Aura: Fate of the Ages

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 18
  3. Negative: 4 out of 18
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  1. I_Am_Turok
    Aug 14, 2012
    5
    Definitely one for Myst-heads, but for the rest of us, this "puzzle" genre of games has some nice points but equally some annoying ones. For the nice points, it is very Myst like, looks good for a 2004 game, and has a strong emphasis on puzzles. For the annoying points, you spend the first 2-3 hours of play trying to solve puzzles that simply cannot be because the order is wrong, andDefinitely one for Myst-heads, but for the rest of us, this "puzzle" genre of games has some nice points but equally some annoying ones. For the nice points, it is very Myst like, looks good for a 2004 game, and has a strong emphasis on puzzles. For the annoying points, you spend the first 2-3 hours of play trying to solve puzzles that simply cannot be because the order is wrong, and doing a lot of screen scraping to make sure you find everything. I use "puzzle" in quotes as the definition of puzzles here is to find one obscure item, plug it into another that may or may not make sense, and then move along to start on the next obscure item. There is no real coherent reason why most puzzles are even there, which brings me to the last point, the story or lack of. It is such a light story that you never really feel part of anything at all. Again like Myst, I felt I glided through the game, separate to it, not acting as a character in the game. A fine game for for Myst heads, for the rest of us, well, there's a reason why this genre of puzzle/adventure games are niche (and probably extinct) at this stage.… Expand
  2. JonesR
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    This is a very good Myst clone combining sci-fi & fantasy environments. If fact, I was very surprised to see this was not made by the developers of Myst because the similarities are so striking. The story is weak and the storytelling is worse, but the puzzle adventure aspects are superbly done and make up for those shortcomings.
  3. MystFan
    Sep 9, 2021
    5
    I only recently finished playing Aura, and thought it to be an average Myst "clone" at best. I will give the developers credit for the graphics, as the worlds were beautiful and at least on par with Myst Exile and Riven. However, while playing thru the ages, I felt like they existed only for the puzzles and had no real sense of backstory like Riven; in fact, there was one area in one ofI only recently finished playing Aura, and thought it to be an average Myst "clone" at best. I will give the developers credit for the graphics, as the worlds were beautiful and at least on par with Myst Exile and Riven. However, while playing thru the ages, I felt like they existed only for the puzzles and had no real sense of backstory like Riven; in fact, there was one area in one of the worlds that didn't seem to have a purpose or add anything to the story, other than taking an object needed for later on in the game. As for the puzzles, it was a mixed bag in my opinion; not just in terms of difficulty but also in terms what solving the puzzle does for your progress in the game. You do receive clues in the form of notes that are scattered around the ages and added to a journal when you either pick up a piece of paper or you observe a clue on a door, wall, etc. However, I sometimes found the drawings to be vague as far as telling you what needs to be done. In addition, there were a couple of puzzles that, based on a walkthrough I looked at, would have required such a leap in thinking that I probably would have never solved them unless I looked at a guide to begin with. Once I got to the ending of the story, it just kind of ended abruptly for me; there was one easy "puzzle", if you could call it that, and then the final scene was activated. Clearly the ending set up the sequel, Aura 2, but I haven't played that yet and not sure if I'm going to. Overall, I found the story and motivation for the character weak, but the ages were beautifully rendered.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 26
  3. Negative: 3 out of 26
  1. Total Video Games
    50
    Aura is safe, predictable and wholesome…… but is that enough?
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  2. CPUGamer
    65
    If an enthralling story with atmosphere is what excites you give your local library a visit.
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  3. Game Informer
    73
    It's decently long, the puzzles are mostly well designed, and it has more than its share of eye candy. [Sept 2004, p.117]
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