Do we really, really need another game about the lost civilization
of Atlantis? I don’t think so. But for once, a game about Atlantis is actually
invigorating and whimsical instead of the usual mystical mumbo-jumbo we are usually
force-fed.

In the case of Disney’s Atlantis: Trial by Fire, after
seeing the movie and playing the game, I got to wondering which came first: are
scenes from the movie based on the game, or is the game an extension of the movie?
Hmm … tough call, especially since most of the game seems to be following the
plot of the movie, or wait, is the movie following the plot of the game? Whatever
the case, it is great that software companies are finally releasing games simultaneous
with the feature movie instead of six months later. Plus, how can you go wrong
when both game and movie feature the voice of Michael J. Fox?

Atlantis:
Trial by Fire looks like a first-person–well, I don’t want to say shooter
since you really don’t “shoot” anything. We need to come up with a new
description for some of these games; how about first-person adventure (FPA)? It
looks like Quake but is nonviolent and involves puzzle solving! So anyhow,
this FPA has you playing as one Milo Thatch, and you lead an expedition to find
the lost city of Pittsburgh. Wait a minute, someone already found Pittsburgh,
let me check my liner notes–okay. that should have been Atlantis. We’re looking
for the lost city of Atlantis. And, not to ruin the ending for you (major spoiler
alert!), but we will find Atlantis!

But it is what happens in between the
beginning and the end that matters most, and Trial by Fire successfully
manages to be a game that is attractive to the mindset of the mainstream gamer.
It is challenging without being impossible, and it is addictive but not to the
point where you forget about the real world. In other words, it is the perfect
entertainment. To be up front, hard-core gamers would probably find Atlantis
a piece of fluff, but this game wasn’t made for them, it was made to attract
new gamers to the fold and to encourage parents to sit down at the computer with
their children.

Still, to attract the mainstream gamer, you need eye-candy
and plenty of it. Atlantis uses the impressive 3D Lith-Tech engine, and,
when combined with some Disney cel-animation, you’re looking at some darned impressive
graphics. The plot, while extremely predictable, does manage a smooth story progression
between the eight playable levels of this FPA. You never feel as though you simply
reached the next area accidentally as each level is goal-oriented.

Trial
by Fire gets off to a rip-roaring start with a wonderfully cinematic opening,
and the next thing you know, you’re attacked by a Leviathan sea monster and must
maneuver an escape pod to freedom. You find yourself piloting the pod through
the depths of the ocean and before long are following a course to Atlantis provided
by members of Captain Rourke’s exploration team. Through the use of the Shepherd’s
Journal and radio transmission, the party members will guide you to the ancient
ruins. What impressed me most about almost all of the levels in the game is that
they constantly managed to convey a sense of tension. In many ways I thought the
levels similar to a Disneyland ride–you always knew you were safe, but there
was an underlying rush of danger–and in fact it would not be so farfetched to
create theme rides from the sea-pod or zeppelin levels of the game.

There
are a few things that should have been done differently, though. Probably the
one thing I despise the most in a game (next to a maze) is that video game mentality
that puts you back at the beginning of a level when you save. While this might
be fine to extend the game’s length for a hardcore gamer, this game is not intended
for them, and some mainstream gamers may be put off by this repetitiveness. There
is also quite a bit of jumping and running, though it really is not some of the
atrocious, humanly impossible gyrations we’ve come to expect from characters like
Lara Croft. Of course, there are enemies or monsters that must be overcome, but
Disney has wisely decided to forgo the violent nature usually associated with
this type of game–Thatch instead uses various tools to temporarily overcome obstacles.
Strangely, in what must be seen as an attempt to get casual games involved in
Internet gaming, Atlantis offers multiplayer capabilities over the Internet
so gamers can compete against in each in Capture the Flag and similar diversions.

If you are looking for a pleasant diversion–a game you can play for too
long and not feel guilty–then by all means put on your goggles and fins and do
some exploring in the ocean depths. Just be prepared to come up for air occasionally.

Final
Grade: B-

If you liked Atlantis The Lost Empire: Trial By Fire:
Play:
Beyond Atlantis
Read: Plato
Watch: Atlantis
the Lost Empire

System Requirements:Windows
95/98/ME/00
Pentium II 266 MHz
64 MB RAM
8 MB video card
8x CD-ROM
350
MB free hard drive space
Direct X 8.0 (included)