A video about why I like Riven and think you should play it. Even though it's a sequel to Myst it's not strictly necessary to play Myst first but it is a good idea to play them in order.
I don't know why, but there's something about late 90s prerendered graphics that I've always found very appealing. The textures and shaders always look almost over detailed, like they're too realistic, and the lighting and shadows has this unnaturally perfect and crisp look to them. There's something about it that I just really like.
You can see a lot of effort and care has been taken to make it look as good as possible, making the obvious fakeness not just excusable or tolerable, but esthetically pleasing and oddly fitting as well. I guess I mean to say that magic realism is pretty neat.
yeah, i've always been a fan of the aesthetic too. i've been playing a lot of 90's and early 2000's adventure games specifically in search of more games with that style. i think it comes from the fact that 90's pre-rendered CG typically used an abundance of shaders and light effects to mask the fact that they were being applied to relatively simple objects with lower polygon counts (compared to CG nowadays, at least). something about the juxtaposition of these two elements is really cool.
The developers had used the term "hyper-realism" to describe it. I feel like Riven came closest to that look, the next best games I've found graphically are the Journeyman Project games. Some other point-and-clicks of the era feel kinda empty and unfinished. Were there any that came close to Riven's level of polish?
I remember being 12 and thinking "wow if this game is coming out now....think what games will come out in 10/20 years!!!". Little did I know Riven was an exception to the rule, in terms of raw creativity and attention to detail in an alien world.
Ah yes, Riven. The game of two puzzles. Collect all the clues, input the solutions. "Of course the visuals have aged less gracefully." Are we looking at the same game? It still looks gorgeous to me.
The cohesive world of this game is probably the reason why solving the puzzles in it felt so satisfying. It was like you decoded something that was never meant to be a puzzle at all, it was just second nature to the people who lived there.
Man I was sure we wouldn't hear from you in like a year or something seeing how Breath of the Wild is out! Haha good to know there is even another video next week!
Even today, Riven is immersive in a strange, dreamlike way. I still remember my first thoughts when I entered the world for the first time, I was completely enthralled by how the game evoked tactile memories so effortlessly. Almost everything in the game makes you imagine how it would actually feel if it existed, from the smooth metal rungs of the ladder to the stuffy interior of the railcar thing. I remember the first time I left an island, I got a rush of vertigo as the car plummeted towards the sea. I can't think of another game which managed to pull that off.
Absolutely, it's so rare a game can do that. And I would extend that to smell too! It's like I could smell the sea, the old wood, the caves... The world is amazingly well-realized, not just in its design, structure, and logic, but on the experiential level.
Agreed. The sound design in Riven especially floored me at the time. Even moreso considering how important sound turned out to be, in the grand scheme of things. But I played through this game with my shitty little computer speakers turned all the way up, and every time I'd move a lever, or a door, or pushed a button, I revelled in the surreal feeling of actually BEING there. Of feeling the contraption vibrate, of imagining how that wooden door felt under my fingers. I can honestly say no game has ever recreated that feeling for me since. I don't even know why. Riven, as mentioned in the review, hasn't aged particularly well in regards to graphical presentation, and I'm fairly certain most of the in game sounds were compressed as all hell. But there you go. There was just something about the design of those islands that felt real to me. Even its direct sequel didn't evoke the same sense of visiting a real place.
Riven is my favorite game of all time, and I have to attribute a lot of that to the atmosphere for sure. If you can get your hands on a copy of the book From Myst to Riven, it explains that the developers put almost as much effort into making the place feel real and historical as Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings. But even beyond that, there's something magical in it that's hard to describe. The only game I've ever played that's come close to feeling so real is Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, and that game is a 2D Metroidvania. I just don't understand it, but I'm not complaining!
Riven is a wonderful masterpiece and I'm glad you mentioned what a shame it is that Myst has overshadowed it. Myst isn't bad, but compared to Riven it feels like a proof of concept.
"Proof of Concept" is the perfect way to describe Myst imo. Revisiting it, I cant help but feel likes Im playing a rather basic tech demo, than delving into a real world.
I remember playing this game as a kid. My dad got me obsessed with the Myst series, and my dad envies me for being able to figure out a lot of stuff before he can. What I remember most about this game is just how captivating it was. I would be so immersed into this game, that any sort of minor interaction that would occur in this game would scare the crap out of me. Anybody remember that bit where you run into a little girl standing in your path as you make your way to the village? Yeah, those bits.
I still don't fully understand why these innocent interactions were so startling. I suppose it's just that the static images feel so "safe" and predictable, and the player character has absolutely no means of defense at their disposal, so interacting with people makes one feel extremely helpless (which makes some bits later in the game pretty gut-wrenching).
It took me four years, but I took you up on this recommendation. I needed some hints from a Cyan-devotee to find everything I needed to, but I took pages of notes and did more on my own than I expected. No other game world is like this. What a lovely, awe-inspiring game.
Riven is one of my all-time favourite games. The world of Riven is surreal but feels so real. It sucked me so deep into its world everytime I played the game (play it in the dark with headphones). And the puzzle design is simply brilliant. This game ruined me for other puzzle games because I never ever again have seen such great puzzles. They work with so many elements and feel so organic in the world. And they are totally logical. I still have my old notes which helped a lot with solving everything. If Cyan can recreate the atmosphere then I would love to see a remake. But its probably difficult to transfer the video-footage to todays standards. Anyway it will be forever one of the greatest games ever made.
