Ruins of Pantheon finds the nameless protagonist once more defending the Earth against the Octlien, a race of vaguely lizard-like aliens that seem to have it out for our home planet. After having their plans foiled in the previous games, the aliens have marshaled their forces and are on their way to attack; only you have the knowledge and resources to stop them. This may sound more like the premise for a first-person shooter, but fear not, point-and-click fans; the key stopping the Octlien lies in exploring and gradually unraveling the mysteries of ancient ruins, ultimately unlocking a super-weapon that just may be enough to stop those pesky invaders.
I highly suggest that those new to the Jinja Series first play the previous four chapters, so as to get the full narrative experience; like in other well-made game series, a good bit of the fun (to me) is the story. Even if you insist, however, on jumping right into Ruins of Pantheon, a very enjoyable game awaits. The graphics, while nice enough, aren't anything spectacular; the only soundtrack are the occasional noises that accompany in-game events. What really makes the game fun is the satisfying logic of how the puzzles are solved; the difficulty is high enough to take some thought, but moderate enough to allow relatively rapid progress. The game involves a lot of running around, gathering a clue from room A to solve a puzzle in room B, and the item then collected in B naturally makes you think of an item in room C, and so on. I enjoy this sort of gameplay, and Ruins of Pantheon makes it very rewarding.
All in all, Ruins of Pantheon is simply a lot of fun. Despite the storyline, not much makes sense (who set this elaborate puzzle system up?), and some of the puzzles require more persistence than ingenuity on the players' end, but who cares? You get to wander around mysterious underground caverns, deciphering ancient stone tablets and waking up long-dormant alien technology. The game is blissfully free of pixel-hunting, and despite the "impending doom" scenario feels surprisingly relaxed. It's well-made and very entertaining, and I for one can't wait for the next chapter.
If you'd like to play the games in order, you can find the previous chapters here:
Time to once more save the world:
Cheers to Renegade and Juv3nal for sending this one in! =)
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
Walkthrough
Walk forward twice. Enter the house. Click on the big stone twice. Then once again to enter the underground area.
On the screen with the ladder you can move all the items, and reveal two items that you may need.
Brush and rope.
Go left. Click on the brown stone, and whipe it clean with the brush. The stone is mostly symmetric, except for a code for later. Note it down.
Click down, then zoom in on the lantarn-opening. Pick up the stone.
Go back, then go right twice. Click on the vase on the lowerright corner. Pick up the key.
Zoom out, go right, and up the ladder. Click down once, so you're looking at the door of the house. On the top of the screen are some icicles, click them to look on the roof. Drag your stone to the button-like thing on the front of the house. The oars will move, and they drop a lever.
Click back three times, then right once. Use the rope on the tree, then get down by clicking on the tree. (For extra fun, try hitting the bunny with a stone..)
On this screen, notice a light-grey spot on the stones. Click it to zoom on, then use the brush on it to see what it is. Note this combination down, you need it later for the puzzle with three sticks. Also, click to the right of the screen to find a crowbar hidden behind a stone.
Click left. Click on the rectangle in the lava-machine to the left. Open it, then insert the lever.
Zoom out, click right again. Pick up the candle. Use your key on the stone with a keyhole.
Go forward. Click all the stones so they move away, and go forward again. In this puzzle, click the sticks as the combination told you earlier.
Really want to know?
First the right one, then the middle, and then the left one.
A hole magically appears in the ground. Zoom in, click on the chest, then take the item.
Zoom out, click back twice, then click right. Use the candle on the lava.
Click left, then forward, then left again and then back. Use your key on the stones all the way to the right, and all the way left.
Use your candle on the right-most mound on the ground to light it, then pick up a new key.
Go left. Pick up the shovel. Click on the big stone. Then throw your stone at the button on the big stone. (For some fun you can drag your candle over the gas-pocket. This does nothing useful though..)
Click right, then forward, then left. Use your crowbar on the locked box to the right. Inside the box you'll find a 'Carnelian'.
Zoom out, go right and then back. There's a hole in the wall to the right, use your carnelian here.
Move one screen forwards, then right. On the top-left of this screen you can click to reveal a painting on the wall. Light the fire with your candle. Slowly a hidden drawing will appear over the fire. Remind what is drawn here!
Zoom out, go left and up the ladder. Use your crowbar on the wall above the stone. It reveals a puzzle, and a seemingly wooden piece. Pick it up. You can solve the puzzle, the hint for it is the painting in this room. Note the colours and dimensions.
Really want to know?
Top left is (1,1), next to that is (2,1)
(1,1): grey (white+black)
(2,2): grey (white+black)
(3,4): white
(4,3): black
Water will start flowing to the lava-machine.
Go down the ladder and click back. Use your wooden piece on the hole in the wall to the left. This reveals yet another hole. Zoom in, then use your stone on it twice. Zoom out, then click on the mound to the left, grab the chest.
