I know I say this a lot, but I was genuinely surprised by Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy. Not just because of the content of the game itself, but the—for lack of a better word—legacy that this game carries with it. As I’ve mentioned before, I never had a competent gaming PC growing up, and as such, I missed out on many of the biggest games to dominate the space.
But Amerzone’s 1999 PC release had quite the pedigree behind it. Not only was it an extension of designer Benoît Sokal’s comic strip L’Amerzone, but it would also become the first entry in the long-running Syberia series. It’s genuinely nice to see so many of the point-and-click puzzle games that defined the genre getting glow-ups, and much like Myst before it, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is enhanced by years of gaming innovation.
For those who may have missed the original, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy puts players in the shoes of a nameless, faceless journalist who is called by the enigmatic Professor Alexandre Valembois for an interview regarding his research on the mysterious island nation of Amerzone. However, once there, Valembois tells the player they must travel to Amerzone to right the wrongs his research committed in the past and perhaps restore balance to this now fractured nation.
“Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is enhanced by years of gaming innovation.”
It’s an interesting and thought-provoking plot that takes some influence from real-world events—Amerzone itself is clearly inspired by the Amazon rainforest and elements of South American politics at the time. It creates an engaging layer of mystery as the player consistently solves puzzles left behind by Valembois’ work, while experiencing the story shaped by his actions.
Gameplay is where Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy builds on the rock-solid fundamentals of the past but delivers them in a way that feels fresh and modern. At its core, most of the game remains the same, with the player travelling between areas, gathering items and information to solve puzzles, open locks, or speak with various characters. However, the game enhances the presentation of its predecessor in a way that makes it feel bigger without changing too much. Initially, I was a bit surprised to see that, unlike the Myst remake, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy doesn’t give players full control of movement and instead still operates under point-and-click rules.
However, whereas the original simply loaded a new image every time a player clicked to move, this remake adds fully animated transition scenes between every movement option. Coupled with virtually no load times, it gives Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy a much more expansive feel. In many ways, it reminded me of a modern-day version of the Sega Saturn classic D, and I was here for it. Not only that, but many of the game’s puzzles have been expanded, and interactions that were once simple mouse clicks are now fleshed out into more immersive, physics-based challenges.
If you’ve played a point-and-click puzzle game before, then you more or less know what to expect. Players need to search every nook and cranny, taking anything that isn’t nailed down and using it to unlock mechanisms or solve future puzzles. However, even on standard difficulty, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy gives players plenty of tools to stay on top of the story, track puzzles that still need solving and access minor hints when necessary.
“Visually, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy takes full advantage of Unreal Engine 5 to rebuild the world of the original from the ground up.”
Furthermore, the game allows players to highlight all potentially interactive objects in the environment, removing much of the guesswork if needed. It’s a small feature, but it’s remarkable how much better the experience becomes when you’re not scanning every square pixel of a screen hoping your cursor will change. It speaks to the broader way Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy has evolved into a more streamlined and playable experience.
Visually, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy takes full advantage of Unreal Engine 5 to rebuild the world of the original from the ground up, creating a larger and more richly detailed environment. While it’s worth mentioning that, for its time, the original looked pretty good, possessing that ’90s charm from its pre-rendered visuals and static environments, this remake really cranks it up a notch.
Audio is equally enhanced, most notably with completely re-recorded dialogue that removes much of the original jank—though charming in its own right—with new lines that make conversations feel far more believable and cohesive. Not only that, but there is also additional voice-over that adds more context to Valembois’ journey to Amerzone and helps flesh out the story in an engaging way.
Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is true to its namesake. It is a loving tribute to this classic of the point-and-click adventure genre and its late creator, and a shining example of how a little polish can go a long way toward enhancing these kinds of games. If you missed it when it released in 1999 or were a fan of the original, I genuinely think you’ll enjoy the modern glow-up of a true classic.
