Advent Rising is a game that clearly had a lot of ambition behind it; it was initially planned as part of an epic science-fiction trilogy with its own universe, an allegorical narrative written by Orson Scott Card, as well as large set piece battles. Although Advent Rising is deeply mechanically flawed, I could appreciate its attempt to elevate itself beyond simple genre fare. The graphics show some design flair, the music is excellent and the narrative had promise, even if it is somewhat unsubtle and heavy-handed. However, this game completely falls apart when you have to play it. The controls are absolutely horrible on the PC, complete with awkward targeting system, floaty jumping that is hard to use and feels awful, a variety of uninspiring weapons that you can level up through use for some reason and clunky melee combat. Nothing about the game feels right or is easy to use. Moreover, the level design is very much made up of corridors with endlessly respawning goons that mob you. The boss fights are pure gimmickry. The way the battles are set up between friendly marines and the invading aliens is very reminiscent of Halo. Levels are made up of running from point A to point B, occasionally stopping to survive from waves of enemies, the same enemies the entire game. In short, the gameplay is broken and the campaign design is phoned in, borrowing from the design template of a better game (not that Halo is such lofty heights). While I don't think Advent Rising is pure trash (the narrative and setting are kind of charming in a cheesy way) it's far from a classic or hidden gem. It's rather an interesting failure not entirely devoid of charm, but also a relic of ambition too great for the talents of its creators.
Having never played this game when it first came out, I have no particular nostalgia towards this title. Like many other games of its era, it was made with the focus on capitalising on CD technology. The graphics and FMV were essentially advertisements for the new technology rather than anything that added to the gaming experience. However, the game itself has very little to offer. Its narrative is as comical as clown shoes, the postage-stamp sized actors look and sound ridiculous, and the game itself is nothing but a loosely connected series of grade school puzzles, some of which are extremely annoying (such as the microscope puzzle). The game world is tedious to navigate due to slow animations, and when the antagonist taunts you you can't move, adding to the sense of slow and cumbersome gameplay. This game relied on presentation and its adult themes to push the envelope, both of which have no lasting value. Unlike other adventure games of the era, such as Myst or Gabriel Knight, the narrative, atmosphere and gameplay have dated so badly as to make this a thoroughly painful experience. I cannot recommend 7th Guest to anyone.