Its astounding- the level of art direction is so good that you would never think someone had to make tech compromises so that people could even experience it. I remember someone calling it 'just a slideshow' back then, and even if it is...it was a slideshow of what games would look like in 20 years
Here's an advice if you're stuck playing Riven. Check everything around you. If something looks remotely like a button, try and press it. If you're on a straight path, check to look to the sides. If you go through a door, check behind it... The game is great, apart from one or two small bullshit moments.
The doors that hide other doors when they're open were probably the most annoying "puzzles" that tripped me up while playing. Plus it's just terrible feng shui.
To me, Riven was the first game I would come home from work to, and just spend time with it: The setting, the mood, the ambiance, the music... For months I didn't really get anywhere, but the experience was/is something I cherish to this day. When I finally began to see strands towards the bigger picture in everything that I had been observing for so long, it was such a wonderful moment for me. Such elation and personal joy. No other game has come close to that feeling for me. The Witness came roughly close, but I do mean roughly. The aesthetics of Riven are still the very best in terms of personal enjoyment.
While most people seem to enjoy your reviews of bigger, more well known games, I really think you do a great job with games like this. Games that aren't that well known and are just magical experiences waiting to be found. Great video.
Riven is still the golden standard in game storytelling. Nothing has come close to build such a rich, consistent world and integrate its gameplay with it so seamlessly. A colossal masterpiece.
@@miguelbranquinho7235 I think it's the golden standard in world building, not necessarilly storytelling. The plot is too simple. Legacy of Kain is my golden standard for storytelling in videogames :) But Riven is definately one of the best things ever in gaming.
This video convinced me to play Riven (and not wanting to spoil what is considered by many one of the greatest computer games of all time, Myst before it). I highly recommend this game to anyone on the fence after this video, despite some shortcomings, Riven is fantastic and figuring out the meaning of different symbols and what they mean in the world was one of the coolest moments I've ever had in a puzzle game.
That hard to find path was such a frustrating aspect of the game for me. However, I found that the developer has a very well made "hints" guide that does a great job of helping you get unstuck without telling you exactly what to do, and that made it more enjoyable as someone who doesn't want to spend hours stuck on a single puzzle. I highly recommend checking it out if you do get stuck - search for "Riven hints guide" and you'll find it on cyan's website.
I'm shocked to see this video posted - you've seemingly out of the blue shone light upon the greatest immersive puzzle game ever made, and accurately hit all the points that make it great. Although I wanted to hear more detail about your take on the major puzzles, I appreciate the restraint shown so as to preserve the experience for new players. To anyone picking up Riven as a result of this video - grab a notebook, pick up a pencil, and really enjoy your time spent in one of the greatest worlds ever crafted.
Just finished my first ever playthrough of this game, and it was without a doubt one of the most difficult games I’ve ever played. Also one of the best, this is a remarkable experience like no other, words really can’t do justice to just what a masterpiece this game is. 10/10
Oh man, the memories I have with Riven are indescribable. Truly a game that captivated my younger self on a level few things could ever aspire to reach. Thanks for the blast from the past by making this video!
I live alone in a tiny studio apartment, and playing games gets pretty lonely. usually when I play, I put one of your videos on, because listening to you really helps me out in this regard. It's nice to see a new video by you!
Someday I need to give Myst and Riven a go. My parents were big into these games back in the day, I remember as kid before I really played/had an interest in video games, watching them play through them together. Great video as always :)
This was my all-time favourite game (still do this day). There's just so much detail poured into it. I've never seen another game with as much thought and care put into it.
It's quite probable Riven will never get surprassed as the greatest work-of-art computer game. It's flawless. The story, the immersion, the music, the puzzles, the graphics, the acting... It scores a 10/10 in every aspect.
I just played through this game for the first time and was pretty blown away. The experience of slowly unraveling the meaning of everything simply through observation was kind of incredible and something I don't think I've gotten from any other game, at least not in the same way. Very interested to play Obduction now.
I re-experience Riven pretty often via watching blind playthrough videos, living vicariously through new players as they show their joy and wonderment during their first play of Riven. Quite enjoyable.
I found Riven to be extremly fascinating. I loved the atmosphere. I wasn't particularly good at the puzzles, but the mysterious atmosphere is what drew me in. Still have all 5 discs sitting in my collection.
Oh baby, one of my all time favorites. Surprised you didn't mention the gorgeous fan remake that's been slowly creeping forward in development for a couple of years though. Anyone who has finished the game should go check it out, it's called the Starry Expanse Project.
There is also "Neyyah" currently being developed by Aaron Gwynaire which might turn out to be quite different to Riven but at least takes a lot of visual cues from it.
While it's true that disk-swapping broke immersion somewhat, the packaging actually did a great deal to limit this flaw. The five disks were in individual sleeves, each of which had one of the pictures from the room shown at 7:08. Swapping disks was always an opportunity to look at the pictures and try to relate them to what one had learned so far.
Holy cow, I never knew how much I wanted this video until now. My sister and I were young children when our cousins gave us Riven- five disks and all- and my sister got to a point when she felt that she was making genuine progress, chasing a girl through a corridor filled with puzzles. Years later, when I got back to the game and did some research, she was mildly disappointed to learn that she had only scratched the surface. Personally speaking, I definitely feel that pre-rendered graphics are an underrated form of visual presentation in games, and could make an amazing comeback even if their resolution ages poorly years later. I've always felt that Riven was sort of underrated in general- it features a world so well realized that you always feel immersed, in a way even more so thanks to the way the graphics have aged. When I heard the creators of Myst were making a new game, I was hoping for something closer to the level of detail present here than what they ended up making. Still, it's awesome to hear the recommendation of one of my favorite critics. Thanks!
