—
Act One: The Last Linking Book…
—

WARNING: This entry may contain spoilers to the plot of Myst V: End of Ages. If you intend to play this game, and don’t want the surprises to be ruined, don’t read this. Please.

Now that I’ve covered my ass, let’s begin talking about the game.

I poured sixty dollars out of my bank account and into purchasing this game on Friday of last week, and I beat it on Monday night. It made me swell with pride at my victory. If this was truly Cyan Worlds climactic last show, then fans of the Myst series can certainly sit pretty knowing they went out with the biggest bang of all.

The game opens with a cinematic - of sorts - featuring a lengthy letter written by Atrus to “The Stranger”. Atrus is getting old, and is constantly grieving. Over the loss of his sons, his father, his grandmother and his wife. Even his daughter Yeesha has left him to pursue some sort of cause to restore D’ni (which is the main premise for Uru). Atrus is weak, and alludes to his retiring to somewhere to spend the last moments of his life (a location which I instantly assumed to be Myst Island.)

The game begins with the Stranger somehow standing in K’veer. One thing I have started to dislike is the lack of logic in the Stranger’s appearances. In Myst, he had fallen into the Star Fissure, and discovered Atrus’ lost Myst book. In Riven, he returned to K’veer to see Atrus. In Myst III and Myst IV, the Stranger simply “appears” magically in Tomanha, without any reference to where he has been. In Myst V, the Stranger begins in K’Veer with no explanation whatsoever. The room is in the same state of disarray as a few decades earlier, when the Stranger had arrived at Atrus’ request to capture Gehn. On the table where Atrus once sat lies the Myst linking book that Atrus used when he destroyed the “trap books” of his sons. It is bound by leather straps, and there is no way to open it. This disappointed me, because it has been almost a decade in real life since I journeyed to that actual island of Myst. However, there was hope. I assumed that - based on the books appearance in the game - there would be a small possibility of linking there.

Journeying through the passageways of K’Veer resulted in my stumbling upon a large bubble surrounding four pedestals. Atop the pedestals was locked a cross-shaped tablet. After taking a look at it, Yeesha (now a good twenty years older than when I’d last seen her) appeared. She began to tell me of the quest I was about to undergo. It was a quest that her great-grandmother T’iana, her father Atrus and herself had already undergone. It was a quest to unlock the power of the tablet. A power she had apparently misused. She told me that when I acquired the tablet, I shouldn’t give it to her under any circumstances.

This was puzzling, since Yeesha has traditionally been the single SANE offspring of Atrus. But whatever. There was no time to explain further. She linked me away - ironically enough - to Earth. Or at least, I assume it was Earth. I believe the D’ni are from Earth, and that they merely lived below the surface somewhere - if Uru is any indication - in New Mexico. I was instantly greeted by Esher, a D’ni survivor who also wanted me to complete the quest for the tablet. Furthermore, he echoed Yeesha’s warnings that if I should acquire the tablet, I should not give it to Yeesha.

Esher lead me underground to the great shaft of the D’ni. It was through that shaft that Tiana discovered D’ni, and eventually led to its destruction. As you descended the shaft, there were four ages placed in side rooms that were important to my quest. Over time, I learned of the Bahro. They were mysterious black creatures that could turn invisible and link with the slightest though. They were extremely powerful. I witnessed their power in all of the four Ages. And the Ages certainly were varied, and breathtaking. In each Age was a slate that I could draw symbols on. These symbols would help me control the Bahro in many innovative ways.

Tahgira: This age was surprisingly small. It was used as a D’ni prison colony of sorts. My brother Jake - an expert on the Myst books - told me that T’iana was sent to a place like this once. Cyan Worlds certainly knows how to establish a state of unity. The age was coated in snow. Using the slate, I was able to control the Bahro into bringing out the sunlight and melting the snow.

Todelmer: This age was surprisingly vast. It was composed of giant rocky spires that jutted out of the surface of the moon. This moon I was on orbited around a large blue planet, which for all intents and purposes, looked like Uranus. The sky was full of strange star patterns and other space anomalies. It was used as a D’ni research centre. Their intent was to survey the sky and learn of space. Esher told me that they died off before they could finish their research. Here, I learned of a powerful symbol that commanded the Bahro to speed up time dramatically, causing the stars in the sky to shift, and the orbit of the planets to change. To watch this happen was quite breathtaking actually.

