Tarfumes.com - Ring

Ring casts you as four characters from the opera: the dwarf tyrant, Alberich; the heroic Sigmund; the Valkyrie Brunhilde; and a fire spirit known as the Loge. Each character pursues one Ring Cycle story line via a Myst-style first-person interface. The plot is utterly nonlinear so, at any point, you can switch from one chapter to another. Because you can finish the game's components in any order, the story's ultimate resolution varies, depending on your choices during play.

With Wagner as base material, it should come as no surprise that Ring comes with an immense focus on music. The digitally remastered soundtrack was performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the '60s, under the direction of Sir George Solti.

>From sound to visuals, Ring is conceived as a work of art, and players who prefer a thrill ride might be impatient with the long movie passages and musical sequences. A lot of gaming time is also devoted to sweeping through each 360-degree environment, searching for the hot spot that allows you to interact with an item or character or to simply move on.

For opera fans and players looking for a dynamic aesthetic experience, Ring is unique and utterly delightful. --Alyx Dellamonica

I would recommend this game to dedicated, persistent gamers looking for something "different".

2. In general the dialog in Ring is very well written, with a feel for poetry and metaphor (and the delivery by the actors) that seems more Shakespearean than operatic. Charlotte Rampling, who voices the role of the Earth-Mother Erda, has the loveliest speaking voice I have ever heard.

3. During the game, you get to play as four different mythological beings: Alberich, Loge, Siegmund and Brunnhilde. Alberich looks like the mating of a troll and a stalagmite, and ad-libs a great scat version of the Valkyrie theme. Loge, an Egyptian fire spirit, adds new meaning to the words "slippery" and "ruthless." Siegmund, the Terminator with a red ponytail, has a hopeless, fatal passion for his twin sister. And Brunnhilde, the true heroine of Ring, is garbed like an Amazon warrior with feathers and face paint. She is the only one in this fascinating crew to have even an ounce of moral sense. Experiencing the story through these various characters is a lot of fun and gives you access to mythical worlds using some of the most colorful, imaginative graphics I have seen. (Play the characters in the order I've mentioned if you want the story to make sense).

CONS: 1. Ring has one location with three rather difficult puzzles: a sound puzzle in which you play back a melody piece by piece; a sliding tile puzzle; and a "guess-the-number" puzzle that relies on an obscure hint from your surroundings for its solution. Patience is required here.

2. Occasionally the views with 360-degree panning are somewhat pixelated.

3. The ending is frustrating. I was so involved with this game that I was actually angry at the ending. I don't mind playing a game that is leading up to a sequel, but I do prefer to know that before I play, so that I don't expect complete closure.

Bottom Line: Highly recommended for those who like myths and mythological worlds, or for those who simply enjoy the experience of thinking (and seeing) "different." Take a deep breath, and hold on tight for an eye-popping, thought-provoking, expectation-busting joyride. Then hope they make the sequel VERY soon!

1. The opening to Ring doesn't really feel like a game or an opera. It feels more like an MTV video, except that the graphics are so provokingly beautiful. At one point, you come out of your dream vision and realize that you need to use an inventory item, and you awaken with a start. Of course the item that works is a far cry from what you would expect. Then off you roar into your Tolkienesque medieval-fantasy-dreamscape again.

2. In general the dialog in Ring is very well written, with a feel for poetry and metaphor (and the delivery by the actors) that seems more Shakespearean than operatic. Charlotte Rampling, who voices the role of the Earth-Mother Erda, has the loveliest speaking voice I have ever heard.

3. During the game, you get to play as four different mythological beings: Alberich, Loge, Siegmund and Brunnhilde. Alberich looks like the mating of a troll and a stalagmite, and ad-libs a great scat version of the Valkyrie theme. Loge, an Egyptian fire spirit, adds new meaning to the words "slippery" and "ruthless." Siegmund, the Terminator with a red ponytail, has a hopeless, fatal passion for his twin sister. And Brunnhilde, the true heroine of Ring, is garbed like an Amazon warrior with feathers and face paint. She is the only one in this fascinating crew to have even an ounce of moral sense. Experiencing the story through these various characters is a lot of fun and gives you access to mythical worlds using some of the most colorful, imaginative graphics I have seen. (Play the characters in the order I've mentioned if you want the story to make sense.)

Cons:

1. Ring has one difficult sound puzzle in which you have to play back a melody piece by piece. Fortunately (unlike the organ puzzle in Myst) it's very easy to cheat on this one.

2. Occasionally the views with 360-degree panning are somewhat pixelated.

3. The ending is frustrating. I was so involved with this game that I was actually angry at the ending. I don't mind playing a game that is leading up to a sequel, but I do prefer to know that before I play, so that I don't expect complete closure.

Bottom Line: Highly recommended for those who like myths and mythological worlds, or for those who simply enjoy the experience of thinking (and seeing) "different." Take a deep breath, and hold on tight for an eye-popping, thought-provoking, expectation-busting joyride. Then hope they make the sequel VERY soon!