Nice, love this game. From the art in the box to the actual game, Cyan's work was unprecedented, and still maintains a very high standard IMHO, just for the insane attention to details and consistent imaginative work.
I subscribed to you yesterday, and today you uploaded a video about one of my top 3 favourite games ever. Talk about timing! Unfortunately, I'm not going to watch your next video until after I've played through Obduction myself. But keep up your awesome work!
Fantastic video. Only played Myst for the first time about four years ago. I've been putting off Riven, but I think maybe the time to play it is finally here.
i really enjoyed the pictures you showed at the end of the video when i first played the game, they use byzantine/early christian art as a really effective tool in depicting the narcissism of the antagonist and his utter disdain for his creation. the entire rivenese culture was really well crafted in that regard.
i have good memories of this game, playing it with my older brother when we were kids. i couldn't understand the more complex concepts the game presented, but it was very relaxing and challenging at the same time, kind of captivating. i'll be revisiting this game soon, thanks for reminding me of it Matthewmatosis
Riven looks genuinely interesting indeed. These are my favourite types of videos you upload. I wouldn't have gotten Dustforce or had a want to get this game without your videos Matt.
What I love is the fact that you're not trying to crack a safe or something. So it's not like someone has a safe and then carelessly strews around the key for it, which is something that A LOT of games do. In Riven, you are trying to figure out how to operate various equipment. Most of which is not only foreign, but also happen to be bespoke iterations of an esoteric technology. So you're wandering around in an abandoned sandbox of prototypes. The technology wasn't even improved. Instead, Gehn had discovered a vastly superior solution, which could literally fit in his back pocket. So it makes sense that everything was abandoned, as it became obsolete. Otherwise, such equipment would be moved or salvaged, but given the discovery of a superior solution, it no longer holds any value to Gehn. He literally could not be bothered dismantling it. So what we considered clues in a gaming context, are actually just the remaining scribbles of a lone inventor. Some little scribbles here and there, because they were nothing more than mental notes. There is no manual, because only Gehn is using these machines.
I played Riven as a kid, and watched my dad play it too. I think both of us were as lost as the other, but we both loved the feeling of the world, and all it's strangeness. I know I didn't finish it, and I don't think my dad did either, and sadly, I don't think my dad can get it running on any of the systems that we own (though I have yet to test my own) but we still love it. I do remember seeing everything shown in this video though. I'm not sure how much of the game actually has formed who I am as a person, but it certainly feels like it played a part. It feels the most nostalgic and important to me than anything from my childhood when I think about it. Which is impressive given that I didn't really understand any of what was going on. Just fiddled with the puzzles, maybe solved a few, and kept going back to the submarine thing because I loved interacting with the machinery and watching the underwater cutscenes. The game still feels like a foreign mystery to me. In fact, writing this comment has made me question if I should even go and play it if I can, lest I lose that sense of wonder I feel towards it. Then again, it's been so long, and my mind has certainly developed from back then, so it may lend me an entirely new experience.
A wonderful video. Riven was one of my first games as a kid. I don't know how I ever completed it, but somehow I did. Thanks for bringing it back to my mind.
I remember having Myst and Riven as a kid. I watched my grandfather play those games and it made me a fan, despite never finishing either games. The video makes me want to get back into them again, thanks!
I'm not normally a fan of point-and-click games, but Cing's games on the DS and Wii opened my eyes to how accessible, relaxing and thought-provoking these games can be. They're the kind of game I could see myself kicking back and playing on a quiet evening
Riven is not a game I played, but a place I visited. That's what sets it apart. It still looks more or less acceptable today, but it's so sad there is no updated version of this. The people at The Starry Expanse project are working on it, but to be honest I'm not expecting anything finished to come of it…
You did a very good job of making me interested enough in a game i've never played before to want to know what is going on in that world, while not spoiling anything (at least directly, I think) about the plot and history of said world. Though, if i'm being honest; its more likely that i'll just look up Riven and get a plot synopsis than go through the trouble of getting it running on my computer. Regardless! Good video, duder! Looking forward to the Obduction video! What i've seen of that game looked pretty neat.
Dude you come across really well in all your videos mate the whole thing about erasing your memory I feel the same way about Ocarina of time, it's never the same the second time haha
Had heard of myst but never played it and had never even heard of riven, but this video made me decide I needed to check these out. I just finished myst, it absolutely blew me away, just a remarkable game. I’m starting riven right now!
That's the youtube video that I wish the most to have done it myself. Everything you said, it's all the very same impressions I had and that I wish to tell the world. Just like you did on this video. Thanks for that! I played this game 15 years ago, and since then, I have always thought that in 5 years I would be able to reexperience it like playing it for the first time. But I didn't get to that. Now I think that maybe after my retirement in 40 years I'll be able to have that feeling again. But I'm actually wrong. I'll never forget Riven
Myst, Riven and Exile are my favorite games . But Riven is the coolest experience I ever had while playing. I remember the day I figured out the numerical meaning of the D'ni and opened the dome in village island. I was jumping up and down like a maniac in celebration just to find out there was no power in the linking book in it. I completed this game without a walkthrough in 2003 and all I been saying since then( on my mom) is..I WISH I COULD ERASE MY MEMORY AND PLAY THIS GAME AGAIN. I almost cry when you said that in this video!! By far...this is the game I ever played.
I gave up on Riven after probably putting 30 hours in it. I could solve some of the puzzles, but I never figured out how everything fit together. In Myst, you had the hub age of Myst, and the other ages where the goal was pretty clear: Get the red and blue pages.
