Myst Masterpiece Edition

Game did not work for my PC running Windows 8. However, the staff at GOG has been replying to me in order to try to come up with a solution. They have been very helpful in responding and salvaged this rating from being a 1-star. I will update this review further as the staff takes care of my situation.

Myst is a phenomenal game. Full stop. The only reason I rate this down is not because of a problem, per se, with Myst: Masterpiece Edition but it's just that it's no longer the best way to experience this game. Unless you specifically want the nostalgia of pointing and clicking, play RealMYST. It's the same game but with improved graphical quality, slightly more content and the ability to free-roam. It is easily the best way to experience Myst unless, as I said, you specifically want to point and click for some reason.

What can be said about Myst that hasn't already been said. Myst has been called both the savior and murderer of adventure games, and the debate about its place in the canon still rages. What is clear is that Myst changed all expectations afterword with its amazing visuals and puzzles. I can still remember going out and buying our first sound card so that we could hear this game properly. This game affected our family quite a bit. Myst and its sequel Riven is what inspired my brother to become a game designer (he now works for a major firm) and it inspired countless other imitations, homages and rip-offs. If you haven't played Myst (what the hell?) it places you the character in a bizarre island, whose central feature, a burnt library features two books, each containing a broken message from people trapped inside them. You must search through the island for various linking books that take you to other words. All the while you'll be solving puzzles, and exploring. There are no enemies in Myst, just ambiance, allowing you to solve these puzzles at your leisure, just beware the twist at the end. Myst has often been accused of having a less than stellar ending. And while that was certainly true when you had to wait years and years for the sequel, in this case, GOG will likely have Riven out in a few months. So download Myst for old times sake, it never disappoints.

In the end, Myst isn't the best adventure game (for my money, Riven holds that title), but it might be the most important. Some people love it (me), and some people hate it for ruining the genre by flooding it with cheap copycats. But there's no denying it changed the pc game forever, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. A word about RealMYST: I own it. I recommend it. But it is not a replacement for the original. For one thing, the early 3d graphics are liable to look just as dated now as the pre-rendered images, plus the controls are a bit clunky, the sound has issues here and there, and, most importantly, the opening narration and most of the character videos have been replaced by new recordings - and the new performances are no where near as good. They sound rushed and noncommittal. If you've played Myst, then buy RealMYST as a sort of interesting special feature. It has a brief bonus age at the end, too. But if you haven't played either, I firmly believe you should first experience the game as it was originally presented.

I cannot say enough about this masterpiece (no pun intended). I've only played the original but I'm sure this edition retains the game's excellence. I'm not sure how it will hold up today for newer audiences as it was probably one of those games where you had to be there at the time to really appreciate. Great story, graphics (for its time), insanely hard puzzles, and fantastic music. My favourite PC and adventure game. Get it.