Well, it depends on what version you were looking at.

These days you'll love it or be bored with it. Myst was a lot more impressive in its day, but today it still maintains a sort of whimsical charm that may not be lost on some people.

The puzzles are still challenging and enjoyable, and that feel of cracking another stubborn brain teaser never ceases to feel wonderful. Finally getting to play Obduction has brought back that familiar feeling I haven't enjoyed since playing the Myst games back in the day.

So if your in to puzzles you'll enjoy it for the puzzles alone, at least.

Myst: Masterpiece more closely resembles the original Myst's slideshow presentation. realMyst lets you zoom around in real time. realMyst: Masterpiece I think looks atrocious, but that's just my opinion. Sure the texture and poly count in the original realMyst may be lacking, but it's the colors of realMyst Masterpiece that make the game look like a Fisher-price playset. Both games are functionally identical, though. And the only difference between realMyst and Myst: Masterpiece is that both realMyst versions have some optional endgame content.

Riven, on the other hand, is a timeless classic and should not be missed. heh~ should not be missed. m-y-s-t. (groan)

Really, Riven is the unsung video game masterwork. I've compared it to Citizen Kane. Everyone owes it to themselves to make Riven a quintessential bucket list item.

I would say that realMyst is definitely worth picking up. Some dislike the game in three dimensions, but I thought it was fantastic. The sense of mystery that accompanies the game is enticing, though it can be a bit daunting at first--just figuring out what in the world you are supposed to be doing can be something of a hurdle when you start. However, once I got going, I found it difficult to put the game down, which is strange, because though I have played a few adventure and puzzle games, it is not my preferred genre. Something about realMyst, though, kept me coming back.

I can't say the same for Riven, but not because I thought the game was bad. In fact, after playing a little of it, it made me glad I went ahead and got realMyst instead of Myst Masterpiece. Something about the "slide show" movement does funny things to my head. I started feeling queasy about thirty minutes in, and couldn't bring myself to continue. After playing in a 3D world in realMyst, too, Riven just didn't have the same level of immersion for me. Oh, it is a beautiful game, don't get me wrong, but in the short time I was able to play it, I just didn't feel like I was in the game.

I'm... not sure that was actually helpful, but there you go.

I'm currently playing the game, nearing the second half, and really enjoying it. In case a newbie's opinion can help, here's mine then (I'm new to the series, apart from some sessions on Myst 3 and Riven a long time ago, and I barely play adventure games).

I didn't expect something so 'modern' in the way it's wrapped together. It's got a mysterious feel, not as peaceful as it first seem. The gameplay is interesting and very satisfying, although the first island (a kind of hub) looks odd at first. All puzzles are great so far, feeling abstract until you get the 'how' and 'why' in a way that's especially satisfying (and there aren't as many as I thought, some are just parts of devices you won't get to use (or at least I didn't found a use for them, yet?), but they do play into other narrative aspects, which does help building worlds that don't feel player-centered). The story is intriguing and both narration and gameplay work hand in hand. The whole game just feels like a coherent adventure so far, and explains itself (well, up to a point) as you play it.

As I've bought the three versions throughout the years, I'm actually playing all of them at the same time, just for the sake of comparison, going from realMyst ME as the main game. They are all interesting in their own ways, still realMyst ME feels like the best one, as it's most immediately immersive and easiest to control and 'read' I think, mostly thanks to lighting and atmospheric effects, but it's a bit of letdown on some details (textures and effects look a bit subpar in places).

Myst Masterpiece has some really neat 'pictural' pieces, and you can move real fast if need be, but it does feel dated and interactions/readability isn't the best. At times you can feel lost simply because of the sharp turns induced by the slideshow technique (Riven feels better in this regard, with clearer interactions prompts and of course, better pictures).

realMyst (1st ed.) is duller colour-wise, and the gameplay is more point'n clicky (you don't 'move' most of the devices like levers and such, you simply click), but for now it feels like the most well-rounded - all art and effects look smooth and blend together well. Controls are a bit floaty.

Just a warning if you go for realMyst Masterpiece Edition: I've found that the Galaxy download isn't up to date, or at least, only partially. The installer version is however (the one you can manually download). I would advise against having Galaxy auto-updating the game until it's fixed.

(with the 'wrong' version, I get misplaced option buttons, sky bugs (flickering white squares), (really) lacking optimization, and Left/Right keys act as strafe and not turn etc. (this is one of the latest patch changes, so it's easy to spot). The realMyst.exe from Galaxy is 4.2.2, whereas the installer's is 4.5.5. With the latter, I've got better framerate, no bugs, smoother lighting, faster save/load times, rounder objects...)

I was around when the original came out and have the discs somewhere, but I only started playing it this holiday. Go figure.

I am playing the Real Myst Masterpiece Edition version. I am loving this game, particularly with writing notes IRL to help solve puzzles. Which version you play is not that important, just that you experience the Myst universe.