Rama

This is without a doubt my favorite Myst-y puzzle game: dazzling, inspired, fairly well-paces, and not lonely like some others in the genre.

I will admit, however, to certain corn factors. The game mixes real human footage with somewhat cartoony alien backgrounds. The B-movie-type characters talk to you, but it feels awkward that you can't talk back. (One character ironically says, "Here we are inside an extraterrestrial spaceship carrying on a normal conversation.") Also, despite a sincere effort away from the "little green men" of cheap scifi, various things about the Rama natives seem too terrestrial.

Luckily, these factors shouldn't ruin your fun. The game showcases (without overly flaunting) some superb ideas for the technology of 2200 A.D., most notably a wrist computer with "vidmail" capabilities. Raman art and architecture make for captivating scenery. Couple this with the unbeatable musics and you've got enough reason to keep playing for years even if you're completely stuck. And yes, the logic you have to follow to succeed works out very smoothly in its intricate (but not agonizingly difficult) fashion.

My compliments to Clarke, Gentry Lee and the other people who made it all possible.