Atlantis II
{{Short description|1999 video game}}
{{About|the 1999 video game|the research ship|RV Atlantis II|the transatlantic telecommunications cable|Atlantis-2}}
{{Redirect|Beyond Atlantis|the film|Beyond Atlantis (film)}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Atlantis II
|image = Atlantis II.jpg
|developer = Cryo Interactive
|publisher = {{vgrelease|EU|Cryo Interactive|NA|DreamCatcher Interactive}}
|genre = Adventure
|director = Eric Mallet
|producer = Rémi Herbulot, Jean-Martial Lefranc, Philippe Ulrich
|designer = Johan Robson
|writer = Johan Robson
|composer = Pierre Estève
|platforms = Windows, Mac OS, iOS
|modes = Single-player
}}
Atlantis II, known as Beyond Atlantis in North America, is a 1999 graphic adventure game developed and published by Cryo Interactive. The sequel to Atlantis: The Lost Tales, it follows the story of Ten, a mystical being that travels across time to defeat the Bearer of Dark. Players assume the role of Ten and solve puzzles in locations such as Ireland, the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and China.
Atlantis II was a commercial success, with sales of 180,000 units after fewer than two months of release. It ultimately sold 160,000 units in France alone, and became one of distributor Dreamcatcher Interactive's most popular titles in North America. The game was followed by Atlantis III: The New World, Atlantis Evolution and The Secrets of Atlantis: The Sacred Legacy.
Gameplay
The game features a "point and click" interface, full 3D panning, puzzles of varied difficulty, conversations with other characters and a fully orchestrated musical score.
Plot
A young man named Ten journeys through the mountains of Tibet. Upon finding a ship, he meets a levitating mystery man, who explains that Ten is the Bearer of Light and has to restore balance to the universe by confronting the Bearer of Dark, who resides in Shambhala. To find Shambhala, Ten must gather the pieces that make up the "road to Shambhala" from different time periods and locations: Ireland, the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and China. When Ten ventures into one of the places, he transforms into a different person on a unique quest. In Ireland, Ten is a monk named Felim helping the locals fulfill an old myth. In Yucatán, Ten is the young huntsman Tepec, a cousin of the king, who has to awaken sleeping god Quetzalcōātl to save his city from famine. In China, Ten is civil servant Wei Yulan, who helps defeat a shadow who has taken up residence before the gate of a Daoist monastery, saving the monks from drought. Finally in Shambhala, Ten meets Rhea, the last queen of Atlantis. After visiting the sunken isle, he ensures that the Bearer of Dark is imprisoned.
Development
{{expand section|date=March 2019}}
Reception
=Sales=
According to the French newspaper Les Échos, Atlantis II was a commercial hit, with sales of 180,000 units by late December 1999.{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20180714214841/https://www.lesechos.fr/27/12/1999/LesEchos/18055-113-ECH_cryo-dans-la-cour-des-grands.htm | url=https://www.lesechos.fr/27/12/1999/LesEchos/18055-113-ECH_cryo-dans-la-cour-des-grands.htm | title=Cryo dans la cour des grands | date=December 27, 1999 | archive-date=July 14, 2018 | language=French | author=Feraud, Jean-Christophe | work=Les Échos | url-status=live }} This number rose to 200,000 units by April 2000.{{cite web | archive-url=https://archive.today/20180717213247/https://www.lesechos.fr/13/04/2000/LesEchos/18133-084-ECH_cryo-introduira-sa-filiale-internet-en-bourse-avant-la-fin-de-l-annee.htm | url=https://www.lesechos.fr/13/04/2000/LesEchos/18133-084-ECH_cryo-introduira-sa-filiale-internet-en-bourse-avant-la-fin-de-l-annee.htm | title=Cryo introduira sa filiale Internet en Bourse avant la fin de l'année | author=Feraud, Jean-Christophe | language=French | date=April 13, 2000 | work=Les Échos | archive-date=July 17, 2018 | url-status=live }} The game went on to become a best-seller in the United States. Atlantis II made up 15% of DreamCatcher Interactive's North American sales in 2000; Cryo Interactive reported more than 100,000 units sold in the region from June through the end of the year.{{cite report | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030704221830/http://www.cryofinance.com/fr/Finance/RapportCryo2000.pdf | url=http://www.cryofinance.com/fr/Finance/RapportCryo2000.pdf | title=Document de référence 2000 | date=July 11, 2001 | language=French | publisher=Cryo Interactive | pages=27, 33 | archive-date=July 4, 2003 | url-status=dead }} Market research firm PC Data tallied 64,625 sales of the game in North America for 2000, of which 23,327 derived from December.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010414041809/http://justadventure.com/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/01-02/Feb_01.asp | url=http://justadventure.com:80/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/01-02/Feb_01.asp | title=The State of Adventure Gaming | date=February 2001 | author=Sluganski, Randy | archive-date=2001-04-14 | work=Just Adventure | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }} This performance made Atlantis II one of DreamCatcher's top sellers that year—alongside Traitors Gate and The Crystal Key—and resulted in growth at Cryo.