Use the blue key on the chest to open it. You'll get a mysterious new item.
Click right. Click on the stone with a button. Rotate the pieces so that the figure you saw on the mural painting is on the top.
Really want to know?
Rotate the outer piece twice.
Rotate the middle piece three times.
Rotate the inner piece once.
The stone will move to reveal a statue.
Click right twice. Use your shovel on the pile of leaves. Grab the carrot.
Move outside, and give the rabbit the carrot.
Move back down, click left three times. The rabbit is digging. When it moves away, use your shovel where it was digging.
Click the hole, use your crowbar on it. Grab the cog here and move one screen forward. Use the mysterious item to fix the left pipe, then enter the sequence you saw earlier on the levers.
Really want to know?
From left to right:
Down, up, up. Down, down, up.
The big door will open. Look inside the thing to the left to find the mirror, look in the one on the right to find a stone bowl.
Now move back, click the hole in the ceiling to go up. Click right, then forward twice. Fill the bowl with water.
Move back twice, click on the statue and give it the bowl with water.
Click left twice, use the mirror on the sand where the moonlight hits it.
Go right, then forward twice. Use the chip-like part in the chip, and the cilinder on the pedestal (sp?). Click the white angelic circle to start cutscene. (Which takes a while...)
Once back in the ship, click the round object to fire! (Cutscene..)
Once you can click again, click the spark, and electrify yourself. Do it three times, then the cat sacrifices himself.
Click the circle on the screen again. You win.
After the congratulations screen, and the cutscene after it, pick up the cat.
Click back twice, then click on the hole in the roof.
Then click on the door of the house, and put your cat on the electric wire to fix him.
You win for real this time!
Posted by: Maqrkk
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July 1, 2008 3:37 PM
HINT-THROUGH
(with explanation of most of the symbols)
A ship speeds towards planet Earth! Doesn't look friendly... quick, to the shrine! They say even its ruins will protect us...
The Shrine on the Hill
1. Hello there little kitty! I think your name is Joyce. Mew to you too! Stay warm in this snow. Oh hang on, I've heard of you before - no worries, then. I hope you're more helpful this time around. Maybe later.
2. Up the hill I go to the shrine. I hope the gods help me... maybe if I examine the prayer slips. There's some on this tree, some on that rope, and some around this rock.
Okay, I know these stories. The moon from the right eye. The incarnation of fire causing death.
With these clues we can "move mountains", I hope.
3. This shack is falling apart. But I'm not strong enough to start smashing up these boards. Maybe later. This scroll is also interesting. Also something for later.
First Chambers
4. There's a lot of clutter DOWN here! Let's clear some out.
5. Two items. I feel like an archaeologist! Unfortunately I don't have as much time as an archaeologist, unless my name is Indiana (TM).
6. First to the LEFT. Let's clean off this slab. Good thing I tidied up earlier. Then - what's this? Anything found in a lantern has to be illuminating, right? And lastly, a slab I can't open yet. Or is it a crypt?
7. Now all the way to the RIGHT. Pots are important in archaeology. They're used for all sorts of storage. Oh hey, a fourth item! Very promising.
8. Rock and roll! Another chamber.
9. Okay, I can't slack. What is that on the left? Am I reading writing on the wall? That doesn't look good. Maybe later.
10. WATER CHAMBER. Water is associated with the moon. Here's some wood to push. But in what order? The wood upstairs was leaning from right to left; and there's all that about the right eye. How about a long-shot -
starting from the water outward.
11. Ow! Good thing I ducked. Now this item is weird. All the markings are white. More moon symbolism? Maybe later.
12. MOON AND FIRE CHAMBER. The clues are starting to make sense. This room, on the other hand... The moon rock on one side, the fire on the other side. Then small sculptures in front of them: a lakebed? a volcano? The fire side has an extra alcove. Hey, what's this on the rocks...
13. There are tiny holes on the rocks. Are these... keyholes?
Unlocked Chambers
14. LEFT / MOON-SIDE. Or... the STEAM CHAMBER. This tool will help dig up more clues! Check out this prominent rock.
15. I can't reach it! If only I had something to throw...
16. Whoa!! Was that a glowing symbol? Like an eye...
Okay, that new formation looks like a face. Where have I heard about that before... Maybe later. (Somewhere, a capsule is opened.) (Also, *don't* come back here and wave around an open flame. Not without protection, anyway.)
17. And a beam of light. Like a moonbeam. Maybe later.
18. RIGHT / FIRE-SIDE. Or... the LAVA CHAMBER. Here's an apropos item. I should use it soon, it could last a while. Now to explore...
19. I'm shaky on my kanji. One last rock to unlock. Now some gears... too heavy! I can't get at this item. Maybe later. A bowl that goes nowhere, though it looks like a water lotus. And finally, something to turn on this big rock.