I remember my parents owned both these games and I would tinker with them as a young child. I still remember spending hours hopelessly lost in these worlds. Never did figure out what to do, but the experiences I had in Myst and Riven stick with me to this day.
Years ago, when I was maybe 10 or 11, I remember my dad gave me a bunch of his old PC games. Two of them being Myst and Riven. I remember playing through all of Myst, spending time asking my dad for hints or clues on where I need to go next or what I need to figure out. I remember having trouble with the little 'submarine' thing in Myst. My dad just told me that the sounds were important, and left it at that. I'm glad he didn't try to directly spoil it for me, he gave me just enough information to use my brain and figure it out on my own. I, too, remember playing Riven when it was still on 5 CDs. In fact I've still got the original box and all the sleeves for the CDs somewhere around here. As annoying as it was, I do admit I miss the nostalgia of popping in a different disc and waiting for it to spin up. It may have caused a sudden halt in the overall immersion of the game, but there's still something I miss about doing that. While it's true the game technically only has two puzzles, the process of learning how to solve them, and how it's all achieved through environmental storytelling, is one of my favorite aspects of the game. I can't think of a single recent puzzle game that has taken the same approach of Riven. I also think it's incredible that Cyan had the foresight to force players into learning the D'ni number system. The fact the code you need from Ghen's book is randomly generated is just awesome. There's no googling that one. You have to figure out how to transcribe it yourself. Riven is still one of the best puzzle games I've played to this very day. I would love to see more puzzle games try to mimic it or at least rely more heavily on the environmental aspects of the game.
I have very fond memories of playing these games with my mom when I was younger. We both love puzzles and spent hours exploring these worlds and trying to solve all the puzzles. Riven was suburb.
Got the original disc set of this thing still. Such a fascinating world, yet it scared me as a kid, not sure why. Maybe it was the feeling of isolation, in such an alien environment. It was really immersive back in the day that's for sure. (Aside from the disc changing thing)
I was hoping your next video would be about The Last Guardian, but I'm actually quite happy to see Riven getting some attention as well. Obduction came out last year and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that game some day...
Would you be interested in reviewing Professor Layton series or one game from it? It would be really interesting to hear what you think of the games and how you view them. And if you haven't play any game from the series, I highly recommend you do. The games are a lot of fun and I find the game design to be really fun and interesting.
I think it's harsh to say there are only 2 puzzles. There a loads - but the genius of the design is the puzzle within a puzzle - or the big picture emerging from the small puzzles. I never cracked the eye one, or even appreciated what was going on, but when I read about it much later I was deeply impressed.
Riven is a triumph. However, as a kid I was disappointed in the fact that there wasn't very much linking to other ages. That's the core concept that drives the Myst series. Using the tram to get around to the islands was thrilling, but nothing in any game ever has stuck with me in the way that linking to another world through a book did.
This was certainly a nice little video showing a neat game I may or may not play. (Idk, I don't buy many games nowadays.) I will say though, I do think pre rendered environments have their little charm to them. Certainly holds up much better in this game's case. And in terms of environment storytelling I think it could open the possibilities to subtle storytelling for games.
To me Riven really is the best Myst game, because of the one big, coherent world with this great atmosphere and few, but very challenging and rewarding puzzles. I do remember being very frustrated thoough at the point where you reach the frog trap. When you first get there, the trap is nothing more than a distraction (though it does serve a small purpose in terms of the main puzzle in the end). But its placement in a dead end really makes you think that it has some significance, that it somehow triggers something which makes you advance. Back in the day this trap really had me stuck for hours, exploring every nook and cranny of the island until I finally found out what to do near the trap... and cursed the developers.
Thank you so much for this. I really want more people to know about the Myst series and Riven. Riven is by far my all-time favorite game. I love all the Myst series too, but I feel this is the pinnacle of the Myst experience, and I haven't seen any game do it better than this since. And you said exactly what I have been saying for a while, that I wish I could forget everything about it to experience it new again. And, even though the resolution hasn't aged well for modern displays, if you play it on an old CRT it still looks perfect, and even on new displays the quality of the source renders still shines through. Also, to anyone wanting to play this after watching this video, buy the GOG version and DO NOT install it using the galaxy client. I currently have some research in the works, but the gist of it is that 1. the GOG version has compatibility tweaks that the steam copy does not, 2. the GOG Galaxy version is the DVD version which, to be brief, has less compressed video and more compressed audio, and is NOT properly tweaked for modern systems, and overall you're best with the version you download from their site.
I usually don't regret anything, but I kinda regreat using a FAQ to finish Riven back in 1998 as a 12 year old. Had I played it with a bit more patience....a bit later in life I would have loved the difficulty perhaps. I'm still very impatient...but I think the puzzles would make a bit more sense to me now.
Great video. Even as a fan of Myst I was always put off by the obtuseness of Riven, but I'm definitely more interested in checking it out now. Would love to hear your thoughts on Nier: Automata.
Myst is one of the games I remember my dad/brothers playing as I struggled to look over the desk and watch. I have the game on my DSi now but I never got to experience Riven.
I finished Myst in VR and it was awesome! Loved the atmosfere. Riven is announced to get the same remaster treatment as myst so Iam looking forward to that, although it is going to be a while before release. We will get Firmament soon. These games are great fit for VR.
Thanks for doing something different. The length is much more easily digestible too. Riven is a game with surprising depth in 2017 and few elements that have aged as much as others games from the era.