Noloben: An island age that Esher describes as “his age” and “the home of the Bahro”. In the centre of the island, he had built a small research lab for himself that was crucial to the islands many secrets. This age relied on many symbology puzzles, making me compare D’ni numbers to Bahro numbers. Because this age was featured in the demo, I beat it remarkably quickly. Using the slate of this Age, I was able to make it rain by harnessing the power of the Bahro.

Laki’ahn: The vertiable sports arena of the D’ni. Esher was quite passionate about this place as he described it. He was thrilled in his rememberance of the battles that had been fought in the arena. His excitement truly knew no bounds. By harnessing the power of the Bahro in this age, I was able to cause hurricane-esque winds to tear apart the landscape which was useful for powering the many wind devices on the island.

After beating these four ages, I unlocked the final cross-shaped tablet. Esher had told me to bring it to Myst island. He would keep it safe from Yeesha there. Indeed, Yeesha would never go to Myst island. She hates it. Hates what it represents. It was a prison for her brothers, and her father. In fact, if the Stranger hadn’t come along and saved her father from K’Veer and her mother from Riven, she would have never been born.

The tablet would be safe from Yeesha on Myst.

However, could Esher be trusted? There were times throughout the game where he seemed quite mad. I knew there was something sinister about him. He was using me. He’d tried the quest for the tablet and failed. He wanted to “mooch” off of my success.

There was just one problem. I desperately wanted to return to Myst. Even if it meant losing the game. So, I closed my eyes and pretended Esher was a good guy. I returned to K’Veer, and linked to Myst.

And boy did it look like shit.

In game, it had been nearly 40 years since the Stranger had been to Myst. The island was in disrepair. The forest had begun to thin. The bridge towards the clock tower was broken. The library was torn apart. However, it did present a bit of nostalgia. The marker switch by the docks - the one that contained the missing page from Atrus’ linking book - had its lever in the upward position. I pulled the switch to see if the cabinet would open, and instead the lever broke off in my hand. The boat at the docks had been overturned, and water was leaking into the area of the Stoneship linking book. It was likely that that Age had been destroyed. The gears that guarded the Mechanical Age had been rusted over, and the Clock Tower device to unlock it was broken. It was unaccessable. That power lines that led to the Selenitic Age were damaged from repeated lightning strikes. The book was missing. I didn’t even bother to check the Channelwood cabin. It seemed useless.

I entered the library. The fireplace was bricked up. The map of the island that controlled the tower rotation was torn down and lying on the floor. The scorch marks left behind when Atrus burnt the trap books were still on the shelves. Otherwise, the library was empty of everything old and familiar.

However, there was a new addition. A metallic pedestal in the middle of the room, shaped for the tablet. I placed it there, and as expected, Esher appeared and gloated over his new abilities with the tablet. He would control an army of Bahro, and recreate D’ni. He called my time with the tablet a “missed opportunity” - a terrible pun - and then he links away. And so, Myst - the place that was once a prison for Atrus, Achenar and Sirrus - has instead become a prison for me. And the game ended where it began.

Unfortunately.

I reloaded the game, and gave the tablet to Yeesha to see another failed ending. She took the tablet and disappeared. After this, I went to Myst again to see Esher’s reaction. He insulted me, and left me trapped on Myst.

So, I played the successful ending. I’d read Yeesha’s entries, describing the Bahro as slaves. I’d listened to Esher say that tablet controlled the Bahro. And in all the Ages, I’d seen what the Bahro do when you set a tablet down.

They take it.

So, I put the tablet on the ground, and the Bahro took it.

They became their own masters. They were free.

With their aid, Yeesha and I were linked to a new Age. Here, I met Atrus, who had grown quite old. After a short while, the Bahro arrived with Esher in tow, and he was taken away by them to be punished as they saw fit. Atrus told me that this new Age was Releeshan - the age I had saved in Myst III - and that this was the new home for the D’ni. A Bahro spread his wings - which they have, apparently - and picked me up. He carried me into the air, and I saw the fullness of Releeshan. It was the end.

