Aura: Fate of the Ages

Many adventure gamesincluding this onerely too much on puzzle-solving sequences that bog them down. In Aura, you play a student charged with keeping four mystical rings away from a powerful villain. This Myst-like adventure offers four fantastical lands to explore, and the core game play

54%Game Brain Score

graphics, music

story, gameplay

53% User Score Based on 124 reviews

Critic Score 57%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Aura: Fate of the Ages is a single player arcade puzzle game. It was developed by Streko Graphics and was released on October 4, 2010. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

Aura: Fate of the Ages is a fantasy adventure game featuring puzzles and mysteries to solve. Explore the ancient world of Azkaan, discover hidden secrets, and uncover the fate of the Ages. With stunning visuals and an immersive storyline, Aura offers a unique and captivating gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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53%

Audience ScoreBased on 124 reviews

graphics12 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

Aura: Fate of the Ages offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of early 2000s point-and-click adventure games, with beautifully rendered environments and satisfying puzzles.
The game encourages players to think critically and take notes, providing a rewarding sense of accomplishment when solving its challenging puzzles.
Despite its age, the game has a unique charm and atmosphere that appeals to fans of the genre, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy puzzle-solving.

The game suffers from outdated graphics and technical issues, including a lack of modern display support and frustrating navigation controls.
Many puzzles can feel illogical or overly complex, leading to moments of frustration and reliance on walkthroughs to progress.
The story is shallow and poorly developed, with subpar voice acting and character animations that detract from the overall experience.