20. Now turning to the RIGHT. Of course I didn't ignore the MASSIVE LAVA FIELD. Let's imitate the painting and go over there... ow, ow, hot, hot hot. Looks like a bowl. With two square compartments on either side. With all this lava,
I can't forget to light the latest item.
21. GRASSY CHAMBER. Or... the trickiest chamber ever.
22. That tiny smudge on the rock in front of me ought to be cleaned off. A visual clue! Writing it down.
23. I learned my lesson. CHECK ALL THE ROCKS. ... Good thing I looked back there;
this tool may help open more tight spots.
24. Speaking of tools, let's dig through this grass. Yummy. This (9th) item might not last too long.
Break Open the Keys
25.
A1. Heading back. In the FIRST LEFT CHAMBER, I've got a tool now to break open this crypt.
Good thing I checked those rocks in the Grassy Chamber.
Eeek. And wow.
This gem represents fire. Where have I heard that before?
B1, C1. UP to the SHRINE. What else can I do with this tool?
Oh yes, the loose board. A puzzle. And a specifically shaped item. I'll hang on to that.
I hope the gods are okay with this. I mean, it is a *ruin*.
D1. I've still got a few more tools. Let's go OUTSIDE. I hope I'm in time... looking up at the moonlit sky...
hey, that looks like a button! I have something that I can toss. Ahh something slid down the roof! Just barely in reach.
E1. Now down the hill, past the kitty, and turn right to the woodland creature...
that might eat my edible item. Lucky I found it in the grassy chamber. Catch, little guy!
F. It hopped away. DOWN. How to follow it down without breaking any bones?
There's this sturdy tree. Maybe I can practice some scouting skills with an item I have. Maybe something I found in the clutter down there?
E2, G1. I'm back here at the GRASSY CHAMBER. I'll keep turning LEFT till I come upon the cute creature. It's digging in the MOON AND FIRE CHAMBER. Maybe I should dig where it's digging.
Using the Keys
26. Here in the MOON AND FIRE CHAMBER, I think I'll use some fire-themed items. How about the mini-volcano? It's kind of dark in there.
What do I have that can shed some light on the situation...? Hey, I found another useful item. Maybe I can use it later. What else can I do here...?
A2. The alcove is on the fire side, and it seems like I can set something in it,
so I'll try the other fire-themed item. I'll put it right here in the center.
Ack! Ducking again!
C2. Hey, it's a depression carved into the rock! Didn't I find an item that looks like this shape?
Was it up in the shrine? Let's match the piece to the shape.
...argh, I need a hard hat for this!
27. Uh-oh. My prying tool won't work. I can't reach this locked item. And it's kind of high up. Don't I have something to toss up there? Better put my shoulder into it. Almost there... one more try... there!
28. Where did it go? Let's check the mini-lakebed. This is on the moon-side of the room, after all. Now that I have it...
let's open it. What would fit that lock? (No need to check, just DRAG AND DROP.)
I now have a mysterious disk-like item.
G2. One last thing. I dug a hole in the middle of the room. So why won't this stay open? Do I have anything to keep it open?
Maybe I should prise the hatch with a tool.
29. FORWARD to the FIRST CHAMBER on the RIGHT. Remember that painting? Using fire to fight the big bad pink monster. Octopus? Octilien? Hmmm! The ancients knew what they were doing.
I have one more fire-themed item that still works. It may burn out soon. Let me hold it up to the cave painting. Nothing's happening, at first... Oh! Some symbols are revealed! Is that the "incarnation of fire"? Makes sense that it looks like a man. There's another symbol in the second hut, too. Maybe this will be useful later. Or very shortly.
30. BACK to the LAVA CHAMBER. I remember seeing the cave-painting symbols somewhere...
Ah-a! I'll turn the dial on this rock. That way it's right-side up.
(Somewhere, a capsule is opened.) (The 2nd one, like in the painting, to be precise.)
Wow... look at that. Her outstretched hands almost look like something should be there.
31. If I check the symbols on the GRASSY CHAMBER,
there's one there with a hollow circle. Then solid gray ... like a rock? And to the left bottom there's bright white. Like the moon? Does this stand for something? Or maybe it's a map. If I were looking overhead, what round things would I see?
Oh. Let me turn around (LEFT) to the LAVA CHAMBER side again. There's the hollow circle. Then the lotus-shaped bowl. There's something missing, though...
Exploring the Cabin
G3. Let's return to the MOON AND FIRE CHAMBER and go DOWN the HATCH. If I remembered to pry it open, that is.
32. REAR CABIN. I found a mechanical item on the left. Looks like this room needs moon and fire objects as well. Of course it won't be an easy task to get them...
