Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy (PS5) Review: A Gorgeous, Quirky Trip Worth Taking

Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy was first created by Benoît Sokal and published by Microïds back in 1999 for Windows, Mac OS, and the PS1. It sold over a million copies and set the stage for Sokal’s Syberia series, and is the namesake for the video game development company he co-founded, White Birds Productions. I can vaguely remember playing through the game back then, but what we have now isn’t a remake, but more of a reimagining of the same game.

Developer Microids Studio Paris has rebuilt the game from the ground up, and while the story is pretty much the same, the journey through this universe of storytelling is considerably different and much improved. To make this point, you can find walk-throughs for the original ’99 version and see the similarities, but don’t expect to find puzzle solutions or even the right path. Quite a bit has been added, and most puzzles have player-dependent solutions. An unlock code might be 5674 for you, but it may be 7459 for someone else.

Gameplay: Fun, But Not Always Smooth

If you’ve played old-school adventure games like Myst or Syberia, you’ll feel right at home in Amerzone. It’s first-person, point-and-click gameplay that will have you wandering around, poking at stuff and solving puzzles to keep the story moving. You’re piecing together what happened in Amerzone while piloting a Hydrafloat, which transforms like a steampunk Transformer. The puzzles aren’t too taxing, even in Adventurer mode, like figuring out codes from old journals or messing with the environment to open a path. There’s an easy mode for casual players called Traveler and a harder one called Adventurer, plus a hint system if you’re stuck.

Amerzone isn’t perfect. The game start’s kinda slow, with a lot of time poking around a dusty lighthouse reading letters. I get they’re setting up the story, but I was ready to head to the jungles to explore. Some puzzles had me clicking random stuff till something worked, which got old fast. The Hydrafloat’s controls felt clunky at times, especially in tight spots, and the search for fuel for the next leg of the trip up the river seemed never-ending. I also had a couple of moments where I was squinting at the screen trying to find a tiny object to click, which felt like a throwback to the ‘90s in the worst way.

The story is where the game still shines after all these years. You’re not just chasing some magic bird egg; you’re unraveling a sad, messy tale about an explorer, Alexandre Valembois, who screwed over Amerzone by stealing a magical, mythical egg and leaving Amerzone to be cursed and rot under a dictator. It’s less about action and more about making things right, which I found refreshing. The world’s full of little stories—notes from Valembois’ old crew, chats with weathered locals—that make it feel lived-in. It feels like a bittersweet tale, like you’re walking through someone else’s regrets and mistakes and trying your best to make things right.

That said, your character’s a bit of a nobody. He’s just a guy that the main character entrusted with this epic journey because he got too old. I didn’t mind too much, but it means the emotional stuff leans hard on the NPCs, and not all of them land. I also wanted more on the dictator angle—it’s mentioned, but you never really get the full story. That could make for some nice DLC, but with how short the overall experience is, they could have stretched that out a bit. The story’s ending is pretty and poetic, but I was left wishing for a bit more closure.

Amerzone sets the stage with impressive graphics from the start. While the opening lighthouse stage is a bit dark and dreary, it’s the atmosphere they’ve created that impressed me the most. The attention to detail gives the puzzles a bit more depth and complexity while exploring the place, and finding all of the clues, letters, and notes is no easy task.

Once you’ve launched your Hydrafloat, the game’s graphics really start to shine. The level of detail in the jungles of Amerzone is impressive, and the place feels alive. The animals are highly detailed and add an extra touch to the overall feel of the world. When you do come across abandoned towns, you can feel the emptiness, with abandoned classrooms that might pull at your heartstrings.

Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy Review: Final Verdict

Developer Microids Studio Paris took a well-written story and a well-made game (for 1999) and completely reimagined it for 2025. Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy shows that they dove into the PS5 hardware with both feet and utilized haptics with the controller, as well as utilizing the adaptive triggers in several different areas. They recreated some of the original puzzles while creating a bunch of new puzzles that may test your overall IQ.

Review code provided by publisher and reviewed on a launch PS5.

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