Reception
| Myst V: End of Ages | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 79.1% |
| Metacritic | 80% |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Computer and Video Games | 8.7 |
| GameSpot | 7.9 |
| GameZone | 8.4 |
| IGN | 8.8 |
| Eurogamer | 60 |
Overall, End of Ages was well received by critics. The game was judged a fitting end to the series, and in combination with the other games in the series sold more than 12 million copies by November 2007.
As with previous games, the visuals of End of Ages were widely praised. The switch to real-time rendering was generally seen as a positive step. The game's music was lauded; GameSpot's review noted the use of music in End of Ages was sparse, but the little audio present set the proper tone for different Ages. A few reviewers, such as Charles Herold of the New York Times, felt that the graphics fell short of what was possible, especially compared to the prerendered visuals of Myst IV: Revelation. While Greg Kasavin of GameSpot felt that though the visuals were on par with previous games, End of Ages was missing several elements which made Myst IV more immersive; only important, story-driving items could be interacted with, for example, and the player makes no sounds or footsteps in the game.
The characters of Myst, occasionally ridiculed in previous games, were well received in End of Ages. Publications such as GameSpot and IGN praised the voice acting and the switch to character models; Jaun Castro of IGN stated that though the player could not interact directly with the characters, the rendered characters wound up "feeling more genuine and real" than in previous games, speaking with genuine conviction and animation. Special praise was given to David Ogden Stiers for bringing Esher to life. A dissenting opinion was presented by reviewer Mark Saltzman, who thought that players might become bored by the "overly dramatic" character dialogue.
Critics warmly received the addition of the slate and its related puzzles. Oliver Clare of Eurogamer called the slate system a welcome addition to the Myst formula, although he felt that the recognition of symbols was occasionally too precise. Paul Presley of Computer and Video Games felt that the slate concept could have been explored further, while GameSpot enjoyed the environmental effects created by the slates. End of Ages won several awards upon release, including IGN's "editor's choice". Larkin's music was nominated under the "Best Interactive Score" category at the 2006 Game Audio Network Guild Awards, and won the 2006 Game Industry News award for best soundtrack.
Read more about this topic: Myst V: End Of Ages
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