Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual
- June 18, 2009
- City Interactive S.A.
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual" follows Sylvie Leroux, a young archaeologist who uncovers an ancient secret with deadly consequences. As she delves deeper into her research, she faces mysterious adversaries who aim to stop her. This game offers a dramatic story filled with twists, a mystical atmosphere, and challenging puzzles, all presented with breathtaking graphics.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a pleasant atmosphere, making it enjoyable to explore.
- The puzzles are generally easy to solve, making it accessible for players who may not be experienced with point-and-click adventures.
- The voice acting is well done, and the game has a charming main character that players can connect with.
- The story is weak and ends abruptly, leaving many plot points unresolved and lacking closure.
- There are significant technical issues, including audio clipping and translation problems that detract from the overall experience.
- The gameplay can feel overly linear and restrictive, requiring players to complete every task in an area before moving on.
- story28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story has been widely criticized for being derivative, poorly written, and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its abrupt and unsatisfying ending. While some elements, such as certain characters and initial intrigue, were appreciated, the overall narrative is described as insipid and overly reliant on clichés, failing to deliver a coherent or engaging experience. Despite decent gameplay mechanics and visuals, the plot feels more like a backdrop than a central focus, leaving players frustrated with its execution.
“The mystery is interesting, and given the time this game was released, the plot fits into mystery trends.”
“While the story of a knight order and a world-wide catastrophe is rather cliche, it managed to remain mildly interesting throughout, and combined with the wonderful visuals, playing this game was a pleasant experience.”
“Overall very good storyline, good gameplay.”
“The plot is derivative as can be; a Lara Croft knock-off travels around the world to solve ye olde inventory puzzles after the yawn-grade anti-climax of an ending. We are rushed out of the tavern with hasty credits.”
“The story doesn't really explain much of the mystery, and the ending is quite abrupt.”
“The plot is not too heavily invested in, and feels more like the game is 'plot-flavored' rather than having an actual plot.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers noting that the locations and artwork are visually appealing. However, some criticism is directed at the outdated cutscenes, which contrast with the otherwise reasonable in-game graphics. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the gaming experience, despite some concerns about the story's depth and complexity.
“Graphics: the locations are absolutely beautiful.”
“Interesting game, beautiful artwork and graphics.”
“The highlight of this game is the well-presented graphics, stand-out soundtrack, and likeable main character which give a very pleasant first feel to the game.”
“The in-game graphics are reasonable, but the cutscenes are about 20 years out of date.”
“Mechanics and graphics are fine given the age of the game, but I just wish the story was a little more fleshed out and explained.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a standard point-and-click experience, with mechanics and graphics that hold up well despite the game's age. However, players express a desire for a more developed story and note that much of the gameplay involves backtracking to previously visited locations, which can detract from the overall experience.
“Mechanics and graphics are fine given the age of the game, so I don't have any issue with that.”
“Most of the gameplay involves backtracking to Sylvie's home and the site, with other locations only touched upon once.”
“Most of the gameplay is backtracking to Sylvie's home and the site, and every other place is only touched upon once.”
“Gameplay: a pretty standard point and click.”
“Had the game in my library for a while before trying it, so I couldn't get a refund (I thought it was as long as it was before 2 hours of gameplay only).”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality, with a standout soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Additionally, the voice acting is well-matched to the characters, contributing to a pleasant and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the music and audio elements significantly elevate the game's appeal.
“The voices were very suited to each character and the background music was really good.”
“The highlight of this game is the well-presented graphics, stand-out soundtrack, and likeable main character, which give a very pleasant first feel to the game.”
“However, I liked the graphics and the scenarios; the music and voice acting are nice, and it's quite easy, so it's a good game to play when you don't have much time.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for being enjoyable and immersive, with beautiful backgrounds that enhance the experience, despite some shortcomings in the puzzle design.
“Not bad, enjoyable, and atmospheric adventure point-and-click.”
“The puzzles weren't the best, but the atmosphere and beautiful backgrounds made up for them.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly with certain puzzles, but many feel that the overall experience is still worth the low price.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional connection between the player and the main characters, particularly the protagonist and Sylvie, is perceived as weak, with insufficient development to engage players on a deeper level.
