Adventure at the Chateau d'Or

Rich photo-realistic 3-D screens and animated sequences, three levels of gameplay, and dozens of enigmatic questions about Paris make up this exciting game. Featuring a classic navigation system in the style of Myst/Riven, you'll test your powers of observation and intuition in Adventure at the Chateau d'Or.

What a surprise! the 10 y.o. loved it and he got through the "learning part" (which is really a funny, multiple choice, question and answer) with no need for help at all. I suspect that the people who keep calling this a learning or educational game may be "learning challenged" if a 10 year old (granted a very smart one) has no problem at all with that part. Here at amazon.com, I think people are probably familiar with reading books (which some may call learning) and should not have any problem with the game.

For the rest, the graphics are beautiful, the music is tastefully deployed and it's great to see an adventure game where logic prevails rather than some bizarre notion of reality. In other words, common sense gets you through this game and you don't need a hint guide to tell you that pouring wine on a floor at midnight burns a hole in the roof (no that doesn't happen here, but i wouldn't be surprised to see it in some games!).

All in all a nice game that takes about 12-15 hours to play. I'd like to see more games like this where you can have an enjoyable experience without spending hours on one road block that prevents you from moving forward.


Not worth the time (or money)   November 19, 2002
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Due to the original description of this game, I was expecting a little more than I got. The graphics are good (not great, but good), but that is all I can say about it. The puzzles are simplistic at best and few and far between. Most of the storyline appears to be concerned with French history. This would better be served by marketing the game as an educational tool, not pure entertainment. There are many games available with more difficult puzzles, intriguing plots, and more hours of entertainment than this one for the same price. Unless you are interested in a superficial overview of French history, don't waste your money.


BEAUTIFUL VISUALS BUT TOO STATIC   July 12, 2002
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I looked forward to this game as there had been alot of hype about it. It is visually beautiful (the chateau reminds me of Versaille) however, the game is low tech, very static and the player is extremely limited in movement and objects that may be picked up. This is dissapointing and spoils part of the enjoyment of the game (adventure gamers love to handle objects and explore every corner). The technology has come a long way since Myst began the craze but the people who created this game don't seem to be aware of this.