Riven (1997)

Riven is a pretty weird game, when you think about it. It follows directly from the original Myst with a far better story this time- the story is told from a present rather than past perspective so you feel more directly engaged with the events, and those events are much more dramatic. Although Myst does not stand the test of time, Riven does, and it is as attractive today as it was at the time of it's release. The much higher detail in textures and better aesthetic design give the worlds much more life than they had in Myst. They are not always attractive but they paint the picture of the islands of Riven with artistry and care. Riven may be one of the only games in the world that provides as mainstream an experience as it does (or did) but seems to have it's sights directed immediately at the technically minded. There is essentially no inventory besides a few books, so all puzzles involve manipulating mechanical controls. You will have to read schematics and journals and observe everything carefully to understand how machines work, and how you can manipulate them to activate transportation of clear passageways- flipping the games many levers at random will not help you here. Where schematics are missing, such as the scarab room near the start of the game, you will need to draw your own plans to understand how to pass each stage. Challenging as this sounds it forms the easy part of Riven. There are several overarching puzzles that must be solved to reach the endgame- these puzzles are incredibly obtuse and require abstract thinking and meticulous observation. One particular puzzle will even draw on your mathematics skill, and ability to interpret foreign symbols. Some of the engineering puzzles in the game almost seem to border on xenoarchaeology, for the unique way in which technology works in the world of Riven. The final puzzle is the most brutal and demanding I have ever seen in a game- you will need to be intimately familiar with every square inch of the world to complete it. Without the puzzles, Riven is actually a rather morose game- the story again is seen rather than told and the islands as well as the journals paint a bleak picture of life on the slowly collapsing age. Quiet and serenity permeate everything, despite all the political upheaval, but the sense of unsustainability and unrest make you feel uneasy in even the quietest corners of the islands. It's hard to say objectively if Riven is a good game. I can guarantee you've played nothing like it, and the audience this game is designed for seems impossibly small. It demands a huge amount of attention, note taking and care but completing the game's many puzzles leading to the end game is rewarding, and when you're not bending your brain you are pensively considering the world around you, examining every object and piecing together a powerful story of corruption and revenge. Riven isn't really good, or bad. It's something else.

It's hard to explain just how magnificent a job Riven does of presenting you with a seemingly insurmountable task only for it to all coalesce into one of the best puzzle games of all time. As with Myst, Riven gives you the barest of instruction as to what to do, and there is absolutally zero hand holding throughout the game. The way forward is opened up only through exploration and investigation. If you rush through the game you'll miss important clues and be completley stuck. If you use a guide you'll be sucking the joy out of this materpiece of a game. The point of Riven is not to complete your mission, but to savour the journey along the way. There times when the game tells you when something is a clue but you have to figure out how to use it yourself. Other times, you are presented with seemingly unrelated things and it is only through further exploration and careful observation that you realise that they are all connected. And when it all clicks it's marvelous! The puzzles presented in Riven all make sense as part of the larger world. It all feels natural and real, not some kind of obtuse task forced to fit into a game. The story slowly unravels the more you explore and discover, the same way it does in Myst, but here it is so much deeper. It really feels like there is history behind it. It's wonderful storytelling. The game includes a "Zip mode" that allows you to quickly move down paths in one click rather than several. It won't simply transport you from one side of the game world to the other, but it does make things a lot quicker and takes much of the tediousness out that is simply a nessicary evil of a game such as this. Myst may have changed what a puzzle/ adventure game could be, but Riven perfected it!

Picking up where Myst left off, you're introduced to new worlds and new characters. You have a bit more interaction with the people of Riven, and the puzzles continue to challenge you. The story has definatly expanded, and I have to admit to feeling an adreline rush at the endgame. Setting-wise, it's wonderfuly beautiful, and well put together. One of the things I've always loved about the Myst games was the imagination and beauty of the different worlds, and Riven is no exception. If you enjoyed the first one, you will enjoy Riven as well.

I bought it new. (I'm dating myself here. So what. Scientists say self-dating is good for the prostate.) It took me many months to beat it. Many long enjoyable months (except for the two weeks troubleshooting a Quicktime error over dial-up...). This is not a game to be assayed lightly, as it requires a strong intellectual commitment to play to completion, but the feeling of satisfaction when you finally, really, truly get what's going on in the puzzles is like no other game I've played.

First, after installation, go to game's folder and click on Properties of Riven.exe. Second, change the compatibility from Windows 95 to Windows XP. That's all, it'll be work.