The Crystal Key for Windows, Mac

Pros: Pretty graphics.
Cons: Illogical puzzles. Poor controls. Nonexistent story. Boring environments.

In the wake of the Myst phenomenon there were many wannabe knockoff adventure games trying to cash in on the success of that franchise. The Crystal Key is one such game. Taking every concept ...

Pros: Nice zooming effect
Cons: Poor development, quicktime game, bugs, short, linear

I am trying really hard to think of some positive things to say about this game.

I am a long-time PC gamer dating back to the days of the text-only adventure games. Adventure games have gone through a lot of changes over the years to the...

Pros: nice graphics and movement
Cons: awful logic and impossible puzzles

I purchased this game for three reasons: first, the cover was cool. I admit, I was sucked in by the promise of great graphics, and the intriguing marketing ploy of a black box. Second, the price was right: the game cost me fifteen bucks. I'm getting...

Pros: Wonderful graphics, fantastic worlds, not a game most players will finish in a single day.
Cons: Game on 2 CDs & if you make a big mistake, your player can die.

Why I Purchased This Game

I was shopping at my local Sam’s Club one day last year when I happened to notice The Crystal Key for sale at a great price, as far as CD ROM games go these days. Reading the box and looking at the...

Pros: None.
Cons: Almost everything about it.

I have played both MYST and Riven, so when I saw "The Crystal Key", I thought it might be pretty cool. I can sum it up like this; The Crystal Key is lame, just plain lame.

When I initially tried to start the game, it crashed. I looked...

Pros: looks interesting
Cons: you can get stuck in certain parts of the game

After playing Myst and Riven I became interested in other role playing games only to be disappointed with The Crystal Key. I purchased this game at a computer store in the discount area for $19.99 (too much for this). This game is visually captivating...

Pros: beautiful game
Cons: nothing major.

When I first loaded the game onto by computer, I started playing it right away. The first thing that I noticed was the beautiful scenery and graphics. It is well thought out as far as the story goes.

As with most any adventure type of...

Pros: great scenery
Cons: too much to list

Oh my, this one's a stinker. You'll find Crystal Key for a good price at your favorite store, and there is very good reason for it.

Crystal Key seems to be a demo more than it is a game. It is very short and the story is extremely sparse....

Pros: Easy but challenging
Cons: Some clues were very hard to solve

The first thing that caught my eye was the box cover. Of course the old adage about judging a book by it's cover came to mind. I have played other Dreamcatcher games and found the graphics and sound qualities quite good. I took a chance and found a...

Pros: very challenging puzzles and good sound
Cons: a little clunky in terms of look and navigation

I bought this game because I liked Myst and Riven and was looking for another puzzle like game that would be kid friendly should one of them wander in while I was playing it.

First let me say that after Riven, any game is going to look...

Pros: Gorgeous worlds, music and sound make for happy gaming.
Cons: One or two bugs weren't caught until after release, but are patchable now.

This isn't a game like Myst where you just run around until you get things right. The puzzles require thought and sometimes timing in oder to continue. You CAN die!

While that may seem daunting to the Myst fanatics out there, those of us who...

Pros: Actually allegedly Mac compatible!
Cons: In reality, not so compatible.

The Crystal Key looked good in the box. Unfortunately, I can't find out how it plays, because it won't recognize its own disk 1. And while I do normally anticipate hours of frustration when playing an adventure game, I usually associate it with the actual puzzles, not with installation. Mac users, don't bother!