I love Riven to death, the one glaring issue being the fire marble puzzle; which ironically is one of the big two puzzles in the whole game. Not to spoil too much, but you can only concretely determine about 80% of the answer; no matter what you do, the last 20% of the solution takes guesswork. It doesn't take long to trial and error the last part, but up until then you hadn't been expected to. Its one of the more insidious tricks in my opinion. Things like closing a door behind you, or not assuming this foreign language using a base ten number system, I enjoy as it plays with assumptions the player would make. The game forces you to reflect on your own automatic thinking patterns. The fire puzzle, on the other hand, suggests to the player that there's a way to find out the whole solution, like the rest of the game does. So its less revaluating your own assumptions, and more like the devs withheld information to make the puzzle harder. Feels less satisfying to solve, like I cheated even though guessing is the only way to solve the last part. Im really not surprised so many people get stuck on it, I know I spent a long time looking for a way to determine the correct colours.
On the other hand, I feel it adds a little bit of realism to the experience, for better and for worse. After all, a real place isn't going to be perfectly suited for you to be able to gather all of the information you need. The few clues in the game that are broken, missing, or slightly different from the rest all have valid story reasons to be the way they are which I think is really cool.
I never beat this game. As a kid it's mystery and aesthetic drew me in. I played Myst with my grandfather as well... and damn if that game didn't make me feel uncomfortable too. Alien, but familiar... fantastical... but realistic. I beat Myst with my grandpa and when we stumbled on Atrus and the green book we flipped. We knew that something was wrong with those two psychos. Then Riven came out. It's somber opening... the feeling of being watched while you explore... the eerie and sinister atmosphere. It felt even darker than Myst. Like this world had been ravished and dominated. Sure Myst had these areas too - but Riven just captured that unnerving atmosphere so much better. Myst felt like I was exploring a man made paradise that had been abandoned. Riven felt like I was witnessing a forgotten culture. I love them both. Exile didn't work for me. The lack of a sinister atmosphere and good villain ruined it for me. It just didn't feel as good. Gen felt like a truly menacing and evil individual. Atrus's sons felt like manipulative psychopaths... Saavedro didn't have was too sympathetic. Gen and Atrus's sons we awful evil people who were capable of atrocious things... and because of that the atmosphere of these two games had this dark underlying feel of dread. These two games were perfect examples of atmosphere. Their art direction was insane... and they captured me. I think I'll go back and beat Riven.
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I don't know why, but there's something about late 90s prerendered graphics that I've always found very appealing. The textures and shaders always look almost over detailed, like they're too realistic, and the lighting and shadows has this unnaturally perfect and crisp look to them. There's something about it that I just really like.
You can see a lot of effort and care has been taken to make it look as good as possible, making the obvious fakeness not just excusable or tolerable, but esthetically pleasing and oddly fitting as well.
I guess I mean to say that magic realism is pretty neat.
yeah, i've always been a fan of the aesthetic too. i've been playing a lot of 90's and early 2000's adventure games specifically in search of more games with that style. i think it comes from the fact that 90's pre-rendered CG typically used an abundance of shaders and light effects to mask the fact that they were being applied to relatively simple objects with lower polygon counts (compared to CG nowadays, at least). something about the juxtaposition of these two elements is really cool.
Amen
The developers had used the term "hyper-realism" to describe it. I feel like Riven came closest to that look, the next best games I've found graphically are the Journeyman Project games. Some other point-and-clicks of the era feel kinda empty and unfinished. Were there any that came close to Riven's level of polish?
@Mildly Amusing Channel I was checking out the first Atlantis game, good backgrounds but the characters are creepy XD
I remember being 12 and thinking "wow if this game is coming out now....think what games will come out in 10/20 years!!!".
Little did I know Riven was an exception to the rule, in terms of raw creativity and attention to detail in an alien world.
Ah yes, Riven. The game of two puzzles. Collect all the clues, input the solutions.
"Of course the visuals have aged less gracefully."
Are we looking at the same game? It still looks gorgeous to me.
My thoughts as well. The visuals are amazing. There is that low resolution though...but it's not too bad.
Heck, as long as it has that iridescent water it will always be beautiful to me.
Problem is the bitrate
The cohesive world of this game is probably the reason why solving the puzzles in it felt so satisfying. It was like you decoded something that was never meant to be a puzzle at all, it was just second nature to the people who lived there.
New video next week. It's a review of Obduction, a spiritual successor to this game.
Matthewmatosis have you been playing Obduction in VR, as intended?
Glad to have you back!
Matthewmatosis Will you ever do a series of reviews for the metroid or castlevania series in the near future? If so that will be awesome.
Great to see you back with us again. BloodBorne review please
Man I was sure we wouldn't hear from you in like a year or something seeing how Breath of the Wild is out! Haha good to know there is even another video next week!
A day with a Matthewmatosis upload is a fine day indeed.
Now if only we got a ChaseFace upload too...
No MGS V Review ;_;
Sonic 3?
Hmm. Depends. Have you used your AK on that day?
Even today, Riven is immersive in a strange, dreamlike way. I still remember my first thoughts when I entered the world for the first time, I was completely enthralled by how the game evoked tactile memories so effortlessly. Almost everything in the game makes you imagine how it would actually feel if it existed, from the smooth metal rungs of the ladder to the stuffy interior of the railcar thing. I remember the first time I left an island, I got a rush of vertigo as the car plummeted towards the sea. I can't think of another game which managed to pull that off.
I know, right!
Best rollercoaster ever
Absolutely, it's so rare a game can do that. And I would extend that to smell too! It's like I could smell the sea, the old wood, the caves... The world is amazingly well-realized, not just in its design, structure, and logic, but on the experiential level.
