Amber Journeys Beyond

"AMBER: Journeys Beyond" is a classic-style graphic adventure game, very immersive and atmospheric, presenting a suspenseful horror/ghost story. It was released in 1996 by Hue Forest Entertainment.

The creators, Frank & Susan Wimmer, credit their inspiration for this game to a stay at a haunted hotel in Louisiana called Myrtle's Plantation, once featured on Ghost Hunters (although their stay and this game were before the TV show).

Their story, and other interesting information may be found at an archived copy of their original website found here:

http://web.archive.org/web/1...w.hueforest.com/overview.htm

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This torrent includes the XP/7 installer patch named "amber_install_"etc. Mount the disk in your Daemon Tools/MagicISO/whatever. DO NOT run the autosetup which will pop up. Close that, and run this installer instead. You will probably need to install QuickTime 32 as well, included on the disk. Do this manually, running as administrator and using compatibility mode if necessary. As a point of reference, I have this running on a W7/64 machine with an ATI graphics card. UPDATE: now running on the same machine, installed on an external solid-state hard drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 video card.

This torrent also includes the virtual game disk, of course, in ISO format; the game manual; screenshots, and this readme. The manual encourages the player to start playing without consulting the instructions! It is very intuitive. If you need a hint though, there is a hint file on the disk itself, named simply HINTS; it is meant to be opened with WordPad. If that isn't enough, several different walkthroughs can be found on line.

This ALSO includes a saved-game file which you will need to complete the game if you playing it in Windows XP or later. There is a desktop computer in the game which asks you for a password. Towards the end of the game, you will be given the password, but in Windows XP and later, you simply cannot enter it. So when you get to the point you need it -- and trust me, you will know when you are given the password -- simply load in that save file and proceed to the finale.
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AMBER is short for Astral Mobility By Electromagnetic Resonance device invented by a promising scientist in the field of paranormal activities, Dr. Roxanne "Roxy" Westbridge.

As "AMBER: Journeys Beyond" opens, you receive an e-mail asking you to help out Roxy, an old friend and colleague. A renowned paranormal researcher, she has been developing technology that will allow her to communicate with the spirit world. Last you'd heard, Roxy had just purchased an old (reputedly haunted) house in the foothills of North Carolina. Apparently, she thought the house would be an ideal spot for her paranormal research.

Said email is from someone named Joe, who appears to be a mutual friend of Roxy and you, the unnamed player. Although this is uncertain, he seems to be the same Joe who has sent Roxy a package which you find early in the game, identifying him as a manufacturer of certain electronic components. Joe is worried as Roxy has not been answering her telephone or email recently, and is asking you to go check up on her.

When you arrive at Roxy's house to check on her progress, you find that she has indeed made startling progress -- but desperately needs your help. In order to help Roxy and the spirits haunting the house, you will have to use a number of high-tech gadgets, including the AMBER device, which allows you to relive the spirits' last hours on Earth. If you're up to the challenge and can hold on to your sanity, you can lead the tormented souls to whatever is waiting for them on "the other side." And of course, pull Roxy back from the brink, herself.

Although the game does require the player to solve inventory-based puzzles, the emphasis is more on the exploration and presentation of the story. The key element of the gameplay is exploring environments in order to advance the plot by revealing crucial information as to to the reasons of ghosts' bonds to the world of the living. The different stories are experienced almost as dreams, each with a unique artistic style and feel.

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Although little noticed when released and not a commercial success, coming from a small, independent publisher, it did earn much praise from critics and those who did play it. The main critiques leveled against it are that it was too short, and the ending perhaps anticlimactic. I bought this when it was on the clearance rack at Office Max! It was an instant favorite. I've played through it a few times since, and it has not failed to be engrossing and entertaining.

Adventure Gamers - 4.5 / 5.0
Adventure Classic Gaming - 5 out of 5
GameSpot - 7.4
MobyGames - 79