story
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
86%
9%
The story in "Aura: Fate of the Ages" is widely criticized for being shallow, vague, and lacking coherence, with many reviewers noting that it fails to engage players or provide meaningful context for the gameplay. While the game features a dreamlike environment and some intriguing puzzles, the narrative is often described as forgettable and poorly executed, with sub-par voice acting and a lack of character development. Overall, the game is recommended primarily for those who prioritize puzzle-solving over a compelling storyline.
- “It's got immensely satisfying puzzles, moody music, and although the storyline is a bit silly, it's still got a unique feel to the sweeping and dreamlike environments.”
- “If you are okay with playing 'part 1' of an apparently never continued story, Aura has enough of a 'world' to get lost in for a few days, and the first two-thirds of the game are solid old school Myst-like puzzles.”
- “In unique worlds of dreams and reality, magical, mechanical, and ethereal lands, take on the quest to find the artifacts cleverly concealed throughout the lands.”
- “The discovery of symbolism and patterns alongside other elements is pretty decent from a puzzle perspective, but the intermingling of sub-par storytelling and lackluster performances make this a difficult game to recommend.”
- “There's no cohesive storyline, a bunch of names thrown all over the place, which made me lose interest quite quickly.”
- “The backstory exposition at the start did nothing to invest me or really give the game any meaning, and it all ends on a cliffhanger anyway so whatever story there is is basically for nothing.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its age, but they still manage to convey an interesting and sometimes beautiful aesthetic. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and artistic elements, others find the visuals inconsistent and lacking in modern standards. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoying the nostalgic experience while others are put off by their age and quality.
- “The art style doesn't seem consistent, but overall, the game world looks interesting and sometimes even really beautiful.”
- “It's not completely my kind of game but it has its good points.. for starters, the amazing graphics.. I found myself looking around at all of it in awe!”
- “Interesting puzzles, beautiful graphics, and good music.”
- “The graphics and movement are way old fashioned.”
- “The graphics are horrible and the storyline is very flat, but it's an enjoyable enough puzzle game that requires you to think outside the box a bit.”
- “The first thing I noticed is the graphics are not even close to the trailer.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
65%
16%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric and soothing qualities, while others criticize it for being repetitive, mismatched with the game's tone, or reminiscent of outdated MIDI compositions. Many agree that the soundtrack contributes to the overall ambiance, though it can sometimes feel random or out of place, undermining the intended atmosphere. Overall, while some find the music to be a highlight, others feel it detracts from the experience.
- “It's got immensely satisfying puzzles, moody music, and although the storyline is a bit silly, it's still got a unique feel to the sweeping and dreamlike environments.”
- “+ atmospheric ambience and moody background music”
- “I love the music and this game is very soothing.”
- “The music is annoying and repetitive and doesn't exactly match the atmosphere.”
- “The sounds effects/ ambiance work fine for each area but the music never seems to quite fit and, in some cases, completely undermines the tone of the area.”
- “The music is insipid and repetitive (the sound design on this was as a whole amateurish).”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
67%
20%
The gameplay is characterized by traditional adventure mechanics, where players click to navigate pre-rendered scenes and solve challenging puzzles, reminiscent of classic titles like Myst. While the puzzles are often well-designed and brain-busting, some players find the logic connecting them to the story lacking, leading to reliance on walkthroughs. The game features a unique blend of environments and themes, though the overall experience is marred by dated graphics and mechanical NPC interactions.
- “The game uses rendered backgrounds to the extent that it seems like playing through late 90's cutscenes in first person, as it manages to merge rendered films with gameplay almost seamlessly.”
- “The core gameplay and puzzles rank among the hardest I've encountered in the genre, but they are not impossible and are (for the most part) well designed.”
- “The puzzles don't come together logically with the gameplay and story (I spent half of my time with this game alt-tabbed out to check with the walkthrough).”
- “The voice acting is pretty terrible and NPC interaction felt very mechanical.”
- “Gameplay is typical of the adventure game type - click to navigate a pre-rendered landscape and interact with points of interest.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the moody background music and ambient sounds that evoke a sense of mystery reminiscent of the old Myst series. However, others criticize the music for being repetitive and not always fitting the game's tone, while the addition of a visible player character and populated areas detracts from the overall ambiance. Despite these criticisms, the intriguing setting and puzzles contribute positively to the game's atmospheric experience.
- “The graphics, while grainy, depict an interesting setting here and there - when not lost in randomness - but it's the music that creates the atmosphere, maybe the best part of the game, and the puzzles come next.”
- “+ atmospheric ambience and moody background music”
- “The ambient sounds, music, puzzles, and overall atmosphere of the game feel very much like the old Myst series.”
- “And the mysterious atmosphere was totally lost to the addition of a visible player character and relatively populated areas.”
- “Music is annoying and repetitive and doesn't exactly match the atmosphere.”
- “Likewise, there are questionable moments of music used that betray the atmosphere of the game at certain times.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling it exploits nostalgia rather than offering genuine value, suggesting it capitalizes on abandoned titles for profit.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game; it feels like a constant money grab.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is minimal, with users noting that while there are attempts to populate the world with characters, the interactions feel odd and the overall story lacks depth. Many reviewers agree that the game does not prioritize character development, suggesting it is not a central focus of the experience.
- “The interaction is somewhat odd, and character development is minimal, but I'm glad some attempt was made to populate this snowbound land with at least a few souls other than the protagonist.”
- “There is no substantial story and character development.”
- “However, it is lacking in any character development or the like, but that is not what the game is about.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often describing it as boring and unintuitive. The requirement for precise movement in small hotspot areas adds to the frustration, making the experience feel unnecessarily cumbersome.
- “Tedious, nonsensical, boring, repetitive, unintuitive - that's how I'd describe this game.”
- “Some places and puzzles require moving around a lot and it becomes very tedious because the movement hotspot areas are at times quite small, so you need to face exactly the right direction. Looking too much left, right, up, or down can make your clicks in vain.”
- “Just tedious.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game exhibits excellent stability, with no glitches or technical issues noted.
- “The game runs smoothly without any glitches.”
- “I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
- “The performance is solid, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and failing to run smoothly on contemporary gaming PCs. While it offers decent puzzle elements, the overall experience is hindered by outdated performance and storytelling.
- “The discovery of symbolism and patterns alongside other elements is pretty decent from a puzzle perspective, but the intermingling of sub-par storytelling and lackluster performances make this a difficult game to recommend.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss, with some finding the plotline hysterically funny while others view it as largely stupid and clunky. Comparisons to classic titles like Monkey Island suggest that a smoother execution could have enhanced the comedic elements, but the game's failures can also provide a source of unintentional amusement. Overall, it offers a mix of fun and frustration that some players find justifiable.
- “The failures of the game are actually funny, and the gameplay is fun to screw around with for long enough to justify buying it.”
- “On its own, this is a more or less stupid game with a hysterically funny plotline at best.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the emotional depth of the plot is perceived as lacking, particularly for those who do not resonate with the underlying theories presented in the game.