Agreed. The sound design in Riven especially floored me at the time. Even moreso considering how important sound turned out to be, in the grand scheme of things. But I played through this game with my shitty little computer speakers turned all the way up, and every time I'd move a lever, or a door, or pushed a button, I revelled in the surreal feeling of actually BEING there. Of feeling the contraption vibrate, of imagining how that wooden door felt under my fingers.
I can honestly say no game has ever recreated that feeling for me since. I don't even know why. Riven, as mentioned in the review, hasn't aged particularly well in regards to graphical presentation, and I'm fairly certain most of the in game sounds were compressed as all hell. But there you go. There was just something about the design of those islands that felt real to me. Even its direct sequel didn't evoke the same sense of visiting a real place.
Riven is my favorite game of all time, and I have to attribute a lot of that to the atmosphere for sure. If you can get your hands on a copy of the book From Myst to Riven, it explains that the developers put almost as much effort into making the place feel real and historical as Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings. But even beyond that, there's something magical in it that's hard to describe. The only game I've ever played that's come close to feeling so real is Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, and that game is a 2D Metroidvania. I just don't understand it, but I'm not complaining!
Riven is a wonderful masterpiece and I'm glad you mentioned what a shame it is that Myst has overshadowed it. Myst isn't bad, but compared to Riven it feels like a proof of concept.
"Proof of Concept" is the perfect way to describe Myst imo. Revisiting it, I cant help but feel likes Im playing a rather basic tech demo, than delving into a real world.
I remember playing this game as a kid. My dad got me obsessed with the Myst series, and my dad envies me for being able to figure out a lot of stuff before he can. What I remember most about this game is just how captivating it was. I would be so immersed into this game, that any sort of minor interaction that would occur in this game would scare the crap out of me. Anybody remember that bit where you run into a little girl standing in your path as you make your way to the village? Yeah, those bits.
Let's not forget about the amazing whark sequence. Gave me chills.
I still don't fully understand why these innocent interactions were so startling. I suppose it's just that the static images feel so "safe" and predictable, and the player character has absolutely no means of defense at their disposal, so interacting with people makes one feel extremely helpless (which makes some bits later in the game pretty gut-wrenching).
It took me four years, but I took you up on this recommendation. I needed some hints from a Cyan-devotee to find everything I needed to, but I took pages of notes and did more on my own than I expected.
No other game world is like this. What a lovely, awe-inspiring game.
It's simply a masterpiece, no other game has integrated its puzzles with its story quite so seamlessly.
Riven is one of my all-time favourite games. The world of Riven is surreal but feels so real. It sucked me so deep into its world everytime I played the game (play it in the dark with headphones). And the puzzle design is simply brilliant. This game ruined me for other puzzle games because I never ever again have seen such great puzzles. They work with so many elements and feel so organic in the world. And they are totally logical. I still have my old notes which helped a lot with solving everything. If Cyan can recreate the atmosphere then I would love to see a remake. But its probably difficult to transfer the video-footage to todays standards. Anyway it will be forever one of the greatest games ever made.
Outer Wilds ?
Its astounding- the level of art direction is so good that you would never think someone had to make tech compromises so that people could even experience it. I remember someone calling it 'just a slideshow' back then, and even if it is...it was a slideshow of what games would look like in 20 years
Here's an advice if you're stuck playing Riven. Check everything around you. If something looks remotely like a button, try and press it. If you're on a straight path, check to look to the sides. If you go through a door, check behind it... The game is great, apart from one or two small bullshit moments.
The doors that hide other doors when they're open were probably the most annoying "puzzles" that tripped me up while playing. Plus it's just terrible feng shui.
To me, Riven was the first game I would come home from work to, and just spend time with it: The setting, the mood, the ambiance, the music... For months I didn't really get anywhere, but the experience was/is something I cherish to this day. When I finally began to see strands towards the bigger picture in everything that I had been observing for so long, it was such a wonderful moment for me. Such elation and personal joy. No other game has come close to that feeling for me. The Witness came roughly close, but I do mean roughly. The aesthetics of Riven are still the very best in terms of personal enjoyment.
While most people seem to enjoy your reviews of bigger, more well known games, I really think you do a great job with games like this. Games that aren't that well known and are just magical experiences waiting to be found. Great video.
Myst and Riven were very popular and well known back in the day. Myst even held the title of best-selling PC game until 2002.
True, I was referring to them in a sort of mainstream, modern sense, but most people do know about Myst.
Riven is still the golden standard in game storytelling. Nothing has come close to build such a rich, consistent world and integrate its gameplay with it so seamlessly. A colossal masterpiece.
@@miguelbranquinho7235 I think it's the golden standard in world building, not necessarilly storytelling. The plot is too simple. Legacy of Kain is my golden standard for storytelling in videogames :) But Riven is definately one of the best things ever in gaming.
@@jeanlundi2141 In videogames, worldbuilding is storytelling.
This video convinced me to play Riven (and not wanting to spoil what is considered by many one of the greatest computer games of all time, Myst before it). I highly recommend this game to anyone on the fence after this video, despite some shortcomings, Riven is fantastic and figuring out the meaning of different symbols and what they mean in the world was one of the coolest moments I've ever had in a puzzle game.
Best experience in video game history by much!!
That hard to find path was such a frustrating aspect of the game for me. However, I found that the developer has a very well made "hints" guide that does a great job of helping you get unstuck without telling you exactly what to do, and that made it more enjoyable as someone who doesn't want to spend hours stuck on a single puzzle. I highly recommend checking it out if you do get stuck - search for "Riven hints guide" and you'll find it on cyan's website.
