9: The Last Resort

Nine Review

That's not to say Nine is without fault. The various puzzles you have to solve are a mixed bag. While many are straightforward brain teasers (for instance, there's a challenging Concentration-like puzzle that requires you to match two sound effects out of several dozen possibilities), unfortunately, most require more patience and blind luck than actual noggin-crunching. Make sure your pointer finger is limber before you start playing - there's a good chance you'll end up getting stuck in a marathon session of mindless mouse-clicking.

Fortunately, unlike Myst, playing this game for hours at a time won't leave you in a coma. The art and animation in Nine are fantastic. The often creepy, carnival-like 3D graphics are great eye candy as you plug along, and the music and sound effects are also enthralling. As for the Hollywood hook, it actually has a point this time around. The characters' voices - provided by the likes of Cher, Christopher Reeve, James Belushi, and Aerosmith band members - actually help make the game more vivid and interesting. Salty, the character played by Belushi, is a bizarre, cranky fellow who shows up from time to time to give you tips - a godsend for some of the more random puzzles.

The goal of the entire game is simple: get rid of the bad seeds that inhabit your newly acquired mansion. But, as the game's packaging boasts, it isn't easy. If you're still boasting that you solved Myst in under 14 hours, give this one a shot. It may not take you as long to finish, but it's a far more beautiful and less disorienting ride.

Gamespot