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Beyond Time

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: June 11, 2000
Author: Amazon User

A cheap Myst/Riven knock-off. A sketchy plot line, with puzzles that become VERY hard with the minimal clues provided (even the "solution manual" isn't all that helpful. The first scenes (Egypt) were great... The subsequent scenes lacked depth and imagination. And worst of all, the ending was inconsistant with the storyline and left me feeling unfulfilled. The grahpics in the "Earth" environments and objects were richly detailed, but the "alien" forms were almost cartoonish, again emphasizing the lack of imagination. Also player interface wasn't as well thought out as it could have been, or has been in other similar games. For example, trying to navagate a labyrinth is difficult, but trying to do so without any in-game mapping, or any discernable "landmarks" to use as points of refrence make for a lot of wasted time. Overall, I would say that if you are desperate for a new game, that you can get cheap, then go ahead and get this one. Search the web for the .PDF file that contains the solution manual. But if you're expecting this to be something that you can, and will, play repeatedly, you'll be disappointed. Probably not even really good for little kids as there is a small amount of potentially unsuitable material, (stated and implied violence, deranged madman on the loose, bombs capable of destroying the planet, etc.) as well as the villian's manical laugh that follows you through the end-game sequence and into the credits.

Not worth the money

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: July 11, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The game starts out with you being whisked back in time to Ancient Egypt where you start to piece together a story about other travellers who have been there before, taking Egyptian artifcats. Something had gone wrong with their expedition and now everybody has disappeared. You see a few Egyptian ghosts and watch video journals of some of the other travellers, but other than that, you're completely alone in this game. The plot wasn't bad, but it didn't help to drive the game. It was too hard for me to figure out what tasks I was supposed to accomplish to move on to the next part of the game.

The graphics were excellent. If I were going to buy a game based strictly on the graphics, this would be it. But when I'm playing a game I hardly ever pay attention to the graphics unless they're particularly bad, so this didn't make too much of a difference for me.

The puzzles were disappointing. Most of them were easy enough to solve in less than five minutes, which I didn't like because I prefer challenging puzzles. The one puzzle that was the exception had over 100 different acceptable solutions but the game would only accept one of those solutions. I had to go to an online walkthrough for the solution at that point; I got tired of solving the same puzzle again and again.

The length of the game was also disappointing to me. This game only took me about 15 hours to finish, and I'm by no means an experienced gamer. For the price I was paying, I had hoped to be playing the game for longer than that.

This game will probably only be fun to brand new gamers who don't know what to expect or to people who really get excited about graphics. I wouldn't pay [much] for it, though. I didn't see anything in the game that would be inappropriate for kids.

Beyond Repair

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: December 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I love adventure, role-playing games, and since this one was on sale I figured I'd try it. I've played some of Dreamcatcher's games before (Timescape, Egypt 1154 BC, Sacred Amulet, Riddle of the Sphinx), and though not blown away by any of them, they were, for the most part, worth a few hours of playing time, perhaps even a little replayability. I expected the same from Beyond Time.
Well, throughout life we learn that it is often bad to assume.
I was perplexed the moment I started playing. First, I didn't realize there was an intro until I read about it in a walkthrough. You have to wait a few minutes at the main menu for it to pop up. As it turns out, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the concept of the story. Anyway, I found myself at some ancient Egyptian ruins, only to be zapped back into time and confronted by Egyptian deities with perfect American accents. You don't even interact with any of them, they talk to you. And that's a major pitfall of this game: I like character interaction, and yet in this game you just listen to bad actors on video clips.
The plot (if any) deals with time travelers looting museums and temples. At first it seems that your goal is to relinqush all the stolen property but that's not it at all. Your real mission is to stop the bad guys before the world is blown up. (Don't ask how, that's what I'm still trying to figure out.) So you zoom to Egypt, Tikal, Tibet, Atlantis, and space itself before the mission is accomplished. Yes, there are puzzles, ones which basically require a walkthrough to complete! At least two of the puzzles have hundreds of solutions, but the game will only accept one!
There were several occasions throughout gameplay when I wanted to give the CD to my dog as a chew toy, but then I thought, "Hey, maybe there's a good ending to compensate!"
There wasn't.
First, you don't actually meet the bad guy. You just get a stupid video clip. And then, he just laughs and says he has "all the time in the world" and that he'll be back! And you find yourself at the Egyptian ruins where you started. So does that mean there's a sequel? Oh God, no!
There is a lot to be desired in this game. Granted, none of the Dreamcatcher games I've played were very meritable, either, but at least they had plots, better & more sensible puzzles, and some good character interaction. Beyond Time has none of that at all. Okay, a few cool graphics, but I didn't pay ten bucks just to look at ancient temples. Please, take my advice: don't waste your money! If you feel you must buy this game, don't pay any more than five bucks. Anything more is a crime against humanity.

It started out great, but...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 13, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I absolutely love the bloodless adventure games of this genre, having been lured in by the Myst series. Unfortunately, all games are not of that calibre.

I did, however, LOVE Beyond Atlantis, and hoped for more of the same. During the sojourn in the Egyptian realm, I was not disappointed. The story line revealed itself, the puzzles were not ridiculously difficult, and I was really set to enter the next worlds. Boy, was I disappointed.

After the multiple puzzles and settings of Egypt, I was very disappointed at the shallow, one-puzzle realms that followed. (I DID find the sunken "spinning dome" in Atlantis a humorous touch! And trying to find my way around in the little underwater pod was about as disorienting as the one in Riven, too.)

A couple of the puzzles did not execute on the first approach either, the pyramid on the space station being one of them.

