OK, I loved the demo but I have played AGON. I am impatiently awaiting the Sword of Toledo.

In reality, the 3D gives an illusion of freedom, but your path is very restricted. I liked the map movements. I didn't have a problem with the dialogue, but I agree it is a little on the fast side.

As Hungarian is not an Indo-European language, I can't even guess at the Hungarian words, except those that have been imported into Hungarian and I know 5 languages.

Now for some minor criticisms. There are some irritating typos. For example in the flat "Doumentum" which should read Document. In Hungarian it is Dokumentum.

The English translation of the Hungarian dialogue is I suspect, a little too literal. When Jonathan met Juli at the Tourist Bureau, the exchanging of phone numbers sounded too "European" and not as an American would say it (and I'm not American - obviously by my spelling).

The demo is very linear and (surprise, surprise) the simple substitution code left punctuation and word spacing to make it obvious. I would not care to decipher a more modern code with even letter spacing and no punctuation. As it is, it is a good simple puzzle.

A 5 or 6 GByte download is just too massive, even with very fast broadband. My ISP normally runs at about 150 KBytes/sec. The download only ran at 40, so there was some limitation at the demo server end.

I will happily buy the game. I love FMV and the sights of Eger were marvellous.

Becky, it would be nice if (constructive) comments could be passed on to the developers.

Sorry for the long post.

Cheers, barbarosso

Hi barbarosso --

The information will definitely reach the developers.

No need to apologize for the long post.

I give it a Thumbs Up

Panning was ok for me.

I actually preferred hearing the Hungarian and had no problems with the subtitles AFTER the opening. There is too much to see to be able to read and look at the story at the same time. This is also a very stilted translation and not at all American English. I think the designers would benefit from having a voice actor step in here, after changing the translation. (and I agree, there are dialogs that dont ring true on the subtitles)

I really enjoyed the music. The ominous sounds as he entered the wine cellar, the music in the cathedral added to my enjoyment.

Thank you and I can't wait to continue.

Kate
Also enjoyed just being a tourist.

I am downloading it now after reading your comments. I like the games where you can hit Enter to go to the next text. I read very fast, and get bored if it takes too long. I have never played a Hungarian game before, But I think I would like to watch the action and then be able to read the text.

Thanks for the Demo!!

HorseDancer

I am downloading it as we speak will let you know what I think. Mike

I've downloaded the demo (which seemed to take forever!) but I can't play it. I get sound but picture 'cannot be displayed in this video mode'. I had this with another game & it seemed to be just a matter of changing the screen resolution - can anyone help by telling me what settings they have used? I will post over in glitches also!

I would like for someone, anyone, to please tell me the correct pronunciation of the name Yoomurjak - is it You-mer-jack? or is the J a "Y"? Thanks
Love, Betty Lou

mikeplay very true.
I read where adventure games are like crosswords and stuff to keep the brain going!
Caz

I was really impressed with the length of this demo - also liked the characters. Didn't have much trouble with subtitles as I am hard-of-hearing and use this feature a lot for TV and PC Games Wouldn't care if English dialogue was dubbed. The foreign language does add to the ambiance of the storyline. I will buy it when it comes to North America stores. Cheers

Please please everybody who loves adventure games buy this game when it is released It really is that great
a game

I have downloaded the demo. And I have to admit I didn't expect much of it (or should that be 'from it'?) Oh, boy - was I ever wrong.

Here be spoilers so read at your own risk.

First, the game starts with a beautiful movielike scene with the train arriving at the town of Eger (I'm a big fan of trains, so allready by doing the game sort of had me interested ).

I then expected this movielike scenery to be just like an entry of sorts, and expected the game to shift to a cartoony style game. I wa surprised to fiund that it didn't. And then I was hooked - for real this time. The movielike 3D scenes kept going on througout the demo (and of course, also for the whole game, I'd guess). Great thing I say The conversations felt fresh, real & lifelike - much more lifelike than the dialogues in Bioware's Mass Effect. Great writing there, devs

The interface is the best I've yet seen in a adventure game - ever. The interface is point and click. You move around by sort of holding down the left mouse button and then turning around, and then there's an arrow that'll tell in what direction you're moving. You have a map with hotspots on, you can clik at when you want to go to say your hotel or the café or to the nice lady where you get information. Very well made is this

The characters are really great, too... I like the fact that they speak Hungarian and that there's English subtitles. I hope they keep that feature in for at least the UK version (and maybe the US version, too). It really adds to the ambience and realistic setting in the story that your hear the characters speak Hungarian. There's a discussion over this going on in a thread at adventuregamers.com - feel free to join in

The story is well planned out and well designed and made. It isn't that hard to figure out what to do next as the game gives you several hints as to what you need to do next.

The only thing I thought about was the fact that



I didn't mind but it could have some influence on how the PEGI or the ESRB ratings would be. But let's tackle that one when we get there.

This game remind of a game I played maybe 8 years ago, called Urban Runner, although this game, Youumurjak, is miles above the quality level of Urban Runner's e.g. meaning it is far far better than Urban Runner, simply beacuse of its great
characters, interesting dialoque and intriguing story
and plot

To add some constructive criticism to this:

I wish there were more hotspots in the game, meaning that I wish that I could click on say the tv to watch tv, or on the the things in the hotel lobby to examine what they are as well as I could click on some of the things in my hotel bedroom to determine what they are. Just for fun - and maybe just maybe there could be something on tv I needed to have seen in order for me to progess in the game.

Overall, the game demo has convinced me that I need to buy this game I just hope the Hungarian? developers will keep the Hungarian language in it, as well as the English text. It really adds, as said, to the ambience of the setting in the game...