I'm shocked to see this video posted - you've seemingly out of the blue shone light upon the greatest immersive puzzle game ever made, and accurately hit all the points that make it great. Although I wanted to hear more detail about your take on the major puzzles, I appreciate the restraint shown so as to preserve the experience for new players. To anyone picking up Riven as a result of this video - grab a notebook, pick up a pencil, and really enjoy your time spent in one of the greatest worlds ever crafted.
This game is what the medium was born to create.
Just finished my first ever playthrough of this game, and it was without a doubt one of the most difficult games I’ve ever played. Also one of the best, this is a remarkable experience like no other, words really can’t do justice to just what a masterpiece this game is. 10/10
Oh man, the memories I have with Riven are indescribable. Truly a game that captivated my younger self on a level few things could ever aspire to reach.
Thanks for the blast from the past by making this video!
Inactive list TH-camr :/
I live alone in a tiny studio apartment, and playing games gets pretty lonely. usually when I play, I put one of your videos on, because listening to you really helps me out in this regard. It's nice to see a new video by you!
Someday I need to give Myst and Riven a go. My parents were big into these games back in the day, I remember as kid before I really played/had an interest in video games, watching them play through them together. Great video as always :)
This was my all-time favourite game (still do this day). There's just so much detail poured into it. I've never seen another game with as much thought and care put into it.
It's quite probable Riven will never get surprassed as the greatest work-of-art computer game. It's flawless. The story, the immersion, the music, the puzzles, the graphics, the acting... It scores a 10/10 in every aspect.
I just played through this game for the first time and was pretty blown away. The experience of slowly unraveling the meaning of everything simply through observation was kind of incredible and something I don't think I've gotten from any other game, at least not in the same way. Very interested to play Obduction now.
I re-experience Riven pretty often via watching blind playthrough videos, living vicariously through new players as they show their joy and wonderment during their first play of Riven. Quite enjoyable.
HE LIVES LADS
I found Riven to be extremly fascinating. I loved the atmosphere.
I wasn't particularly good at the puzzles, but the mysterious atmosphere is what drew me in.
Still have all 5 discs sitting in my collection.
Oh baby, one of my all time favorites. Surprised you didn't mention the gorgeous fan remake that's been slowly creeping forward in development for a couple of years though. Anyone who has finished the game should go check it out, it's called the Starry Expanse Project.
There is also "Neyyah" currently being developed by Aaron Gwynaire which might turn out to be quite different to Riven but at least takes a lot of visual cues from it.
Idk if you heard but Cyan themselves just recently announced they are remaking it from the ground up!
While it's true that disk-swapping broke immersion somewhat, the packaging actually did a great deal to limit this flaw. The five disks were in individual sleeves, each of which had one of the pictures from the room shown at 7:08. Swapping disks was always an opportunity to look at the pictures and try to relate them to what one had learned so far.
Hope you're doing well Matt! Good to see your content again!
Holy cow, I never knew how much I wanted this video until now. My sister and I were young children when our cousins gave us Riven- five disks and all- and my sister got to a point when she felt that she was making genuine progress, chasing a girl through a corridor filled with puzzles. Years later, when I got back to the game and did some research, she was mildly disappointed to learn that she had only scratched the surface. Personally speaking, I definitely feel that pre-rendered graphics are an underrated form of visual presentation in games, and could make an amazing comeback even if their resolution ages poorly years later. I've always felt that Riven was sort of underrated in general- it features a world so well realized that you always feel immersed, in a way even more so thanks to the way the graphics have aged. When I heard the creators of Myst were making a new game, I was hoping for something closer to the level of detail present here than what they ended up making. Still, it's awesome to hear the recommendation of one of my favorite critics. Thanks!
my favorite TH-camr uploads his first video in months recommending my favorite game of all time? do I DREAM
"I consider it playing it again in another FIVE years or so..."
Ha! I see what you did there. ;) Nice.
Nice, love this game. From the art in the box to the actual game, Cyan's work was unprecedented, and still maintains a very high standard IMHO, just for the insane attention to details and consistent imaginative work.
I subscribed to you yesterday, and today you uploaded a video about one of my top 3 favourite games ever. Talk about timing!
Unfortunately, I'm not going to watch your next video until after I've played through Obduction myself. But keep up your awesome work!
Fantastic video. Only played Myst for the first time about four years ago. I've been putting off Riven, but I think maybe the time to play it is finally here.
Restraint seems to be your favorite quality for a dev to have
i really enjoyed the pictures you showed at the end of the video when i first played the game, they use byzantine/early christian art as a really effective tool in depicting the narcissism of the antagonist and his utter disdain for his creation. the entire rivenese culture was really well crafted in that regard.
Ah Matthew, please do a video on Exile! I absolutely loved Myst, Riven, and Exile as a kid and they're still some of my favorite games today.
i have good memories of this game, playing it with my older brother when we were kids. i couldn't understand the more complex concepts the game presented, but it was very relaxing and challenging at the same time, kind of captivating. i'll be revisiting this game soon, thanks for reminding me of it Matthewmatosis
Riven looks genuinely interesting indeed. These are my favourite types of videos you upload. I wouldn't have gotten Dustforce or had a want to get this game without your videos Matt.
