Myst

The Good
MYST.

Just the name conjures up images of still life pictures :)

When this game first came out, I didn't have the hardware (or software) to run the game. I was still stick in the Non-CD ROM and Win3.1 games. So when I heard all the great reviews from the critics, but the horrid reviews from people I knew who played... Well I was skeptical to say the least.

Now, I have a P233 and a CD-ROM drive. :) So one of the first games I played was Myst. And I must say that the game is one of the most involving games I've ever played.

The Graphics by far are incredible. I know that a lot of people complained that they were still-life pictures. But you must take into consideration, the incredible number of hours it took to render this game. Each picture has a purpose, if it be to convey a clue or to steer you toward a object. The detail is unreal.

The sound and music in the game is also very good. The creators actually thought of not having a soundtrack, but after listening to the music and SFX, they reconsidered. Each sound is significant (especially in one of the ages where you need to Listen to sounds to unlock doors and navigate a maze), and the Background music is just that - background. Not intrusive, but you know it's there, and it adds to the experience.

The game is one where you learn about the backstory as you play (simliar to System Shock). The idea of moving pages to the books is unique, although to me it means traversing the ages TWICE (i.e. going through the same motions two times.) because you can only carry one page at a time.

The Bad
The one thing that this game has going against it is the control. It's not quite a pixel hunt, but moving from area to area can be frustrating, mostly with going up and down ladders. I've actually saved my game, left it for a while, calmed down, and restarted the game just so I could move down the ladder in the lighthouse (those who have played the game, you know what I mean).

The Bottom Line
This one is a toss up. If you like a game with no time limits, no score, and an engaging storyline, Myst (and Riven) is your game.

But most real gamers (this those writing for MobyGames) will be put off on the abstractness of this game.

Bottom Line: Try it you might like it.