Game Review - by Randy Widell
Of Light and Darkness - The Prophecy takes it's inspiration from the "end time" stories concerning the coming Millennium. Awakening in a village somewhere between Heaven and Hell, you are the "Chosen One," thrust into a climatic battle between the forces of light and darkness. The Clock of Judgment is counting down to the end. Apparitions, guilty of the Seven Deadly Sins, herald the coming of the Anti-Christ, Armageddon, and the end of Paradise. As the Chosen One, you are challenged to discover the secrets of the Millennium prophecies, while Gar Hob - The Dark Lord of the Seventh millennium pulls you ever closer, with devilish, thought-provoking game play.

What happens if the signs are not heeded? What if you fiddle in denial as the dark clouds gather? Will the Apocalypse take place? It has been prophesied. What if you redeem the Dark Lord's apparitions, release the Prophetess Angel from the Dark Isle and stop Gar Hob - The Dark Lord of the Seventh Millennium from plunging the world into a thousand years of darkness? Does the future of humanity take a different course? What do you think?

Features:
Of Light and Darkness is the latest advancement in real time adventures. As with all advancements, new features that improve the realism of the game are introduced. Of Light and Darkness allows the player to rotate through 360 degrees and look up. This is a superb improvement over such games as Myst, which limits the player to clicking through views. Of Light and Darkness also makes use of full motion movement and dynamic scenery. Another interesting feature of this game is the ability to customize levels in the game for practice.

Graphics:
The graphics in Of Light and Darkness are extraordinary. The scenery is beautifully rendered and well compliments the eerie story. Dynamic elements in the scenery are seamlessly added to the pre-rendered panoramic scenes. The integration of full motion video with still shots is well done. The video compression matches up well with the scenery stills so as to aid in smoothing out the transition between the two.

Sound FX:
The sound in Of Light and Darkness far surpasses any game I have ever played. There is a unique ambient soundtrack for each room that goes beyond background music. Whole conversations that give clues, or just add to the mood of the room take place in the background. The sound is sensitive to the player's orientation with respect to the source. In many rooms, the sound comes from a video screen or some artifact in the room. As the player rotates, the sound balance changes across speakers, again adding to the realism.

Gameplay:
There is nothing extraordinary about the gameplay in Of Light and Darkness. Interfacing with the game is still a matter of pointing and clicking. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is nothing new and, consequently, does not require any res.

Overall:
Of Light and Darkness: The Prophecy is incredibly engaging. The story combines surrealistic originality with actual myths from various cultures throughout human history. This is one of the few games that have completely drawn me in.