The graphics were gorgeous, especially Egypt, the acting was excellent, but the soundtrack was a little boring. Also, the slide show type of graphics are hard to take after 360 degree 3-D so prevalent now. (Nothing will ever be able to duplicate the breathtaking wonder of the first glimpse of RealMyst, though I'm sure a more ambitious game done in this fashion would be a nightmare to produce.)

I did enjoy most of this game, though the mandala puzzle was ridiculous. No way would I have trial and errored my way through 100+ possible solutions. (For those of us not too keen on math anyway, it was dreadful! The snake puzzle was okay, but the other one way too much!)

A pleasant way to spend some time, and not too expensive. I got my money's worth, though probably not more.

Two stars?!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: December 16, 2000
Author: Amazon User

After winning MYST, I was ready to take a break from adventure games. But when I saw this game, I couldn't stop myself. I HAD to buy it. After installing it and running the game, I wasn't dissapointed. When the game begins, you get sent back through time to Ancient Egypt. From there, you meet a relation to one of the gods, attempt to stop a madman, make your way through the labyrinth, and, well, figure out some puzzles! Ok,ok, It's not a PERFECT game(has there ever been one?). Like the first reveiwer mentioned, there is a puzzle that has many different solutions, and I also had to look for an online review for that one. One more thing, and this really kinda ticked me off, you have to wait at the main menu to see the begining cutscene. I was halfway through the game before I even KNEW there was a begining cutscence! And I might not even know now if I hadn't gotten to do something. But besides that, it is a great game and I would recommend you to buy it. Now I want another DreamCatcher game called TRAITORS GATE, looks good and I expect just as much enjoyment as I got from Beyond Time. Anyways, I just can't believe the two-star average customer reveiw.

Stinx

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: September 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

What stinx about this game is everything, the storyline involves the missing artifacts from some museum and how it can 'distroy the fabric of space and time' that is the dumbest, junior high idea for a story I have ever heard! Just because a statue is missing from a museum is no reason to go galavanting about in time risking life and limb, that's as dumb as 'Time Squad'.
Now for the graphix, they don't run well on modern machines, they are grainy and you must switch to a low resolution and they still don't look as good as on an older machine.(Like Chrystal Key)
Music was dull, except for the track in the Egyptian Great Library.(no mention of Hypatia, by the way, an important person in Egyptology.)
Acting, if you could call it that sounded like they were in a hurry to get thier paychecks and get home, in otherwords, it wasn't acting at all, it was a bunch of guys'n'gals readin cue cards.

However, for only 10 bux, I give it an extra star. Just because it is an older game is no reason to give it four or five stars, however, especially since most games made last year(Dracula, Myst Exile, ect.) Were much much better. I assume this game was made in 2001, it says so on the case.

WARNING: DOESN'T WORK WITH XP

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought and started playing this game back when I had Windows ME. I liked it enough - not a great game, but passes the time if you find it cheap, which I did. I've had XP for awhile now, and just recently dug up this game again and decided to give it a try. Fairly soon after starting the game, the cursor disappears and this game is impossible to play without being able to see your cursor. It's a well-known problem from what I gather, and no way to fix it. I don't know how it does with Vista, but there should be no problem with an older OS.

Now from what I remember of the game, like I said before, I liked it enough. Enough to want to tackle it again, anyway. The puzzles fit in with the game well enough, though it's not nearly as smooth and "fitting" as some of the better adventure games *cough*Myst series*cough*. I didn't find the cutscenes when people talk to you too distracting, and they where helpful, if few and far between. Though, not ever actually talking back give it and "other-worldly" feel, which I think is what the creators where going for. I'm not the best at figuring out puzzles, despite my love of adventure games and I didn't have too much trouble with the puzzles in this game, except the Mandala puzzle. There are 2 puzzles in the game that are math-centric logic puzzles which both have several correct answers, but only one that the game will accept (in the case of the Mandala puzzle, apparently there are 114 "correct" answers, and the game only accepts 1.). You may be better off just checking a walkthough for those puzzles than "guess-and-checking".

In summary, I wouldn't recommend you buy the game, but I wouldn't deliberately steer you away from it. If you spot it at a yard sale, or bargain bin, or a friend's dusty old box of games, then go ahead and give it a try (unless you have XP, of course), but you may want to re-think buying it for more than a couple bucks. It's just not worth more than about 5 bucks.

Oh - one thing I forgot it mention - the opening video thing, is terrible. Laughably awful. It's very amateur-home-video meets bad-stage-acting. You are able to watch the video if you have XP, and if you can get this game free - go ahead and look at it, just to have a good laugh. Really a "you have to see it to believe it" sort of thing. The fact that they used something so very rough and cheap in a game they were planning on selling in actual stores and took the time to make in the first place, is worrying, but hilarious.

some XP issues..worth overcoming!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Having just completed and HATED "Riddle of the sphinx"...this is a Beautiful, wonderfully refreshing approach to the ancient Egyptian subject matter...(perhaps RESPECTFUL is the appropriate word?) music is haunting, eerily beautiful too.

YES! At first frustrating probs especially "disappearing cursor".
However this CAN be overcome by the advice on a site called "INFERNO"....excellent advice! You still have to save/back-out/re-enter game when that happens, but personally I think its worth it.

Of course, I would never ATTEMPT this kind of game without a good walkthrough (or 2) in hand....It's almost essential to know "where" to step because there is no "VR MODE".

It would be a real shame for someone to miss this game just because of the tech probs...which CAN be overcome simply by following the advice site above. (INFERNO BEYOND TIME WALKTHROUGH)

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