A few thoughts about the double-sided DVD-version of Schizm:

Breathtaking graphics
Magnificent sound
Intriguing (though slightly clichéd) plot

Now a few more words about Schizm:

Albert
Einstein on his best day could not beat this game without a walkthrough!

Make no mistake though, this is a game about puzzles and the plot
is secondary. And there are puzzles aplenty. Many involve math and
not just any old math, but a new system of counting indigenous to
the culture of the planet on which you are shipwrecked. Some involve
using your auditory senses, but what you will hear is an entirely
foreign language that you must then decipher. A few are unfairly random
especially when placed in context with the logic that dominates this
game. But believe me, this is not a game for casual gamers but rather
a training ground for future generations of Mensa members.

Most games that are herded into that catch-all Myst-like category
have paper-thin plots that are just a hanger on which to place
puzzles. Schizm breaks new ground in this area as you must
solve puzzles that are not only integral to advancing the plot but
to also familiarize yourself with the environment and the remnants
of a missing civilization.

You can play as either Sam or Hannah; co-pilots on a routine mission
to drop off supplies to the research teams on the planet Argilus in
the year 2083. Their fly-over shows no signs of habitation on the
planet and they are unable to establish contact with any of the over
one hundred scientist who were manning three research bases. As Sam
and Hannah fly in for a closer look, they lose control of their ship
and must escape in separate emergency pods.

Now the fate of not only Sam and Hannah, but also the missing scientists
and the entire planet rests on your shoulders. You must strategically
play as each character while roaming about in a non-linear world.
Your immediate goal is too find a path back to your flight partner.
Along the way you must also attempt to discover the whereabouts of
the missing scientific crews that preceded you and to then find a
way off this strangely empty planet.

Yet
though the planet seems to be devoid of life, Argilus itself embraces
a bottled vivacity. Exotic living islands float through the sky, tentacled
footbridges jut from mountainsides and bridges appear to be shaped
from a breathing landscape. Discarded memory logs provide clues as
do ghostly apparitions of missing crew members as you acquire piecemeal
information as to the secrets of The Wanderer and the Good Servant
and their role in the survival of Argilus. While this has all the
trappings of a science fiction extravaganza, I also found it oddly
reminiscent of some popular novels and even the plot of one of the
Star Trek movies (I can’t reveal which one for fear of giving away
key plot points of the game!).

The graphics though are a feast for the starved eyes of an adventure
gamer. Wild, exotic scenery is bursting with colors so vibrant as
to burn an image on your retinas. Unrealistic landscapes and scenery
is showcased so magnificently that floating, living islands and enormous
Zorkian dams seem as natural in this environment as is a lush tree
or a babbling brook in ours. But there are aquatic creatures skimming
across the oceans of this world unlike any you have ever seen and
we are only ever given a tantalizingly short view.

Sounds are magnified by the absence of life. Footsteps ring hollowly
on metal walkways as loudly as a gong and rushing water
passes through your speakers like a tsunami. It is an extraordinary
aural experience especially for adventure gamers unused to such goodies.
There are though a few instances in which sound is integral to a puzzle
and consequently these sounds, or spoken words, should be as clear
if not clearer than other game portions, but this is not the case.
A puzzle centered around hearing and then repeating a priest’s chant
required numerous visits. An option to play back portions of the game
would have been very welcome.

If there is a downside to Schizm it is surely the quality
of the voice actors and other characters that populate the game. It
is not that they are bad, but they often seem so eager to please in
their roles that they often come across as overenthusiastic especially
in light of the seriousness of their situation.

But let’s be honest, you’re here for the puzzles and if you like
to sit and ponder while researching copious notes taken during gameplay,
then your quest for Nirvana has ended. A vast majority of the puzzles
grow naturally out of the environment of Argilus and will require
learning a new language, a new system of math and even a new way of
interacting with your landscape. Yet, while the puzzles can be difficult,
they are also fair as they follow the rules of logic and once you
have discerned
how the logic of Argilus translates into your common knowledge then
the pieces will quickly fit in place. While I would not want to spoil
any of your fun by revealing the solutions to any of the puzzles,
rest assured that some of the solutions alone are longer than this
review. In the midst of all this logic though are, near the game’s
end, two puzzles that must be solved in order to activate a railway
system. Both of these puzzles are incongruous with what has gone before
as logic is replaced by luck.

So even after scrupulously scrutinizing Schizm, all that remains
are minor annoyances that can be considered nitpicking: some ‘iffy’
acting and one or two puzzles that are too difficult. What’s left
is a game that will be abhorred by every gaming magazine and brain-cell
deficient action gamer in the world; but also a minor classic that
will be revered by adventure gamers and Myst lovers worldwide.
In other words, a game that will cause a schism in the gaming community.
But then, the ability to reason rather than shoot is why adventure
gamers have always been the dominant species in the gaming world.

Randy’s Final Grade: Schizm Mysterious Journey DVD – A

If you liked Schizm then:

Read – The collected essays of Albert Einstein
Watch – Star Trek (still not saying which one!)
Play – Myst

System Requirements:
· Windows 95 / 98 / ME / XP
· Pentium® II 333 MHz
· 32MB RAM
· 2x DVD-ROM Drive
· DirectX® Compatible Video and Sound Card