realMyst: Masterpiece Edition

This is a pretty good version of the original. I think transplanting to a proper 3D world really helps. It doesn't have the graphical quality of the more recent remake, but is closer to the original in design. I would have to recommend the newer version if you haven't played Myst before, but I have a soft spot for this one.

The problem with ‘realMyst: Masterpiece Edition’ is that it’s weighed down by the legacy of the original ‘Myst’. This game tries to satisfy fans of the original by including classic controls; but, it also strove to entice new players by featuring free roam/look controls like in FPSs. While the free roam is decent, the controls for free look and environment interaction are slow and awkward. Forcing classic controls into free roam gameplay doesn’t work. It’s also perplexing that this 2014 game (patched as late as 2018) doesn’t support higher screen resolutions by default. I had to manually edit the game’s .ini file to have it run at 1080p. The invert look option for free roam/look gameplay also frustratingly inverts both X and Y axes. I had to install a fan-made fix to limit mouse inversion to Y axis. Considering first-person puzzle games like ‘Portal’, ‘The Talos Principle’ and ‘The Witness’ were released prior to and during the time of support for this game, it’s disappointing that the final version of ‘rM:ME’ couldn’t even match the level of polish that its contemporaries had. My game crashed repeatedly when transitioning to the Selenitic Age, so I decided to explore other Ages first just to give this game a fair chance. Despite the game’s slow start, the puzzles are actually fun…if you know what the controls are. The controls are so clunky that I’ve spent more energy figuring out environment interaction than solving puzzles. Switching back to classic controls didn’t help either. At times, there was no feedback to indicate I’ve done something right. I eventually gave up on ‘rM:ME’ altogether. ‘rM:ME’ does not deserve the ‘Masterpiece Edition’ title. For a game that was released in 2014 and patched over the next 4 years, it’s missing many features and options that you’d expect from a game of its time. If you’re curious about why ‘Myst’ is such a big deal, you’d be better off checking out ‘Myst’ (2021). Don’t bother with this game.

a masterpiece from the old macintosh

Thought I'd like it, turns out I didn't, it was kinda ok as a throwback though. I think the biggest issue was the audio, couldn't really make out a lot of what the dialogue was saying, subtitles would have helped immensely here. A couple of the puzzles I had to look up because I couldn't figure them out completely and I almost got to the end but I suppose I missed something and felt like I'd need to go through places again, after that it wasn't long before I started feeling like I couldn't be bothered anymore.

It's like they sat down and decided to ruin everything good about realMYST. The graphics offer some nice improvements, in some ways, but many of the textures which were chosen are just weird and a little jarring. The passion just wasn't in this like it was in the original and much of the world of MYST has lost its charm. The way that the menu works is just frustrating, the original realMYST had a much better menu system. The controls were better in realMYST as well. Why can't you click to move forward anymore? Very disappointing.