33. FORWARD to MIDSECTION. Aha. Capsules!
(If the STEAM and LAVA CHAMBERS have been unlocked, then these capsules should be open.)
There's also a piece missing on the moon-side. Do I have something like that?
Oh yes, I had a missing part from the WATER CHAMBER.
There's also a door that looks awfully familiar. Where have I seen it before?
I leave here with two round items.
Power Activations
34. BACK and UP I go to the MOON AND FIRE CHAMBER. Okay, I should stick to the moon and fire themes. STEAM CHAMBER:
Going to the LEFT. The eye should be activated somehow. That's what the shrine clue indicated. I have some strange parts and the round items. This is a room associated with the moon, so... moon item.
How about that moonbeam?
Should it focus on the eye? I have an item that might reflect light...
(With some focusing skills, one power source activated.)
LAVA CHAMBER:
Going to the RIGHT. Now here's a problem. I know which item to use.
It's the one from the MIDSECTION capsule. Because of the diagram in the GRASSY CHAMBER, it should fit in here. But what's wrong?
Wait a minute. One of the passages that I unlocked first had a river-like symbol on it. The passage that goes FORWARD. And I'll keep going forward...
to the WATER CHAMBER. I can fill this with water!
Back two chambers again. Great! Now where should I put this? Well, maybe the mechanism is the same as in the Steam Room. So that leaves...
the outstretched hands. I'll place this object where it's most needed. After all, what else could the gods use to quench fire?
35. That leaves the big machine in the MASSIVE LAVA FIELD. Hang on... where have I seen a lava field?
It's in the picture upstairs in the SHRINE! Quick, back UP, however it's quickest!
B2. Here in the SHRINE. I examine a few things: the painting with the warrior, his sword outstretched to the heavens. He's standing on a lava field. Okay, that seems to be what I need: a way to activate the weapon.
What interesting rock formations around him.
The other object is of course the puzzle in the back of the room, which I pried open earlier.
I don't have much time to play around with it... the black and the white squares seem to combine to form gray. So I have four possible squares and three possible colors. Where have I seen anything resembling those colors?
Oh. Could it be? It's like the map down in the grassy chamber. It's an aerial view. I'll CHECK THE PAINTING again....
There's two gray boulders in the back, the white robed figure in front, and then the black boulder just behind him and to the side. Okay! Back to the PUZZLE!
So I'll try 1 over + 1 down for the first gray. 2 over and 2 down for the second gray. The bottom white 3 clicks over for the white warrior. Then the last black 3 clicks down for the black rock.
Wow. WOW!
36. I should have 3 items left. I go DOWN to the MASSIVE LAVA FIELD. It's not doing anything. But then I remember...
there were two square compartments on either side of the giant machine's water intake. One seems to have an empty spoke... I'll install the missing item there, from the very lowest area. And the other seems to have a slot. I'll jam in the other missing item from the very highest area. Hmmm...
I should pull this down to activate it, right?
37. LEFT to the LAVA CHAMBER. Plenty of moving parts! Maybe this will all get off the ground. Oh, look...
the gears are turning, and they've thrown off the stuck object! I'll grab this battery-looking part.
38. LEFT to the MOON AND FIRE CHAMBER. DOWN the hatch, where the power sources are ready. But I go FORWARD to the MIDSECTION, and I can't open the door! Hang on... I saw this door before... where....?
Back UP and FORWARD and to the RIGHT CHAMBER. It looks just like the door. ...no, wait. It doesn't. What's different about it?
I must remember the aerial view. Those symbols to the side that are missing must be what I'm supposed to pull down in the MIDSECTION. So if I'm entering from this end, then look down on it from above... one on this side, and two on the other side. Wooo-hoo! I got the door open!
Defender of Earth
39. FORWARD to the AFT CONTROL ROOM. Oh look, the cat is waiting for me. Not making itself useful, of course.
I have two parts left. I'll try the center console, which has a battery-looking channel and above that, a slot for a disk of some sort. This ought to be self-explanatory.
Then... I'll press this halo?
Whoa!! Lift-off!
And I guess this in the center is the firing button. Here goes...
Oh my gosh, I thought this would finish them with one shot! We're doomed! Checking BACK, everything is shorting out! I have to fix this short circuit here in the CONTROL ROOM. Okay, trying again. Ow! I'm inconveniently human. Let me try one more time before searching for a manual...
40. The cat... I can't believe it. Well, it... *her* sacrifice shall not be in vain. One more round!
We saved Earth. But at what cost? Maybe there's something I can do. We seem to be landing... UP we go. hey, I know this place! Brrr, it's cold. FORWARD!
I seem to remember a laboratory, and a workbench with an automatic tool. Thank goodness it's still here and still working! And thank you, little friend. You must be good luck. After all, they say your kind look after old shrines, right?
Posted by: Shudog
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July 1, 2008 3:54 PM