• Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Nov 11, 2003

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Love it or hate it, I believe we will look back in five or ten years and see this as a watershed moment in our brief gaming history, in much the same way as the original 1993 “Myst” is now viewed.
  2. Neither a pure adventure, nor a pure RPG in the sense of "Final Fantasy" or "Warcraft." It is an astonishing synthesis of the two, taking the story and puzzle elements of the adventure and the graphic flexibility of the RPG. Adding in a dash of online gaming, and Cyan might just have created a game that will appeal to gamers from all genres. This could be the first true blockbuster, cross-genre game.
  3. Uru’s deep story and great puzzles easily make it one of the best adventure games of the year.
  4. I dream about its puzzles, contemplate solutions in my spare time, and imagine what lies beyond. But most importantly, I've had fun - and that's what adventuring is all about. [Jan 2004, p.100]
  5. 90
    The graphics are stunning, the sound is beautifully done, the puzzles are what one expects from a Myst game, the story is deep and the lore is massive and interesting. I really loved this game.
  6. The Myst games are not for everyone. I have always enjoyed them so I kind of know what to expect and how things work. I thought this game was fantastic.
  7. Uru has some of the best graphics and sound of any game. The worlds seem alive. The imagination and talent of the artists would humble Salvidor Dali himself.
  8. A spectacular adventure, and while I was sad to see the online component fail before I even got to login and try it I am glad to see that Cyan is committed to keeping the content alive.
  9. It still has some issues regarding the controls, and some of its puzzles are way too difficult. In the end I feel it’s enough to say, without taking any chances, that I give the whole Myst series a 100/100 rating.
  10. The most beautiful PC game on the market. [Dec 2003, p.182]
  11. Diehards of the genre will comment that puzzles in this version have been "dumbed down" and are no longer as taxing as previous games, relying instead on simple mechanical or jumping solutions to get the job done. I’ll have to agree with this point, but...
  12. Until the multiplayer is fully operational, URU is something of an incomplete book, but what's there is simply stunning. [Feb 2004, p.58]
  14. 75
    Barring the terrible control scheme, the single-player version of URU: Ages Beyond Myst is a solid adventure title. Beautiful graphics and sound, fun puzzles, and lots to read and learn about the D'ni makes for an atmospheric game. But the lack of the advertised multiplayer component is a real disappointment.
  15. The plot is absorbing, the graphics are wonderful, the sound and music are enthralling, and the puzzles are challenging. However, interface problems, relatively brief gameplay, and the absence of the critical online component are significant deficiencies.
  16. Overall I thought that the answer to most of the conundrums was there to be teased out, with patience and (a lot of) persistence. It isn't easy though, and at times the way forward is indeed a jump, and not an insight.
  17. Even without online play, Uru wins points for style and originality. Diehard "Myst" fans probably already have this, but others may want to wait until February to see if the whole online thing pays off.
  18. If you like the puzzles, then you’ll like the game. If you don’t like (or can’t complete) the puzzles, then you probably won’t. Since I’m guessing most people will fall under the latter category than the former, Uru isn’t a game I’d recommend you purchase.
  19. 60
    For many, it will simply be the fantastic graphics and sound that seal the deal.
  20. Unfortunately, the game shipped with its pay-to-play multiplayer unfinished and nonfunctional, so the only groundbreaking you'll do until that's fully completed is the kind that results from plummeting off cliffs.
  21. An old-school "Myst" adventure tarted up in new clothes. For all the superficial changes to gameplay, anyone who completed the original game ten years ago will encounter a lot of deja vu here.
  22. Generally overpriced for the offline game, especially considering there's no actual game in the online "game."
User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 12
  2. Negative: 4 out of 12
  1. Oct 6, 2013
    A decade ahead of its time.

    If this were to be released today as an indie title, as an online game (and you can play it online for free at
    mystonline.com), then it would be lavished with praise by all the critics. The reason for that is that we've had a decade to experiment and evolve game mechanics, we understand better what a co-op online experience is now, and we're more open to experiences, we're ready now for games that don't want to force us to be sociopathic murderers all the time.

    I was always ready for this, and it was fun watching the world slowly catch up. The experience it presents is beloved by all of the people I've introduced it to, including this year 2013. It continues to stand up as a technological marvel, something that people just couldn't wrap their minds around back then as it was one new concept after another. From the multiplayer puzzle ages, to the multiplayer exploration, the KI interface, and everything else. Even the esoteric and eccentric story, which people would also be more open to now than back then. Back then, it was all about the shooters, the platformers, the set genres. Easy to understand stuff. It was the beginning of the commercialisation of gaming.

    If it had been released ten years prior, in the era of the home computer, when everything was indie and experimental, it probably would have done okay then, too. This is how it is, it's a cycle, and people have to be in the proper part of that cycle to appreciate something like this. This is the kind of game you can form a deep bond with. I return to this game every year in order to visit an old friend, an alien creature named Shroomie. It feels really weird to have such an attachment to a 3D model, but this is what the Myst Universe does to you, and Uru more than any other.

    This is life-changing and life-affirming if you let it be. It feels good, and it feels even better if you have a friend you can bring along with you for the journey. And it's always about the journey, isn't it? This is about the journey through a bizarre, alien series of worlds. Journeys present obstacles, challenges, and puzzles. That's all part of the journey. And if you're excited by any of this, then this is a game you'll love. This isn't for the shooty-shooty people, this is for the intellectual romantics, this is for the old souls.

    If you give this game a chance, you could end up like me revisiting it every year just to remember the ghosts of the past. And Cyan still breathes they're starting a Kickstarter for something, soon, so that might be interesting. At some point in the future, reading this, you might know what all that's about, but right now, I don't. I only know that the journey through Uru might be worth your time, if you're ready for it.
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