Summary
Consider me converted
The Good
This is going to be a
very short review. Since "Real Myst" is a remake, I will only cover here the differences between it and the original "Myst". Please refer to my review of
it if you are interested.
"Real Myst" is so much better than the original version that I can't say for sure that you'll dislike it even if you hated the old "Myst". As a matter of fact, I used to hate it, and it was thanks to "Real Myst" that I changed my opinion and learned to appreciate it. Nevertheless, I don't see the point in playing the original "Myst" now, because "Real Myst" contains absolutely everything it had, eliminating at the same time its biggest drawback that ruined the game for many people: the inability to be physically immersed in the game world.
"Real Myst" is done in
real-time 3D, with full camera controls. Which means that you can physically go wherever you like, and look at anything you like from any angle. I can't even begin to describe properly how much it changes everything. Finally, the intricate world of "Myst" comes to life. Finally, we are able to "feel" it, to
be in it. Instead of staring at the same still picture, thinking of the solution to an obscure, complex puzzle, you can now take a stroll, look around, explore. The sensual experience of being in the world of "Myst" is what the creators of the original had in mind, it was actually the whole point of the game, but because of a bad engine choice it was not achieved. In "Real Myst", this is finally possible.
Before you think that the graphics lost some detail because of the transition to 3D, let me assure you that it is not the case. Every single location, every single object in "Real Myst" are as beautiful and as detailed as they were before - actually, most of them appear even more detailed, and definitely much more life-like. In fact, many details were added: for example, you can see some animals in the game that were absent in the original. You can now see birds flying over the sea, you can see the clouds moving. And on top of that, there is a real day and night cycle, with magnificent effects.
The artistic design and the very high technical level of the graphics make "Real Myst" one of the best-looking games I've come across - of course, relative to the time. At the time it was released, "Real Myst" was ground-breaking graphically. It could compete with contemporary first-person shooters.
Adventure games have become notorious for their outdated graphics, with few exceptions (such as the incomparable
Under a Killing Moon or later
Gabriel Knight III). For an inexplicable reason, adventure game have been avoiding 3D graphics like a plague. The result was that adventure, that had the potential of being the leading game genre in terms of immersion and atmosphere, pitifully fell in those aspects behind FPS games. "Real Myst" showed what an adventure game could be if it had top-notch graphics and a proper engine.
And there is a whole new "age" to explore in this version, so "Real Myst" becomes a remake and an add-on in one.
The Bad
I have nothing bad to say about "Real Myst", except the obvious fact that, being a version of "Myst", it is far from being a game for everybody. It doesn't add new characters or easier puzzles or humorous text comments or anything of the kind, it is just "Myst" that finally plays properly. But if you oppose to the very concept of "Myst", if you dislike the feeling of loneliness it creates, and are not interested in its intelligent, challenging puzzles, its surrealistic locations and cryptic story, "Real Myst" will not convert you. All it can do is let you play "Myst" the way it should have played in the first place.
The Bottom Line
"Real Myst" is what "Myst" was supposed to be. It is the realization of its vision. Having everything "Myst" had, while getting rid of its most aggravating weakness, "Real Myst" is the definitive version of the game. It is "Myst" with true physical immersion, with exploration and amazing atmosphere. It is also one of the most gorgeously looking games of its time: now, nearly eight years after its release, it still looks beautiful. With this release, "Myst" has turned into a true classic.