PC Data reported an additional 51,280 units sold in North America during the first half of 2001,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020215014752/http://justadventure.com/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/01-08/August_01.shtm | url=http://justadventure.com:80/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/01-08/August_01.shtm | title=The State of Adventure Gaming | date=August 2001 | author=Sluganski, Randy | archive-date=February 15, 2002 | work=Just Adventure | url-status=dead }} while combined global sales of Atlantis II and its predecessor topped 600,000 copies that October.{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030320222432/http://www.cryofinance.com/fr/Comm/17102001.htm | url=http://www.cryofinance.com/fr/Comm/17102001.htm | title=Atlantis 3, en 5ème position des ventes de jeux vidéo | date=October 17, 2001 | publisher=Cryo Interactive | language=French | archive-date=March 20, 2003 | url-status=dead }} By that time, Atlantis II had sold 160,000 units in France alone.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040918152055/http://www.meristation.com/sc/Avances/avance.asp?c=GEN&cr=1676 | url=http://www.meristation.com:80/sc/Avances/avance.asp?c=GEN&cr=1676 | title=Avances; Atlantis III: The New World | author=Mola, Jaume Olivés | work=MeriStation | date=October 18, 2001 | archive-date=2004-09-18 | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }} It ended 2001 with 84,237 sales in North America that year, according to PC Data,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020619111456/http://www.justadventure.com/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/Mar-02/sales2001.shtm | url=http://www.justadventure.com:80/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/Mar-02/sales2001.shtm | title=State of Adventure Gaming - March 2002 - 2001 Sales Table | date=March 2002 | author=Sluganski, Randy | archive-date=2002-06-19 | work=Just Adventure | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }} and it moved another 9,317 copies in the region during the first six months of 2002.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050314010007/http://justadventure.com/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/August2002/SalesJune2002.shtm | url=http://justadventure.com:80/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/August2002/SalesJune2002.shtm | title=State of Adventure Gaming - August 2002 - June 2002 Sales Table | date=August 2002 | author=Sluganski, Randy | archive-date=2005-03-14 | work=Just Adventure | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }} The following year, Ghislain Pages of DreamCatcher's European branch remarked that Atlantis II had become "one of the leading products of DreamCatcher in the States", and a sign that European adventures could achieve popularity in the country.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051023082955/http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,223 | url=http://www.adventuregamers.com:80/article/id,223 | title=The Adventure Company Europe | author=Bronstring, Marek | date=March 7, 2003 | archive-date=2005-10-23 | work=Adventure Gamers | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }} Worldwide sales of Atlantis II, Atlantis and their sequel, Atlantis III: The New World, surpassed 1 million total units by 2004.{{cite web | author=Bronstring, Marek | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527011502/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17714 | url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17714 | title=Atlantis Evolution - E3 2004 | date=May 24, 2004 | work=Adventure Gamers | archive-date=May 27, 2015 | url-status=live }}
=Critical reviews=
{{Video game reviews
| AdvGamers = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17438 |title=Atlantis II Review |author=Heidi Fournier |date=May 19, 2002 |publisher=Adventure Gamers |access-date=September 25, 2017}}
| EuroG = 7/10{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030308182551/http://eurogamer.net/content/atlantis2 | url=http://eurogamer.net/content/atlantis2 | title=Review; Atlantis 2 | date=April 1, 2000 | author=Bye, John | work=Eurogamer | archive-date=March 8, 2003 | url-status=dead }}
| CGM = {{Rating|1.5|5}}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040108032827/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/029/194/atlantis_review.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/029/194/atlantis_review.html | title=Beyond Atlantis | date=October 2, 2000 | author=Wand, Kelly | work=Computer Games Magazine | archive-date=January 8, 2004 | url-status=dead }}
| GSpot = 5.6/10{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/beyond-atlantis/ |title=Beyond Atlantis - GameSpot |author=Ron Dulin |date=July 18, 2000 |publisher=GameSpot |access-date=September 25, 2017}}
| IGN = 6.4/10{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/26/beyond-atlantis |title=Atlantis II - IGN |author= |date=July 25, 2005 |publisher=IGN |access-date=September 25, 2017}}
| rev1 = MacHome Journal
| rev2 = PC Gaming World
| rev2Score = 7.5/10{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001215154300/http://www.gamespot.co.uk/pc.gamespot/adventure/atla2_uk/review.html | url=http://www.gamespot.co.uk:80/pc.gamespot/adventure/atla2_uk/review.html | title=Atlantis II Review | author=Houghton, Gordon | date=November 25, 1999 | work=PC Gaming World | archive-date=2000-12-15 | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }}
| rev3 = Jeuxvideo.com
| rev3Score = 14/20{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010630075443/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/testfiche.htm?articles%2F00000340 | url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com:80/testfiche.htm?articles/00000340 | title=Tests; Atlantis II | author=Mélo | work=Jeuxvideo.com | archive-date=2001-06-30 | url-status=dead | access-date=2018-10-27 }}
}}
In Computer Gaming World, Audrey Wells wrote: "Steer clear if you're not a fan of developer Cryo's work, but if you like immersing yourself in a beautiful world and solving puzzles, Beyond Atlantis is for you".{{cite magazine | author=Wells, Audrey | title=Inside Adventure; They're... Alive! ALIVE! | date=January 2001 | issue=198 | magazine=Computer Gaming World | pages=182, 183 }}
{{Clear}}
Legacy
{{expand section|date=May 2019}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official|https://web.archive.org/web/20000301170232/http://www.cryo-interactive.com/V1.0/english/atlantis_2/atlantis2.htm}} (archived)
- {{moby game|id=/beyond-atlantis}}
{{Atlantis series}}
{{Cryo adventures}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:The Adventure Company games
Category:Atlantis (video game series)
Category:Cryo Interactive games
Category:First-person adventure games
Category:Point-and-click adventure games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Video games developed in France
Category:Video games scored by Pierre Estève
Category:Video games set in Atlantis
Category:Video games set in China
Category:Video games set in Ireland
Category:Video games set in Mexico
Category:Video games set in Tibet