But what an end.

Thanks Cyan Worlds for the memories. If it is in the cards, I truly hope you rebound from your financial losses.

Thank you Cyan Worlds for a stunning adventure.

Myst V: End of Ages was absolutely amazing.

My full review will arrive sometime on Thursday, due to work.

Curse my lust for gold.

—
Act One: Hooray
—

Today is a fine day. It is the day where two fabulous games are unleashed upon the world:

Myst V: End of Ages
AND
Indigo Prophecy

Now, as is normal, these games are not going to have made their way to store shelves yet. They’re all boxed up in the back of trucks driving around the continent. By the end of the week, I hope to own one, if not both, of these games. My first choice is going to be Myst V, since I fully intend to see the “stranger”’s adventure to its completion. On the other hand, Indigo Prophecy provides an engaging storyline and innovative gameplay. This will make it hard to ignore.

And tomorrow, Lost returns to ABC for a second season. Finally, we may have some questions answered. What is down the hatch? Is Sawyer alive? What are the Others going to do with Walt? So many questions!

—
Act Two: Sickness Spreading
—

Everyone seems to be plagued by a sickness. I call it, “Admiration for the next-generation consoles”. All three of them have huge flaws. The XBox 360 has its “interesting” pricing strategy. The Playstation 3 controller, as Scott at VGCats represented it, was designed by Bruce Wayne. The Revolution is intriguing and devestating at the same time.

As I’ve already outlined, the new Revolution controller is the product of some forward thought from a brilliant strategist, merged with the incomplete thoughts of a fetal chimp. The motion sensor technology in the Revolution’s controller is innovative. It is also extremely cool. However, it also has issues. Once again, I can refer to the wisdom of VGCats to illustrate my point.

Nintendo designed a controller with NOTHING but a port for add-ons. So, they can literally pile cash into large burlap sacks and take it to the bank (which they will rob, based on their money grabbing mentality). And, that is the only thing I have a problem with. Nintendo has a reputation of releasing sub-par hardware only to replace it with an “improvement”.

Case in point, how many versions of the Game Boy Advance have we seen now?

Yeah. So, when the add-ons start rolling out, we’ll be faced with the same scenario. Why buy when something bigger and better will come along?

Frankly, I’m going to spend my money on a PSP, for the sake of loading up some classic ROMs, some movies of my choosing, and GTA:LC. If I change my mind, I’ll just buy a wicked computer system next year. Sadly, I think I’m starting to grow bored with video games in general. The entire industry, despite being rated so highly, is beginning to grow sluggish. I’ve been disappointed by CAPCOM, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance SP, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, and the Revolution controller. I’ve had more enjoyment from playing Mike Tyson’s Punchout for the NES. That isn’t a good sign.

I’m really only staying on board the whole “gaming wagon” for Myst V, Indigo Prophecy, Grand Theft Auto, Tales of Eternia and Tales of Legendia. Otherwise, the horizon looks gloomy.

When the first shots of the Nintendo Revolution came streaming back from the Tokyo Game Show, everyone exploded with some sort of emotion. Scott Ramsoomair at VGCats was stricken with grief and paralysis. Avid gamer Caleb and “not-so-avid-gamer-but-stubborn-wannabee” Joshua seem to be entirely for revolution.

I, on the other hand, am quite the counter-revolutionary.

It isn’t the appearance of the controller that worries me, but it is the mechanics. I’m not overly concerned that the controller looks like a television remote control. I’m concerned with how games will be made and played in the future, in regards to Nintendo.

Let’s take a look at the problems with the Revolution’s controller:

Functionality

i) Buttons
Before the controller was even unveiled to the general public, Nintendo had taken a stance that controllers had “too many buttons and joysticks” and they claimed their new controller would make gaming simpler. However, some games NEED a great deal of buttons.

It’s time for a button count:

Nintendo Gamecube: two analog sticks, 4 face buttons, 3 shoulder buttons and a D-Pad. Nintendo Revolution: one motion “stick”, one face button, one shoulder button and a D-Pad
Nintendo Revolution w/ Add-On: 2 “analog” sticks, one face button, three shoulder buttons and a D-Pad.

