Macintosh

Riven: The Sequel to Myst

Riven became the benchmark against which all my subsequent gaming experiences have been measured and for me few have matched its impact. Despite my difficulty with the game puzzles it is still one of my 'top ten' games and I gave Riven a grade A.

I won't spoil anything for those of you newbies to gaming, or for the vets that refuse to give in to "the man" and play Riven, but I promise you: you will enjoy this game for one reason or another. It's not only phenomenal gaming, but it's a work of art.

Though far more sumptuous and slick, Riven is essentially Myst all over again. Therefore, it will certainly delight Myst devotees just as much as it will dismay Myst detractors (you know who you are, PC Gamer reviewers. . .). So what if there is not much plot to it, and its tone has a weird sort of New Age-ish solemnity, with not a hint of humor anywhere? Never mind: gorgeous graphics, remarkably coherent, fascinating gameworld, and intricate puzzles are bound to make Riven a crowd-pleaser (assuming, that is, that the crowd consists of gamers patient and persistent enough to cope with the game's often mind-boggling challenges).