Labyrinth of Time is a re-release of a classic puzzle/maze game. In the tradition of successes like Myst and the 7th Guest, the game places the player inside a world that they must solve to escape the maze. The story is that King Minos, once ruler of the original labyrinth that held the minotaur of ancient Greece, has enslaved the soul of his architect in the afterlife. Now he has forced the creation of a new labyrinth, the Labyrinth of Time. If the new labyrinth is completed King Minos will be able to conquer all of time, even from beyond the grave.

The concept holds all the makings of a good story. Sadly this game does not live up to the concept. The graphics, sounds, and gameplay fall far short. When Labyrinth of Time was originally released I am sure the game measured up to the standards of the time. When measured against today’s games, Labyrinth of Time falls short. 

As a concept Labyrinth of Time sounds interesting. I was a big fan of Myst and the 7th Guest, so I assumed this would be another worthwhile game to play. As a contemporary of both those games I expected a certain something, a world that would inspire me with a sense of wonder. After playing for a few minutes I realized that while Labyrinth of Time must have been a fun game for its fans, it is just another contender in the maze/puzzle genre. The story was interesting, but not captivating. If the game was part of a vibrant, exciting world to explore it would cover this slight shortfall easily. Unfortunately Labyrinth of Time is a complete re-release of the original game. The world projected by the game just isn’t enough compared to more recent releases.

The graphics for Labyrinth of Time are obviously dated. The three-dimensional world is rendered without fine detail in many cases. The objects you must interact with throughout the game are relatively well done, but the overall effect is poor. While I understand that this is a re-release of a classic game, the developers should have put a little time into updating the graphics. It is obvious which pieces of the world a player can interact with. The backgrounds, particularly in the “mirror maze” section of the game, are repetitive - making objects stand out. The lack of fine resolution is painfully real if you have played anything more recent than the late 1990’s before starting Labyrinth of Time.

The sounds are a little better, but not by much. The background music conveys the sense of a gray, dull day at the office very well during the opening sequence. When the “normal” rapidly dives into the surreal the music manages to convey the mixed wonder and fear that the main character must have been feeling. Beyond that there is nothing that stands out about the soundtrack. The music is decent but it lacks the clarity you will find in modern games. There is also a surprising lack of background noise. The only real sound that players have to help them immerse themselves in the world is the music.

The gameplay is done through a clunky point-and-click interface or through a few keystrokes. Players have the options of moving through entire rooms at a time or turning 90 degrees to the right or left. By clicking on an object with the mouse cursor you can examine objects and find things to interact with. While the world is rendered in 3D, I got the sense that I was moving through a world in two dimensions. Using objects in your inventory involves opening up an inventory screen that completely covers the game screen, and then using the object you have selected with the environment. Get ready for some “that has no effect” messages if you use the wrong item in an area. There are a few moments of humor, for example putting one of your quarters into the fortune telling machine hidden in the “mirror maze,” but those are few and far between.

Labyrinth of Time might be a worthwhile purchase for fans of the original games. I’m sad to say that new players will find themselves disappointed by the game. Labyrinth of Time simply cannot compete with recent games a decade after it was originally released. The story is intriguing, but after a few minutes the age of the game begins to set in. The clunky controls, grainy graphics, and bland sounds will reveal themselves to the player rapidly. Unless you are a die-hard fan of the original release looking for a way to play the game again on a modern machine save your money.

Gameplay: 3.5
The interface for Labyrinth of Time is clunky. Players lack the ability to fully explore the world because of the limited number of options available for moving around. Combined with an unwieldy inventory system the gameplay is simply not up to the standards of today’s games.

Graphics: 3.5
I have not seen graphics this poor in a long time. I’ll admit that when Labyrinth was first released in the early 1990’s the graphics were close to what you would expect for a decent game. A decade later the graphics are painfully old.

Sound: 4.5
Like the graphics the sound is fairly dated. It is hard to tell, but the sounds lack the crisp realism of modern games. There is a noticeable lack of background noise in the game, but at least this piece of the game is closer to the modern standard.

Difficulty: Medium
This is a classic puzzle/maze game. Players wander through the labyrinth looking for pieces of the puzzle they need to destroy the labyrinth and prevent King Minos from ruling the universe for all time. Expect to see some puzzles, but nothing too difficult.

Concept: 6.5
As a generic contender in the puzzle/maze genre Labyrinth of Time is an average. It does not add anything to the genre, but it is not a complete waste of time. The dated graphics, sound, and gameplay don’t help the game, but the concept is sound.

Overall: 4.5
The saving grace of the Labyrinth of Time is the concept behind the game. A decade ago this classic was competing with games like Myst. It fell behind the competition then. Released into the current crop of games Labyrinth of Time falls well below the mark for an “average” game. If you want to play a maze/puzzle game look for something more recent to sink your teeth into. Labyrinth of Time is well past its prime.