Let’s recap, shall we?
Gamecube Total: 2 sticks, 7 buttons, D-Pad
Revolution Total: 2 sticks, 4 buttons, D-Pad

This presents a SERIOUS problem, as far as certain games are concerned. For my purposes, we will consider two types of games.

The first game is your typical fighting game. In this variety of game, a button is traditionally assigned to guard, low attack (or horizontal strike), high attack (or vertical strike) and kick. Furthermore, there is required a “joystick” of some description to move the character. This is not available on standalone Revolution controller. Nintendo makes it absolutely necessary to purchase their add-on device to play any fighter game. Thanks a lot for that Nintendo.

The second game we need to consider is an RPG like the NamcoTales game, or even something like Xenosaga. In this variety of game, different pre-rendered attacks are assigned to certain buttons. This means that during a string of attacks, you can activate a spell by pressing simply “B” and a direction. “A” is assigned as the melee attack. Unfortunately, with the Revolution’s standalone controller, this would be your only option. You would be unable to jump, block, or change which opponent you are attacking. Even with the Nintendo Revolution add-on, you’d be given a mere two extra buttons, making it impossible for you to change the opponent you are attacking. The RPG of that type would be impossible to play, making the Nintendo Revolution an unfavourable home for the NamcoTales RPG’s, which are the third most popular RPG series in Japan. But guess who has the next Tales release? Sony. Oh well.

What Nintendo has failed to realize is that full-motion RPG’s are a lot more favourable with people because the fighting style is more involving than your average turn based RPG. Due to the new control design, Nintendo has limited themselves solely to the realm of turn based RPG’s. For shame.

ii) Sans Joystick

I’m not going to deny that the technology incorporated into the system is cool. It just will not work at this point in time. Why? They’ve limited themselves from getting a lot of third-party support. For the past while, third party games would be featured on all three platforms. This new controller style will make that impossible. Third party games will only be able to fit within the controls of X360 and PS3. Otherwise, the game designers and developers would have to completely redo the control setup to accomodate the Revolution’s controller. In their eyes, it might not be worth it. How many third party games have Nintendo users lost out on by siding with the Revolution? Capcom’s pulled out of Nintendo exclusivity agreements lately, so we can’t expect much from them. Other companies will likely side with the more reliable companies of Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo promised a decent Zelda sequel, and we’ve waited half a decade. They promised a line up of DS games. Where the hell are they? Now, with the Revolution, they’ve promised the world. Why the hell should we trust them?

Also, yes Josh, the controller would work great with a lightsaber game. If their line up is entirely lightsaber games, Nintendo is set. Also, who is to say LucasArts will even develop games for the Revolution. It is an inferior system, and I doubt Rev will be delivered any third party exclusives. The world is starting to hate Nintendo, and their gaming empire will crash to the ground.

Also, the console may be cheap, but they’ll rape the consumer up the ass in controller add-ons.

I had more to say, but I’m incredibly bored of Nintendo now, and don’t really want to write anymore.

Behold, the future of Nintendo…

Nintendo…I once believed in you…

When the Sega Genesis was the hottest thing ever, I still hugged my NES close.

When everyone else began switching to compact discs, I stuck by you and your cartridges.

When you released the Gamecube, and everyone made fun of it, I stayed on board.

When you released the revamped Game Boy Advance SP, I supported you and bought one.

When you released the DS, I bought one, despite the criticism. You failed to release any good games at launch, but I stuck with you anyway.

Now…your revolution comes. It was the event that I thought would shut every other PS and XBOX fanboy up. And you deliver this? You’ve doomed yourself. You’ve…forsaken those who have stuck with you through the good and the bad for something a “random person” can pick up and play. Why?

I used to trust you Nintendo. You used to be cool.

What happened to the Nintendo I knew?

I’ve thrown my lot in with other companies now…

Goodbye.

—
Act One: Hit and Run
—

When I arrived at school this morning at 8:40, it seemed very much like an average day. My attendance in English Literature (ETS4U) with Mr. Esposito remained immaculate. He was even kind enough to inform me that my critique on the T.S. Eliot poem known as “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” was so exquisite that it was going to be used as a class example. So, I’ve made my mark in Marketing, History and Literature. I kick ass.

