When it comes to point and click adventures, I personally prize them above their more advanced descendants. It is games like Myst and Riven where I poured a lot of hours doing nothing but just clicking on things to make sure I didn’t miss anything the last time. Once I heard about The Eyes of Ara, I just had to try it out.
What I found was something terrific, and very, very engaging. The basic premise of the game is pretty simple as you play some kind of repairman who is sent to a mysterious castle that is emitting a strange signal that is blocking all kinds of signals in the area. That sounds like some pretty underwhelming stakes, but honestly, it is a pretty great set-up for a grand place filled with puzzles.
If you have played other point and clicks, then you probably know the drill. It means that you go into rooms, find objects, use the objects to discover other rooms, rinse and repeat. Now, some of these games will allow you to only hold a few objects, if any at all.
One strange thing about The Eyes of Ara is that it is in sections. That is, you go through one area of the house, and then you figure out another area. You cannot take objects from one area of the house into another. This might be kind of a spoiler, but you will quickly find this out.
Like most games of this type, there are hidden objects in the game to find that are not necessary if you wish to progress in certain rooms of the castle. This might be a bit of a spoiler, the strangest thing is that eventually, you are required to find at least a few of these supposed hidden objects to complete the game. It’s kind of weird and somewhat refreshing. After all, I’m the type that likes to find all of those Easter Eggs hanging about in a game.
What makes The Eyes of Ara a winner of a game is its atmosphere. It is disturbing being in a castle on your own, but doesn’t rely on cheap jump-scares. The puzzles are also the perfect balance of being challenging and engaging at the same time. There is a backstory which is worth reading about, even though you probably don’t have to and some players just aren’t interested.
I’m going to give The Eyes of Ara five stars. I’ve been playing it for about two weeks and have enjoyed the hour or so each night. You can find out more about it here on the 100 Stones website.