Chris Young, a top racecar driver and marine technology specialist, is summoned by the Worldwide Heritage Foundation to retrieve the sacred mirror of Kofun, a mysterious Japanese artifact that offers magical protection against enemies.

The Sacred Mirror of Kofun is a first-person adventure game, another of the many attempts in the nineties to copy Myst and its financial success. It features a blend of Quicktime VR 360º panoramic views with the more traditional slide-show style associated with this type of game. A computer called E.D.W.A.R.D provides a database and a map. Both items are automatically filled as the plot progresses.

Most of the gameplay consists of scuba diving and taking photos under the sea (the game was co-produced by the famous marine biologist Jean-Michel Cousteau) and talking to the crew of the ship Antares for clues. The underwater sections use real documentary footage instead of pre-rendered environments.