[PS5] Review of Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy

Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy brings a fresh perspective to Benoît Sokal’s classic, reimagining the journey of French explorer Alexander Valembois. The narrative whisks us away to the fictional, South American land of Amerzone where extraordinary creatures, including mystical White Birds, face extinction due to the rise of a dictator, a former comrade of Valembois. Fast-forward to the 2000s, and you step into the shoes of a journalist, tasked with fulfilling Valembois’ final wish: return a white egg to Amerzone, ensuring the survival of the White Birds.

It’s been 25 years since Microids first introduced this game on PC in 1999, and now it’s back in a stunning new format for the PlayStation 5. Drawing inspiration from Sokal’s 1986 comic strip, Inspector Canardo’s L’Amerzone, the game originally featured a first-person perspective in 3D. The 2025 version utilizes Unreal Engine 5 to breathe new life into it, transforming its visual experience completely. The classic “click here to move” mechanic persists, but transitions are now seamless, with each scene beautifully animated, thanks to enhanced lighting and meticulous detail. Voice acting is back, enriching the storytelling experience.

Players can opt for Traveler or Adventurer mode. If you’re looking to soak in the atmosphere and story without wrestling too much with puzzles, Traveler Mode is your go-to. It provides more hints and documents to guide you along the way. On the flip side, Adventurer Mode ramps up the challenge, featuring fewer clues and trickier puzzles. For those ready to push themselves to the limit, you can strip away hints and objectives entirely to test your mettle.

Navigating from a first-person viewpoint, you’re equipped with intuitive controls to explore and interact. Use the left analog stick to manipulate the view and cursor, and press the X button for interaction. If you want to speed things up, hold L2, or zoom in and out with L1. Need an overview of interactive options in any scene? Just tap the Triangle button. Your journal, accessible via the Touchpad, will be your go-to for tracking missions, maintaining your diary, inventory management, and reviewing collected documents.

Interaction with objects goes beyond surface-level involvement. Examine objects from all sides, ensuring that no detail is overlooked. Pressing X while focused on an object allows you to rotate it, revealing hidden information. Watch the cursor closely; a magnifying glass icon indicates that an object holds valuable clues, while a hand icon lets you know when it’s time to take action.

Throughout the journey, you’ll uncover investigative material crucial to unlocking additional content and enriching your report. While optional, delving into these investigations amplifies your understanding of the game’s lore, simultaneously aiding trophy hunters in their quest for completion.

The game boasts a full trophy list, capped off by the elusive Platinum trophy. With 18 Bronze, 5 Silver, and 6 Gold trophies to collect, objectives range from progressing through story chapters to engaging in specific activities like completing your first investigation, tuning in to the radio, making unique phone calls, arranging the professor’s slides, and more.

Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy is not just a recreation; it’s an evolution of Sokal’s adored classic. We take on the narrative role of a journalist picking up where Valembois left off, driven by his dying wish to reinvigorate the magical White Birds’ existence.

Flash forward over two decades since its original debut, and Amerzone has undergone a metamorphosis utilizing the cutting-edge capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 on PS5. Its release is a visual and auditory spectacle, as detailed by the amazing transitions and voice acting retained from its past incarnation. Are you in it for buttery-smooth gameplay or razor-sharp graphics? You have the choice between Performance and Resolution modes, depending on which appeals to your senses.