Riven: The Sequel to Myst

But there are signs of greater artistic assurance, too. While Myst's puzzles stuck out like a Parcheesi board in The Hobbit, here they tuck nicely into the story line. Riven picks up where the earlier game left off: Atrus, a builder of worlds in the form of books, has imprisoned his fascistic father, Gehn, on one of the latter's creations, Riven. Atrus' wife, Catharine, has been imprisoned by unknown forces on Riven. Meanwhile, Gehn is threatening to escape and cause havoc in the known universe. The official goal of the game is to rescue Catharine and trick Gehn into a new prison; I say ''official'' because the real pleasure lies in the process, in the way that, say, learning about the Rivenese language system helps you ultimately contact a native rebel group fighting Gehn.

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.

At the time of its release the game graphics set a new standard of excellence, with innovative movement through an under-water environment and a transport system that was so convincing I travelled about on it just for the pleasure of the ride! In Riven it is possible to view the same area from several different perspectives; this not only adds to the realism but also gives further information for some of the puzzles.

If I can be allowed to express some slight disappointment it is only that I was not permitted to explore a couple of intriguing locations and the ending seemed to come in a rush as everything fell into place. Or perhaps it is simply that I didn't want it to end. Overall, I found Riven to be more engaging and less 'sterile' than Myst and though the puzzles in Riven may have been a little easier I liked the way they were integrated within the game. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was well worth the wait. It's a perfect game for fans of this type of adventure and deserves to be every bit as popular as Myst.

Die zahllosen Clones haben eins nicht kapiert: Schöne Grafik und eine herkömmliche Adventure-Geschichte reichen nicht. Nur Myst und jetzt Riven verstehen es, Sie perfekt in eine völlig neue Welt zu entführen, bei der das Entdecken und Erforschen neuer Orte reizvoller als so manch schneller Action-Reißer ist.

If you flat-out didn't like Myst, you're not going to like Riven, because the core of the game hasn't changed. If you don't like exploring, seemingly without purpose for many hours at a time, you're not going to like Riven. If you don't like the idea of having to learn a new number system, copying down symbols for later reference, and solving abstract puzzles, you're not going to like Riven. If you're biggest complaint about Myst was its lack of purpose or its lack of "things to do," you're going to like Riven. If you loved Myst, go love Riven.

Discard what you think about virtual worlds. Cast off your assumptions about the flimsy or exaggerated representation of reality made by most computer graphics. It all looks bloody well real. The only thing that keeps you from wanting to pack up and move there is the fact that the motion is all dissolve-transitions. Perhaps in the future we'll see 3D engines that can handle that kind of data, but until we're all running Octium Pro 600 quad-boards, this is as good as it gets. That dazzling indulgence for your eyes, coupled with the all-consuming sound effects, make this such an enjoyable world to just wander through, never mind the gameplay! And yet, one must mind the gameplay, because incredible design and story work were put into the action, and you're going to have your work cut out for you. While it takes a few hits from minor flaws, this game is a work of dedication and genius. Join me in the world of Riven. You won't want to leave.

Dare I say better than the original? You bet! A worthy successor to Myst. Riven will keep you at your computer for hours and up all night.

Riven, the sequel to Myst, is likely to be harshly criticized by those same people, and beloved by all of the people that made Myst such a success. Once again it often feels like a screen saver, with static screen after static screen, and an attempt at a Quicktime VR- or Zork Nemesis-style 360 degree panning environment is almost laughable. It has the same simplistic interface, lack of inventory and no meaningful interaction with the natives � things that frustrate long-time adventure gamers. However, Riven sucks you into its world even more effectively than Myst ever did, fleshing it out with more story, better integrated puzzles and a visual splendor that must be experienced to believe.

Sorti en 1997, Riven est la suite du célèbre jeu Myst, paru quatre années plus tôt. Celui-ci fut à l’origine d’un genre nouveau, à mi-chemin entre les jeux d’aventure et ceux dits de réflexion : le Myst-like. Ce concept novateur connut un succès phénoménal, puisque le jeu a longtemps détenu le titre du jeu le plus vendu de tous les temps. Il va sans dire que cette suite, tant attendue, porte sur ses frêles épaules le poids titanesque des espérances de millions de fans…

Riven heeft lang op zich laten wachten, maar ik moet toegeven, het wachten heeft vruchten afgeworpen. De omgeving voert je naar een droomwereld, veel mooier en rustiger dan de onze. Sommige spelers kunnen wel problemen hebben met het ingewikkelde Engels dat in het spel in de boeken te lezen staat, doch hierdoor zullen zij zelden of niet vast te komen zitten. De puzzels zijn precies afgewogen, het verhaal is solide en zit ijzersterk in mekaar. Het is misschien spijtig voor de niet Myst-spelers dat Riven sterk voortbouwt op zijn voorganger, maar laat dit je niet afschrikken.. Wie Myst goed vond, zal vanzelf zijn begerige handjes naar de Riven-doos zien gaan, vooral na het zien van de screenshots.

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).

"Why mess with success?” may well describe the thoughts of the designers of Riven: The Sequel to Myst. Myst is arguably a controversial title among fans of adventure games. Both its proponents and opponents are numerous. Some hail it as the ultimate surrealistic interactive experience, while others fault it as just a fancy slideshow with eccentric puzzles. Yet, no one can ignore the incredible sale figures the game has commanded and the multitude of imitators it has since inspired. As such, it comes to no surprise that the production of Riven: The Sequel to Myst has been under intense scrutiny by the press. Over 4 years in the making, it is rewarding to see that the final product spots a step-up in both sophistication and design to provide a new level of surrealism in adventure gaming.

With a walk-through in hand, Riven took only about four hours. Without it, I'd still be at it, doing a lot of wandering, mapping, and recording of my observations. And just like Myst, that's what Riven is all about: exploring a new world full of unique beings, organic machines, and family intrigue. There is no inventory, no need to combine mysterious potions, and no board game puzzles with little connection to Riven's world. Rather, it's a leisurely paced, all-encompassing, mentally challenging experience. If you enjoyed Myst, you'll thoroughly enjoy Riven.

All in all, I believe the developers of Riven did the best job they could porting this game over to the PlayStation, and if you don't have access to a PC, this version of Riven is adequate, but just that.

Das, was der begeisterte Myst-Spieler so liebt, etwa die hochauflösenden Rendergrafiken, der atmosphärische Soundtrack oder die Masse an seltsamen Knobelaufgaben, wurde weiter ausgebaut. Für Vertreter dieser Spielergattung kann ich deshalb nur sagen: Daumen hoch - das Kind ist genau der Vater! Wer dagegen herkömmliche Adventures favorisiert, prallvolle Inventories liebt und auch mal gerne einen 3D-Panoramablick über die eigene Schulter wagt, wird herb enttäuscht sein. Die Grafik ist zwar schön – aber todlangweilig –, die Story ist zwar episch – aber ziemlich wirr – und die Puzzles sind zahlreich – aber für mich völlig weltfremd.