Myst

The Good
Myst came out and PC gaming was never the same again...

Then again, just because it was new and different and successful, doesn't mean every developer has to imitate it. That's their fault, not Myst's.

Where Myst does best is in delivering ambiance. It does this through outstanding (for the time) graphics, background noises, and yes, even the non-interactive aspect of each screen.

The retro-futuristic puzzles are difficult to master, but not impossible, given a little thought. It was fun unlocking the puzzles, and then entering and solving the different ages.

The Bad
Not much replay value, because nothing changes. I still remember many of the puzzles, as well as the ending - so what's the point of doing it again.

And unfortunately, Myst broke the old adventure game formula, and in becoming so successful, became the adventure game formula - at least for a while. sigh.

The Bottom Line
A fun and immersive little diversion from real life.

The Good
Memorably described by PC Format as a 'game for people who don't like games', this was a hugely-popular, completely empty CdROM-only title from the days when that was reason enough to release a game - along the lines of 'The 7th Guest', it presents you with some attractive locales and simple logical puzzles. And that's it.

The Bad
It isn't really a game. That's the big problem. It's a nice graphical demo, but there isn't really a game in there. You point, and click, and point, and click, and lose interest. The fact that it sold many more copies than the excellent adventure 'System Shock' speaks volumes about effectively marketing.

The Bottom Line
A distressingly-popular graphical showcase for people who don't like computer games.

The Good
When this was released, it was not like other point and click adventures such as Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, but a first-person view game so that YOU become the protagonist. This makes it fresh and unlike anything else. Instead of fighting baddies you are totally alone on this island and you have to find clues to discover what happened and solve puzzles to progress. This way the (brilliant) story slowly unfolds. Therefore if you are an action gamer stop reading otherwise read on. You'll soon find out that there are two brothers called Sirrus and Achenar trapped in books and you need to free them but they but both blame each other for being a liar so who's right and what about Atrus and Catherine, their parents? That's for you to find out. You need to travel to all the different ages (worlds) of Myst by finding the linking books in which these worlds are described and retrieve the pages torn from the books to take them back to the library. In each age a blue (Sirrus) and red (Achenar) page is hidden and a linking book back to Myst. The puzzles are challenging and fun (you may find them too difficult at times, though) but if you concentrate on them and think logically and look for relations between things you'll find the solution eventually. You need to explore everything to gain all clues and solve all puzzles. The game can be completed in different ways but only one is the correct one (That's up to you). The graphics are also surprisingly beautiful and combined with the realistic sounds it really gives you the feel of being alone on a deserted and surrealistic island.

The Bad
The puzzles may be a bit too hard as mentioned before so you may need a walkthrough at times.

The Bottom Line
If you like puzzling and exploring, this is for you. If not leave this!

The Good
Myst was one of my earlier games, I have to admit. I suppose one could claim I'm biased slightly towards it because of that. But I also played it again recently, in the wake of playing games like Half-Life, System Shock 2, Planescape: Torment, and Unreal. The truth is that even though my experience was to a degree lessened by my having completed the game before in my earlier days (and thereby already having seen it all and completed all the puzzles) I still found it a pleasure to play.

I have indeed seen criticism after criticism of this game coming out of the gaming community. Not enough action, lousy interface, just a bunch of screenshots, and the like. While such may be true, Myst really needs to be looked at in the light of its intent.

Myst excels at what it is supposed to be. It is supposed to be experienced. It is about beautiful, immersing environments and a chilling solitude as you explore this place where once upon a time there were beings, but now only you.

Playing Myst again I was once more struck even today by the beauty of the graphics. Not just by the way they are rendered, the quality of the images, but by their content. Every location is designed to convey an experience to the player, every object and vista to add to the ambiance.

The same goes for the sound and music. From the wind blows in a particularly lonely way that makes one's spine tingle and the music that finds its way into certain places, the essence of the moment is captured.

I found the plot to be interesting as well. I enjoyed the openness of the exposition, which allowed the player to come to a lot of his own conclusions.

All in all, I had wonderful time playing Myst and, in my mind, it achieved its purpose with excellence.

The Bad
It is too short and replay value is rather limited. The experience is not as potent after the first time.

The puzzles were fair, but one could argue that there aren't enough and one rather breezes through the game.

The Bottom Line
Playing Myst for the first time is like the viewing of a work of art. Definitely not an action title, but excellent in its own right.

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.

The Good
In "The Curse of Monkey Island," Guybrush Threepwood speaks with a ferryman who's been lost in the mists for a long time now. Here's what Guybrush had to say about the boatman's experience:

"I like mist. I think it's pretty."

The Bad
The boatman's response to Guybrush's statement:

"Of course it's pretty, but egads, is it DULL!"

The Bottom Line
That conversation alone describes the game.

There's no story and no point to the game. There isn't even an ending. Your reward for finishing the game is to read all those freakin' books all over again. That's enough to make me want to put my foot through the monitor, but I'd rather just play frisbee with my dog using the CD.

The Good
The graphics are spectacular, the music eerily appropriate, and the intrigue of the story is discovered pieces by pieces, bits by bits, like a fascinating puzzle.

The Bad
The game is too easy for an experienced adventure gamer. What I can't understand is why didn't they make the puzzles more random. It would have made the game more interesting to replay.

