Riven

Memories are funny things... It has been many years since I've first stepped into this Age of Riven. And although it has been a long time, since I was first introduced to the Ages of Myst by my school teacher Mrs Goldie, that awe and wonder I felt back then, suddenly, upon starting up this, Remastered Riven... I am that young boy again! Seeing Riven now on the screen, in a fully realized HD environment like this is spellbinding. Everything feels the same, but at the same time, is a little different. I only played for an hour (as I write this, its 530am Downunder on Launch Day!), but I must say, it was well worth the wait and sacrifice of missing some sleep today! If you were at all on the fence about buying this- Don't be! Cyan indeed has pulled out all the stops and you can tell they have really poured their hearts and soul into getting this done right! You'll see and old friend, anew the moment you begin (My, Atrus has some good hair tonic ;) He's the best 3d version of the character I've seen yet in any Myst franchise game. So lifelike and nuanced! Rand's finally got his perfect digital doppelganger that does his live-action version of old, justice). There are surprises too where you are least expecting them. Performance wise, the game is visually stunning and I can imagine that they will patch things as time goes that will only make the performance even more slipstreamed though I had no real issues with moving around although at times I did get the odd stutter (but in defense of Cyan, I did choose to run things higher than the suggested settings, so it might be all my fault for that lol). Sound quality and soundscape design feels exactly as it did, crisp, well instituted. The options for subtitles I saw in the menu were well welcomed, as too was the different options around them. Interface wise, the addition of the in-game screenshot camera was appreciated, as too is the subtleties, such as being able to customise my 'clicky finger' and I loved the design of the loading icon! Cute but also a nice little touch of nuance. I can't wait to see what else lies ahead, and what other surprises lay in store. I know having already done something on Riven I probably shouldn't have, that I will no doubt have to do more than one playthrough. I didn't expect that, and I wasn't even off the first arrival island yet! Cheeky that was. Let's just say that specific surprise certainly made my mouth drop as I never saw that coming! Ooops moment indeed haha! I guess I should be a little more careful with what I touch moving ahead. Congratulations to all who worked on this at Cyan. I hope this does as well and better than all expectations for you!

I can understand why they needed to use CGI for the characters, but the nice thing is the technology is MUCH higher than something like the original VR Myst and the dialogue recordings are almost all from the original Riven so it didn't bother me. Speaking of authenticity, it's all here: the sounds, the music, even the iconic mouse cursor! There is something stunning about walking without loading between screens in Riven as a fully realized 3D world. Now cutscenes happen around you so you can turn to look at events as they happen instead of the camera being pulled out of your control. There's elements here that you could imagine in the original game but are now realized: smoke stacks, distant figures, birds, rolling waves. Riven is like Myst but much more grand in scope. You've got the same combat-free exploration/puzzle solving game, but with a story in all the hidden details and much more focus on traveling back and forth across the world with new knowledge gained to access new locations. This just makes me wish we could see more classics revitalized this well. Zork Nemesis Remaster anyone?

Cons: The new avatars look a bit weird. Pros: EVERYTHING ELSE!!! Even the avatars while at times offputting, are heavily mitigated by the voice acting. Of course we have original audio tracks for Gehn (John Keston sadly passed) and the like, with I believe some new stuff for Atrus. All the locations that you knew and loved are still there. So is new stuff. It's NOT the same game. And while some might see that as a con, all the changes add and expand on the Riven story. The things that were moved in retrospect makes sense. Where they were didn't make a whole lot of sense. Information about the Moiety and what's happening on Riven as it deteriorates is expanded. There are new secrets, new locations, and new lore. Puzzles for the most part are the same, with some tweaks. Biggest change is the Moity door and the Firemarble Dome puzzles. They are just as difficult as ever (now you have to learn D'ni AND Rivenese numbers!), but somewhat streamlined to remove some of the frustrations of the original. Plus, solutions are randomized so now you get to solve it every time you play the game! Overall a true modern reinterpreting of the original in the best ways. Seriously, if they could bring back the dead and get the original cast I might consider this better than the original. Sans that, it's a close second.

I was delighted to discover that this isn't realRiven, which is to say, its not a replacement of the original. If you are feeling nostalgic for that experience, particularly some of the FMV performances like John Keston as Ghen, you can still play the original (it works great in ScummVM). That said, if you want a new experience in this world, you are in for a real treat. You won't get far before you notice some differences that will compel you to have a new playthrough. And this doesn't just amount to puzzle scrambling, there is a real sense that some careful consideration was put in to match and enhance the original art direction. Its a gift to get more of the Richard Vander Wende aesthetic. So far I've been playing this in VR. For those of you in the same boat, I would clarify that the OpenXR hook does support a Rift S just fine. VR developers should really analyze how well Riven translates to this format. In the original, looking around (and up), and peering through lenses and windows was key. This experience in VR, when you can lean in and turn your angle, is truly excellent. Its a masterclass in the immersive value of good world & level design.