/Karsten

Karsten-I agree. There were many things I wanted to investigate further. I did get a chuckle out of things like the Salmon Rushdie displayed in the lobby. Little historical jab there? Perhaps they will give us more hot spots if we cry a lot.

Kate

What a great opportunity. I am downloading now and will let you know.

I have played AGON and am waiting for Toledo. So, while on the website I have seen the information and site for Yoomurjaks Ring and had wondered when we would hear more about it.

Be back later. Thanks.

Well, normally i don't like adventure games with real video & images but somehow i liked this one maybe because of the foreign language i don't know Anyway, personally i believe that still images could be sharper, map button should be available everywhere not only outdoors, most importantly texts in the game should be more readible i don't know maybe this happens only on my computer but text is really poor.

Hello Volution and welcome to GameBoomers!

Thank you Becky

I agree with Karsten, I wasn't expecting much, but felt honoured that Private Moon wanted to have my opinion BEFORE they released the game, and was blown away. It felt like I was playing Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within all over again.

I love the use of the Hungarian voices. I would be put off if the voices are dubbed, please keep the subtitles!

I am most pleased that Private Moon are using a lot of character interaction. I am drawn to this type of game more than the Myst-style lost in an empty world feel. I have found the Agon episodes hard to work through because they are mainly puzzles, but "Ring" has a good balance between the two. I enjoyed the final puzzle in the demo very much.

I would prefer a mouse-look mode rather than a click and drag mode of changing the view. It would also be great if the menu in the corner could be hidden while videos are playing as it is a bit distracting.

Graphics wise things are great, although the little animations that play in a scene are not very good quality. I love the text popping up when you mouse over the letters, as I found some of these texts impossible to read in Agon. on my PC I found the text very difficult to read; the font seemed very unclear. I will take a screenshot if you need one.

Also mentioned before, a few extra hotspots with descriptions of interesting objects would be great!

This is a definite buy. Its on my wishlist. If Private Moon can carry this quality through the whole game, then they deserve to be regarded as one of the top developers of adventure games.

Did you ever figure out the code? Just curious, because I did. You can PM me if you have not figured it out.


I am hooked! Now I need the full game.

On the Settings screen under Graphics it says Ratoation where it should say Rotation Speed.

Thanks you Private Moon for this opportunity.

My opinion. I was surprised to understand that the main character Jonathan is an American. Now, I don't know how complicated this would be, or if even possible, but when he is thinking about his letter to Alison, or to himself, shouldn't he be speaking in American English? BUT, I do like the speaking in Hungarian and with the subtitles.

I love FMV games. Having played a few others I did not find the movement awkward. As a matter of fact, I like being able to look around.

I'm going to play through again. Check for language.

Thanks, Tichelle. Appreciate the help offer.

Hints help is done at the Hints forum. I think we got Preston through on the code.

I think the point of the game is that Jonathan is a Hungarian? born in America (or in Hungary?) - who is now visiting the homeland, Hungary for the first time.

And even the sicilians in USA as well as the chinese and vietnamese keep talking Italian and Chinese to each other - even after 4 or 5 generations in the US.

It makes perfect sense to me that Jonathan talks Hungarian.
Please keep the Hungarian voices and the English text in the full game.

I like the interface, though

Hello Amun Ptah and welcome to Gameboomers!

Yes Mag is definitely right. Here is the link, http://www.gameboomers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=204364#Post204364 . Best of luck Ti'chelle

I'm no acting critic by any means, but I personally felt the acting was not bad at all. There were 1 or 2 rough spots, but for the most part, it was all very well done. As far as the plot of the game goes, from what I've seen so far, it seems like it could be extremely interesting - there's so many possibilities when your dealing with a time travel story, that it would be a real shame if they didn't take full advantage of it. I definitely found myself wanting to do more and learn more about what was going on, and that fact alone tells me I was interested enough in the story to want to keep playing. That is after all, the heart of every adventure game - the story. If you don't care, or aren't interested in the story by the end of the demo, it's a pretty safe bet your not gunna like the game :-)

The sub-title wording in some areas needs SERIOUS help tho. I don't know the 1st thing about Hungary or the hungarian language, but I can tell you for a fact, that if this guy, the main character(John hunt I think his name is) was really from NYC, there is no way he'd EVER say things like "I don't think I shall bother him at the moment, he looks busy." It'd be more like,"AY! Stop what your doing and take care of me. NOW!" LOL

Thanks Becky!

Loved it! Have polled the game and am not surprised to find that my opinion is the same as most others. I thought the Hungarian language added to the ambience, but would perhaps have like this 'new yorker' to have perhaps spoken in English when talking to himself! I would prefer a DVD based version rather than online.

Does anyone have any idea how long we will be waiting 'til it comes out??

I played the demo to completion and even found the item referred to in the coded message, somewhere in the town sights... I wont tell you where it is..that would spoil your game, but it is there alright.

My comments are:
1. Subtitles whistle past so fast that one can scarcely see the scene and read the comment. Add some delay where there are no overlaps with subsequent subtitles. Many others noted this.

2. The right corner menu and buttons is a bit too large really, so use 0.7 times as large an overlay. Too much of the wonderful scenery is covered up, to my mind.

3. This game reminds me of "A Quiet Weekend in Capri". Same wandering round the actual town, but this is better done, excellent interface, and a more interesting game plot (probably) when we get the rest of it. Looks very promising so far.

4. Anti aliasing can be set in the options for great scenery, if one has a more modern computer. Very good scenery.

5. Clicking on map locations rather than actually walking there seems a bit of a cheat but is essential for some out of town sites. Walk where you can.

6. Add English conversation sound but do not bother with Lip sync. That Hungerian lip sync will do.

Good adventure so far. Not sure where it is all leading though.