Aura: Fate of Ages isn't necessarily a bad adventure game, but it lacks many of the conventions you'd expect to find in a modern entry into this somewhat crowded genre like an epic plotline, an overabundance of interesting characters, etc. What Aura does offer is gameplay that revolves around an over-abundance of puzzle solving - this isn't a bad thing either, but when 80 percent of the gameplay is dedicated to that alone, players won't feel quite the sense of purpose they would playing a traditional point-and-click adventure game.
Aura is certainly a beautiful looking game, despite the fact that the game doesn't give players 360 degrees of movement in the game's pseudo 3D world. Instead players move from scene to scene and location to location, interacting with only what the developers want you to. It's easy to see what you can interact with in each scene, but figuring out what to do with each puzzle is a true challenge. Aura's greatest strength - the myriad of cleverly designed puzzles - is also its greatest weakness. In adding so many puzzles, perhaps the developers forgot that an adventure game needs a strong back story and decent characters to really work.
But before we give you a final verdict on the game, let's just go over its key storyline, characters and settings. Developed by Canadian game developer Strecko Graphics, and published in the United States and Canada by DreamCatcher's The Adventure Company division, Aura is billed as a more traditional adventure game offering elaborate puzzles, exotic and varied fantasy locations, pre-rendered graphics, a (light) fantasy storyline and interesting (though few and far between) non-player characters to interact with across four different worlds.
In the game players take on the role a young apprentice named Umang, part of an ancient order called the Keepers, who are charged with protecting sacred rings that have the power to let its wielders travel worlds and even create new ones. At the opening bell players learn that one of the order has decided to take the rings and several ancient artifacts to secure power for himself. Umang finds himself at the beginning of a long and trying journey as he figures out how to unlock the way to these worlds - a feat that is more difficult than he could even begin to understand..
Aura: Fate of Ages is divided into four different worlds, each with its own theme, architectural styles, puzzles, artifacts and scenery. The four areas are Ademika Valley (the starting point of the journey - a lush and organic world), Na-Tiexu (a magical world set in the backdrop of the stars), Dragast (a world filled with mechanical devices) and the Island of Unity (a world where the prophecies of old will ultimately be fulfilled). The locations in the game all offer contrasting architecture, technology (or a lack thereof) and a keen sense of fantasy. Strecko put a lot of quality time in creating these worlds and the myriad of components that comprise them - and hardcore adventure games are sure to appreciate that aspect of the game.
And it is in locations throughout these worlds that players will run into countless challenges and puzzles blocking progress forward. Each world features modes of travel like Trams, elevators and bizarre alien transports - all of which are blocked by some pretty difficult puzzles. Some of the puzzles are common sense, while others require some serious logic and problem solving skills. Still others require the use of a unique artifact - which in turn requires some more problem-solving to get to in the first place. Gameplay falls in the realm of common sense, problem solving and a keen use of logic. There's no doubt that players who don't enjoy puzzling all that much will have a difficult time getting through this game.
As players move forward, solving puzzles, they'll occasionally run into non-player characters that will offer hints or progress the story, though most come off as tacked on addendums to the worlds they inhabit. Many of the non-player characters in the game contribute nothing significant to move the story along, which is a real shame. Most are just props, like mannequins decked out for window dressing. One thing that is nice about the game is that short journal entries help players to figure out what to do in order to solve a given puzzle. The journal entries provide sketches of puzzles and hints at what might be important in solving them.
Puzzling aside for a minute, the actual interface is pretty straightforward to use. Players can pan around in a given scene by simply moving the mouse left to right and up and down. Interaction with devices is as simple as clicking on an object or person. When interaction is possible, the cursor icon brightens up. When players can move to an area the cursor turns into an arrow. Players can also use objects in their backpack that they collect on other objects in the game world just like you would use a key on a door. The interface is clean, simple and works well with the game.
As we mentioned when we preview this game earlier this year, Aura is puzzle intensive. It's a difficult game even for hardcore adventure gamers and gamers that hate puzzles won't want to touch this title with a ten foot pole. That said, Aura isn't the worst adventure game ever made - it just lacks some key trappings of the genre that would make it feel like a full and complete experience. If you like solving puzzles this is probably a game worth picking up. For budget minded consumers you can't go wrong at a price point of around $20.
