Sometimes an old promise is enough to trigger an entire adventure. In Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy you are suddenly confronted by the dying adventurer Alexandre Valembois, who gives you one last mission: to bring back the legendary egg of the White Bird, which he once stole in his youthful recklessness. However, you don't get much more information than that - a few cryptic notes and a faint hint of a distant world. Welcome to Amerzone, a journey that will both enchant and confuse you.
The lone trail of the explorer
Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy tells its story at a typically leisurely pace. Instead of explosions and showmanship, the focus here is on the melancholy reflection of a once proud explorer whose adventure has caused more damage than he could ever have imagined. The idea behind it is strong: a world full of strange creatures, lost cultures and forgotten promises. But while Valembois' guilt and remorse are palpable, your own character - an unnamed journalist - remains strangely pale. Why does this person embark on such a dangerous journey in the first place? What drives him? The game largely fails to provide answers.
This emotional void noticeably weakens the narrative. The story would have benefited from a little more personal detail, as the journey often remains more of a research trip than a real adventure.
Water, light and a touch of magic
Technically has Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy A clear highlight: water and light. Especially when you are out and about for hours on your Hydrafloat - a crazy hybrid of boat, airplane and submarine - the scenery unfolds its full power. Sunsets are reflected on the surface of the water, while mysterious fog shrouds swarms of bizarre creatures. Despite the generally manageable locations (lighthouse, jungle, swamp, volcano), the game always manages to create visual magic.
However, the initial fascination eventually wears off. The environments are atmospheric, but also static. Once you have sailed through the swamps, you will discover little new on the way back. So scratch Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy often reach their potential without fully exploiting it.
Puzzle fun or disorientation?
Anyone who loves adventure games knows the bittersweet feeling of triumphantly solving a tricky puzzle - and the pure despair of running around in circles for half an hour. Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy serves both.
The puzzles are basically well-designed: most of them involve reading clues, operating mechanisms correctly or finding out the order in which certain actions must be performed. The optional hint system is commendable: it always gives more specific tips when needed, without giving everything away straight away. I used it three times - and was grateful each time.
But the big problem is orientation. The controls are reminiscent of classic Myst-games: You click from one static image to the next. Interactive objects are indicated by symbols - but unfortunately important collectibles and mere passages look almost identical. What's more, the markers jump around wildly depending on the cursor position, which adds to the confusion. Where exactly do I go next? Have I missed something? These questions accompany you constantly - and often not in a good way.
Although there are unlockable maps, they only help after you have fully explored an area. In a game that focuses on discovery and immersion, this is an unnecessary stumbling block.
The Hydrafloat: between toy and lifesaver
One of the cleverest ideas from Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy is the multifunctional Hydrafloat vehicle. Via disks (Yes, you read that right: Floppy disks), it is gradually expanded and can then be used as a boat, airplane or submarine. These transformations are fun and convey a great sense of progress. What is particularly successful is how naturally these mechanics fit into the world - nothing seems forced or contrived.
Nevertheless, more could have been done here. Each new vehicle function is introduced exactly once and then only used very selectively. The submarine or the sailing boat in particular would have deserved their own exciting sections. Instead, the Hydrafloat often remains merely a means to an end: a key that unlocks the next puzzle.
A world that seems to have fallen out of time
What Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy really stands out is its world. The strange animals - webbed giraffes, leaping helper creatures, prehistoric lizards - tell a story that seems so much bigger than the few hours you spend here. This is supported by Valembois' notebook, which is full of hand-drawn sketches and observations. It's worth rummaging through it and discovering the many small details.
The collectibles, which serve as their own little puzzles, also enrich the gaming experience - at least if you are prepared to get involved. If you just want to rattle off the main story, you will miss a lot of it.
Those who are Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy would like to convince you, you can do this by do the playable demo.
Conclusion
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