The annual explanation of the student handbook by Mr. Doherty was spiced up this year by an interlude from Ms. Cupido. There is something about her tone that makes it sound like she hates you with a passion. After this tiresome event, we returned to Lit. Class and read the beginning of a play. Erin Wagner and some guy named Aaron read the first scene out loud for us. It was delightful. We then decided to partake in a glass of Chardonay out on the boardwalk.

Period 2: I made my usual journey home to let out the dog. Sophie, being a puppy of ten weeks, has a bladder the size of a bottle cap but an intestinal tract the size of me. I swear that dog is off. We went outside. She played for a bit, before digging up virtual “wigs” of grass from our lawn. After going inside, I deceived her (for the umpteenth time) to go into her crate by offering her the sweet succulent treat she desires: bananas.

Period 3: I returned to school ten minutes early to ask Mr. Ort a few questions regarding his style of tests. Instead of Mr. Ort, I am met with the dwarfish stature of Mr. Gaylor. Since he is not Mr. Ort, and has no access to his mind in any form, I was left to enter the test blind and alone. Nevertheless, I am confident in my ability to “ace” the test.

Period 4: I walk to the van. Kevin and Jacob are already there. Apparently, they are going to Kevin’s house. Since I work in Home Entertainment that night, the deal is Jake is “supposed” to watch Sophie. Unfortunately, he is abandoning his duties for some Branson get together. After a brief arguement, we get in the van and pull out of the parking spot. We’re leaving the lot itself, when several trucks drive from the paved lot to the gravel lot and speed away.

I stop - naturally - to avoid a collision with them. A black Monte Carlo was pulling out on the opposite side of the parking lot, backing towards us. When I stopped, it stopped. I presumed there was a mutual understanding that the trucks going through the parking lot were a hazard, and movement in that direction should be suspended until that time.

Apparently, I was wrong.

I pulled up slightly, only to be met with the sound of Kevin and Jake yelling “Honk the horn!”

I turn to see what the problem is. The black Monte Carlo hasn’t stopped backing up. I steer to the right and hit the gas, and I quickly tap the horn. But it is too late. The back of the van is hit. A cloud of dust engulfs the vehicle. We can’t see anything, but we feel the van moving. The dust settles, and the black Monte Carlo is straightening out beside us. They look over, look worried, and speed away.

Kevin vaults out of the side door and looks at the damage. The bumper is about to fall off, and there are several dents in the side of the vehicle, dangerously close to the gas tank. I have no doubt that if I hadn’t steered right and accelerated, the Monte Carlo would have impacted the side passenger door and crushed Kevin’s leg.

Jacob runs inside. He make two stops: at the phone, he calls my mother and the police. In addition, he gets Mrs. Roxborough. She comes outside, and Mr. Kiffman arrives as well to survey the incident.

While we wait for the police, I go inside and phone work. I tell them what happened, and I don’t know what happens now, but I may not be able to work. They pretty much tell me that I’m working, even if the cops were to throw me in jail. Whatever.

I go back outside. We wait for 45 minutes before the cop arrives. Jake described the vehicle as magenta…and she didn’t see us…despite the crowd around the car.

She takes down my personal info. She looks at my license, and the insurance for the car. She takes down Jake’s info. She takes down Kevin’s info. She completely ignores my detailed explanation of the events. I was irritated, but I didn’t show it.

Then, the guy who hit us returns. He tells the cop some sob story about how he drove away because of a fear that he’d be made fun of by the hicks who saw it go on. Of course, he ignores the fact that Jake, Kevin and I stayed present and were subjected to the taunts, jeers, and snide remarks of our peers. But whatever.

So, the cop buys his sob story. The cop says we dont have to fill out statements. The entire thing is dropped. I don’t even think she filed a report. It’s bullshit. Bull-freakin’-shit. $3000 damage. He said he’d pay it, but the father seems to be backing out. If the police didn’t file a report, then the event pretty much didn’t happen.

Fuckity fuck.