Graphics: 8
Gameplay: 6.5
Sound: 7
Controls: 7.5
Replay: 3

Good adventure games seem few and far between these days, and maybe that is why the genre is dying out. While there have been a few standouts, most notably Syberia, Syberia 2, and Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, the vast majority of the recent adventure games really fail to bring forth a quality experience. They fail in at least one of the major categories, whether it be the story, the character development, the puzzles, or the graphics. An adventure game simply must successfully combine these four essential elements and then toss in some engaging music and sound effects in order for it to be remembered. And Aura: Fate of the Ages will sadly be forgotten.

While the game has a fair amount of upsides, the most obvious being its beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds and character designs, as well as the variety of engaging puzzles, it is also plagued by a story, or lack thereof. You see, the main problem with this game is it really doesn't appeal to anybody. It's adventure style would normally appeal to adventure fans, but since it doesn't have a story even worth mentioning, those adventure fans are turned away from this game.

Let's start with the good part about the gameplay. If this game were only puzzle solving, it really would be a pretty good game. The puzzles require a ton of brainwork and witty thinking in order to solve them. The best thing about the puzzles is that they are rarely clones of previous ones, they are almost always something completely new and intuitive. While a few are just down right frustrating and boring, the majority are very interesting. But the puzzles simply can't make a game, without a story the game just really makes you feel as if you are doing all this for nothing. It's kind of like, "Okay, this is kind of fun, but what's the point?"

Now onto the more boring parts about the gameplay. The pathetic story has already been told and retold, so we'll move right past that. In the game, you play as Umang. Really, you will probably forget this though because you only see him in a couple of cut-scenes and the game is played in first-person. This, combined with the fact that you rarely meet any other characters, and when you do they seem like inanimate objects because of their lack of personality and boring dialogue, really pushes you out of the game world rather than draw you in like an adventure game should do.

So, where the game tries to copy that of the highly successful Myst 3, it fails by not drawing you into a magical world thought up by the imagination and even further lets you down by giving you no real purpose. You aren't saving the world, you aren't helping anyone, there is just no reason to do anything except for the fact that it's just there.

Graphically, this game is quite impressive. The character designs are all well done and they all look very good. But there simply isn't enough of them and there are really no animations for them - they just don't do anything. And since you play the game from first person, it gives you the feeling you are in a really empty world.

The objects, especially the puzzles, are all extremely well animated. They are all very detailed, even down to the smallest things, and it really helps to give the majority of the game, the puzzle solving, a very pretty look. On top of all this, everything around the puzzles looks good. I'm talking about the environments, the pre-rendered backgrounds. They all have a lot of detail put into them and even though they aren't as imaginative as Myst 3 they still look very good.

There really isn't too much to say about the sound. The dialogue is sparse. The puzzle effects are crisp and clear, so that's always a plus. But the musical score is a mixed bag. While it does add greatly to the mood and atmosphere of the game, and really matches it perfectly, there simply isn't enough. You just keep hearing the same couple songs over and over.

Replay. What replay? Did somebody say replay? Don't expect to be putting this game back in the drive when it is done. There are no alternate paths or endings, no secret stuff, so just one quick play through and its over with.

So, in closing, what Aura fails to deliver in the story it does make up for in puzzle solving. But the lack of drive and purpose really detract from the feel of the game. Puzzle solvers will find something to love deep down inside somewhere, but few others will want to venture that deep.