<s>
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Softedge	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Yano	O
Electric	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Japan	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
in	O
1994	O
and	O
then	O
for	O
the	O
PC	O
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
deals	O
with	O
historical	O
,	O
horror	O
,	O
religious	O
and	O
educational	O
themes	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
karma	B-Application
and	O
reincarnation	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
on	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
,	O
the	O
dialogues	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
are	O
fully	O
voiced	O
in	O
Japanese	O
,	O
with	O
English	O
subtitles	O
in	O
the	O
localized	O
North	O
American	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
uses	O
karma	B-Application
and	O
reincarnation	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
Buddhist	O
concepts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
will	O
often	O
die	O
after	O
being	O
attacked	O
by	O
evil	O
demons	B-Operating_System
or	O
robbers	O
,	O
and	O
will	O
then	O
go	O
to	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
realms	O
of	O
reincarnation	O
,	O
depending	O
upon	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
conduct	O
in	O
that	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
with	O
too	O
much	O
negative	O
karma	B-Application
,	O
they	O
may	O
be	O
reincarnated	O
as	O
a	O
dog	O
rather	O
than	O
a	O
human	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
deals	O
with	O
religion	O
and	O
philosophy	O
,	O
particularly	O
Buddhism	O
and	O
Buddhist	O
philosophy	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
myth	O
and	O
legend	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
previously	O
arguing	O
that	O
video	O
games	O
are	O
categorically	O
not	O
art	O
,	O
he	O
stated	O
,	O
"	O
In	O
my	O
actual	O
experience	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
played	O
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
,	O
which	O
I	O
enormously	O
enjoyed	O
,	O
and	O
Myst	B-Application
,	O
for	O
which	O
I	O
lacked	O
the	O
patience.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
is	O
the	O
only	O
video	O
game	O
that	O
Ebert	O
is	O
known	O
to	O
have	O
reviewed	O
and	O
enjoyed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
1994	O
,	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
Times	O
published	O
a	O
review	O
by	O
David	O
Coller	O
,	O
who	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
an	O
"	O
adventure-cultural-historical	O
game	O
"	O
that	O
is	O
"	O
graphically	O
violent	O
at	O
times	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
a	O
"	O
cerebral	O
game	O
"	O
that	O
"	O
in	O
no	O
way	O
resembles	O
Doom	B-Application
or	O
Rebel	B-Application
Assault	I-Application
"	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
you	O
have	O
to	O
throw	O
away	O
your	O
Western	O
ideas	O
about	O
game	O
play	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
unique	O
gaming	O
experience	O
"	O
that	O
is	O
part	O
"	O
game	O
,	O
part	O
history	O
lesson	O
,	O
and	O
part	O
software	O
toy	O
,	O
"	O
recommending	O
it	O
to	O
players	O
"	O
looking	O
for	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
unlike	O
any	O
they	O
've	O
ever	O
seen	O
"	O
as	O
"	O
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
is	O
unlike	O
anything	O
else	O
out	O
there	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
how	O
it	O
departed	O
from	O
other	O
adventure	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
its	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
clear	O
goal	O
other	O
than	O
being	O
killed	O
"	O
over	O
and	O
over	O
and	O
over	O
again	O
"	O
and	O
how	O
"	O
you	O
're	O
just	O
an	O
ordinary	O
person	O
"	O
with	O
no	O
special	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
frustrating	O
,	O
flawed	O
,	O
and	O
fascinating	O
"	O
,	O
criticizing	O
the	O
slow	O
pace	O
,	O
"	O
limited	O
"	O
interaction	O
,	O
and	O
slow	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
loading	O
times	O
,	O
yet	O
found	O
it	O
"	O
appealing	O
"	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
the	O
wonder	O
of	O
the	O
setting	O
and	O
its	O
approach	O
outweighs	O
these	O
irritations	O
"	O
as	O
there	O
"	O
are	O
too	O
many	O
fascinating	O
things	O
to	O
discover	O
,	O
from	O
haunted	B-Application
houses	I-Application
to	O
backgammon-playing	O
demons	B-Operating_System
"	O
and	O
the	O
reincarnation	O
mechanic	O
gives	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
a	O
certain	O
freedom	O
"	O
,	O
enough	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
"	O
could	O
even	O
use	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
resource	O
for	O
"	O
their	O
"	O
own	O
role-playing	O
game	O
"	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Cook	O
,	O
"	O
Ultimately	O
,	O
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
is	O
best	O
viewed	O
as	O
less	O
a	O
game	O
and	O
more	O
a	O
software	O
toy	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
things	O
you	O
plug	O
in	O
and	O
fiddle	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
you	O
forget	O
about	O
winning	O
and	O
indulge	O
your	O
curiosity	O
,	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
'	O
s	O
strength	O
truly	O
shines.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
AUUG	O
Conference	O
in	O
September	O
1995	O
,	O
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
was	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
extremely	O
interesting	O
and	O
groundbreaking	O
"	O
,	O
for	O
"	O
many	O
aspects	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
way	O
it	O
presents	O
and	O
cross-references	O
its	O
fragmented	O
narratives	O
in	O
a	O
non-linear	O
way	O
,	O
the	O
Buddhist	O
themes	O
,	O
the	O
way	O
it	O
draws	O
from	O
"	O
the	O
art	O
and	O
literature	O
of	O
Kyoto	O
at	O
about	O
1000	O
AD	O
,	O
the	O
simple	O
elegance	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
beauty	O
of	O
the	O
water-colour	O
images	O
used	O
throughout.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
noted	O
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
lacks	O
a	O
"	O
real	O
plot	O
or	O
goal	O
"	O
but	O
considered	O
an	O
"	O
unfairness	O
"	O
to	O
be	O
characteristic	O
of	O
horror	O
with	O
"	O
encounters	O
with	O
ghosts	O
and	O
demons	B-Operating_System
"	O
that	O
are	O
"	O
often	O
random	O
,	O
sudden	O
,	O
inescapable	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mexican	O
filmmaker	O
Guillermo	O
del	O
Toro	O
mentioned	O
Cosmology	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kyoto	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
his	O
favorite	O
games	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Gadget	B-Application
:	I-Application
Invention	I-Application
,	I-Application
Travel	I-Application
,	I-Application
&	I-Application
Adventure	I-Application
,	O
Asteroids	B-Application
and	O
Galaga	B-Application
.	O
</s>