The Bottom Line
Myst is probably the most beautiful and enticing game to come out in the mid-nineties. It has spawned a multitude of clones, and will probably be remembered for years to come.

The Good
Myst is a revolutionary adventure game, which wowed 1990s, audiences with its amazing graphics, tough puzzles, complicated mystery and a lack of the sort of graphic violence and gore that was popular in the industry. The Atari Jaguar CD edition is pretty much flawless when it comes to recreating the original Myst game.

The Bad
Myst in its original format, is a game that has not aged particularly well. The pretty pictures may not pretty may not wow a 2021 audience and the pretty pictures do not come with much animation or music. Except for a few Full Motion Video clips, you do not really interact with anyone on the island and the puzzles are some of the hardest ever put into a video game. All of these faults are found in the Atari Jaguar CD edition of the game because it is an exact copy of the original Myst game.

The Bottom Line
Myst is a video game that revolutionized the industry when it was first released in 1993. Modern gamers may not be especially impressed with the game's technical achievements and world building. If you have played the original version of the game, then their is nothing new or improved on the Atari Jaguar edition to justify a purchase.

The Good
First, the graphics and sounds were very realistic, even for today. Second, It gives you a great sense of mystery exploring the island and all the ages.

The Bad
The game is bleeping impossible! The puzzles are ridiculously difficult and obscure. You will randomly click around, hoping to push the secret button. Also, the story is practically non-existant and you will walk away saying "huh" if you don't read the book "Myst: The book of Atrus".

The Bottom Line
This game is ok if you are a fan of the book, but for those just wanting to sit down and play a game, you will be sorely disappointed.

The Good
The thing about Myst, is that it can't really be called a game. Myst is a work of art... It is a story told through immersive, beautiful graphics and an intriguing storyline. Many people don't like this, since it has very little action... But it takes a certain amount of intelligence to really see the wonderful detail and design put into this game. The graphics are fantastic, and the environments are beautifully surrealistic and dreamlike. The musical score is probably the best of any game I've ever played (buy the soundtrack!!), and sets the mode for the settings masterfully.

The Bad
There's nothing. That's right... I'm sure this will make a lot of people (mostly the less intelligent kind) mad, but there is absolutely nothing bad about Myst. It was the first of its kind, and there will never be another adventure like it.

The Bottom Line
It's as simple as this: If you like brainless, gory, first person shoot-em-up games, Myst isn't for you. If you enjoy exploring beautiful, dreamlike detailed worlds, and solving ingenious puzzles, then you should go out and buy this "game" right now.

As I said before, Myst is really not a game, and should probably not be treated as one. It can only be called a work of art, and it will be the most beautiful masterpiece ever to grace your CD-ROM drive. :)

The Good
Myst was one of the first games I ever played, back in 1997 when I was 6. Consequently, it had a great impact on my gaming tastes. At the time, graphics weren't greatly thrilling. Myst raised the standard to unparalleled heights and is more detailed than many of the games of our age. Though you may not realize it, the beauty of modern games owes its existence to the stunning landscapes of Myst. Myst was a great change from the slaughter-fest platform shooters and uninspiring hunting games that dominated the era, being about exploration and problem solving rather than grinding aliens into red paste with your chain gun that never runs out of bullets. To us modern gamers, point-and-click adventures sound... well, dull. But that goes to show that we have no taste. A simple method of locomotion makes more room for the beautiful graphics and fiendish puzzles that define the Myst franchise.

The Bad
I consider myself quite smart. So it's rare that I am completely stumped by anything. But clearly Rand Miller is a true genius, for even my fearsome intellect was humbled by his creation (though the puzzles didn't start getting truly insane until Riven). While this is technically a good thing, it pains me immensely to look up a walkthrough, even if just for one puzzle. Other than that, I can't think of anything.

The Bottom Line
Many people describe this game is being overly complicated or boring. To them I say; Philistines! Complication defines civilization. If nothing was complicated, life would be disgustingly boring. On that note, BORING! Saying Myst is boring is like saying that cake tastes bad, or that Survivor is interesting. And by that, I mean that anyone who says such blasphemy should fall on their own sword while shooting themselves in the head.

The Good
"Myst" (1993) is often compared to, "The 7th Guest" in that both are first person perspective, puzzle games featured amazing graphics, music and sound effects but are often seen as being boring in terms of the storyline and too difficult in terms of gameplay. Personally, I would disagree with these critics. These type of games are certainly not for everyone because they have little, if any, arcade action and have a different sort of puzzles then are the norm in point n' click graphic adventure games. Yet, if want to crack some really difficult, abstract and even mind boggling puzzles, then "Myst" is for you.

The Bad
The storyline in "Myst" never bored me, but it was never really told as best as it could have been. The first generation of Full Motion Video looked goofy and after beating the game, I felt somewhat cheated with the lack luster ending that did more to plug the sequel then actually reward me for me my efforts.

The Bottom Line
"Myst" (1993) is a puzzle game that features ground breaking music, sound effects and graphics. The magical world that you are trapped in is beautiful while also being amazingly isolating. There are no enemies to defeat and the puzzles tend to be difficult to successfully complete without cheating. If you want to play a little bit of video game history or face up against some of the hardest, most abstract puzzles in a game, then give this one a try.