistic.
Interactions are also contextual, requiring varied player inputs to complete, allowing for further immersion and making for more unique moments than the game would otherwise have. For example, clicking and dragging is used a lot to make interactions have more meaning in regard to the object being used. Some of the best examples are at the beginning, with things like setting up a PC and entering a password, or using directional interaction to flip switches or open doors.
Reading is of very high importance in Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy. Lots of character and interesting information can be found in notes and journals – information that is not only fun to read, but crucial to solving most of the harder puzzles. This is the kind of game where deploying a real-world notebook at times may be beneficial for tying different points together.
Everything is rendered and animated beautifully, with each unique animation grounding the character in the scene, and any animations not involving the character’s actual hands are smooth and satisfying. For a game that is just about interacting, reading and moving between areas, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy nails the game feel. Nothing is too slow to be boring, but it is slow enough to feel deliberate, and creates a great balance.
Visually, things are stunning, too, completely rebuilt to modern standards, yet faithful to the original title’s style. Every tree, light shaft and being is crafted with such care and attention to detail, bringing everything to life in a satisfying way. The mystical and lush Amerzone areas shine brightest with a slight mythical edge and curious details dotted around the place. It all contributes to the seamless feeling of the exploration and increases the impact of the storytelling.
The audio is also suitably overhauled with lush soundscapes capturing each little environmental detail. Characters are well acted in both English and French, lending an air of authenticity and charm to this adventure. The music from composer Inon Zur is spectacular – as it always is. Similar to his themes in Syberia, what Amerzone has is a soulful soundtrack featuring epic, adventurous and slower melancholic tracks. They are all fantastic and elevate the experience hugely.
Ultimately, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is not a game that will appeal to everyone. It can be rooted in its older design methods, and it’s a bit weird to have no direct movement controls. However, it is a love story to the genre and a stunning revival. Lovers of the 1999 release will adore this remake.