FINALLY NEW UPLOAD, BEEN REWATCHING YOUR VIDEOS THESE PAST FEW DAYS TOO. PLEASE DO BREATH OF THE WILD
What I love is the fact that you're not trying to crack a safe or something. So it's not like someone has a safe and then carelessly strews around the key for it, which is something that A LOT of games do. In Riven, you are trying to figure out how to operate various equipment. Most of which is not only foreign, but also happen to be bespoke iterations of an esoteric technology. So you're wandering around in an abandoned sandbox of prototypes.
The technology wasn't even improved. Instead, Gehn had discovered a vastly superior solution, which could literally fit in his back pocket. So it makes sense that everything was abandoned, as it became obsolete. Otherwise, such equipment would be moved or salvaged, but given the discovery of a superior solution, it no longer holds any value to Gehn. He literally could not be bothered dismantling it.
So what we considered clues in a gaming context, are actually just the remaining scribbles of a lone inventor. Some little scribbles here and there, because they were nothing more than mental notes. There is no manual, because only Gehn is using these machines.
I played Riven as a kid, and watched my dad play it too. I think both of us were as lost as the other, but we both loved the feeling of the world, and all it's strangeness. I know I didn't finish it, and I don't think my dad did either, and sadly, I don't think my dad can get it running on any of the systems that we own (though I have yet to test my own) but we still love it. I do remember seeing everything shown in this video though. I'm not sure how much of the game actually has formed who I am as a person, but it certainly feels like it played a part. It feels the most nostalgic and important to me than anything from my childhood when I think about it. Which is impressive given that I didn't really understand any of what was going on. Just fiddled with the puzzles, maybe solved a few, and kept going back to the submarine thing because I loved interacting with the machinery and watching the underwater cutscenes. The game still feels like a foreign mystery to me.
In fact, writing this comment has made me question if I should even go and play it if I can, lest I lose that sense of wonder I feel towards it. Then again, it's been so long, and my mind has certainly developed from back then, so it may lend me an entirely new experience.
A wonderful video. Riven was one of my first games as a kid. I don't know how I ever completed it, but somehow I did. Thanks for bringing it back to my mind.
I remember having Myst and Riven as a kid. I watched my grandfather play those games and it made me a fan, despite never finishing either games. The video makes me want to get back into them again, thanks!
I'm not normally a fan of point-and-click games, but Cing's games on the DS and Wii opened my eyes to how accessible, relaxing and thought-provoking these games can be. They're the kind of game I could see myself kicking back and playing on a quiet evening
Thanks for the recommendation. I had all but forgotten about Riven. I'm excited to re-discover it.
Riven is not a game I played, but a place I visited. That's what sets it apart.
It still looks more or less acceptable today, but it's so sad there is no updated version of this. The people at The Starry Expanse project are working on it, but to be honest I'm not expecting anything finished to come of it…
You did a very good job of making me interested enough in a game i've never played before to want to know what is going on in that world, while not spoiling anything (at least directly, I think) about the plot and history of said world.
Though, if i'm being honest; its more likely that i'll just look up Riven and get a plot synopsis than go through the trouble of getting it running on my computer.
Regardless! Good video, duder! Looking forward to the Obduction video! What i've seen of that game looked pretty neat.
I'm glad to see this video was posted in 2017! Riven and Myst are still alive! Woo!
It's amazing that Riven doesn't feel dated after 20+ years. You would never know it came out in 1997.
I've played through the original Myst and I liked it a lot, but I never got started with Riven. I think I'll check it out. Great video!
You're finally back. After all this time, I've been waiting for a Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3 review.
A great pleasure to have you back Matthew.
Dude you come across really well in all your videos mate the whole thing about erasing your memory I feel the same way about Ocarina of time, it's never the same the second time haha
Had heard of myst but never played it and had never even heard of riven, but this video made me decide I needed to check these out. I just finished myst, it absolutely blew me away, just a remarkable game. I’m starting riven right now!
That's the youtube video that I wish the most to have done it myself. Everything you said, it's all the very same impressions I had and that I wish to tell the world. Just like you did on this video. Thanks for that!
I played this game 15 years ago, and since then, I have always thought that in 5 years I would be able to reexperience it like playing it for the first time. But I didn't get to that. Now I think that maybe after my retirement in 40 years I'll be able to have that feeling again. But I'm actually wrong. I'll never forget Riven
Myst, Riven and Exile are my favorite games . But Riven is the coolest experience I ever had while playing. I remember the day I figured out the numerical meaning of the D'ni and opened the dome in village island. I was jumping up and down like a maniac in celebration just to find out there was no power in the linking book in it. I completed this game without a walkthrough in 2003 and all I been saying since then( on my mom) is..I WISH I COULD ERASE MY MEMORY AND PLAY THIS GAME AGAIN. I almost cry when you said that in this video!! By far...this is the game I ever played.
I gave up on Riven after probably putting 30 hours in it.
I could solve some of the puzzles, but I never figured out how everything fit together.
In Myst, you had the hub age of Myst, and the other ages where the goal was pretty clear: Get the red and blue pages.
You know something's the shut when it gets this much constructevely thought out praise, also I'm glad you're back for now :]
You've got me longing for the bygone days of prerendered graphics, but I also wonder how incredible Riven would be in VR.
Christmas came early this year
I remember my parents owned both these games and I would tinker with them as a young child. I still remember spending hours hopelessly lost in these worlds. Never did figure out what to do, but the experiences I had in Myst and Riven stick with me to this day.
O god that part where you should turn around and close the door to open a path was brilliant. I was stuck there for ages
One of my favorites of all time. Great to get the Matosis angle!
Years ago, when I was maybe 10 or 11, I remember my dad gave me a bunch of his old PC games. Two of them being Myst and Riven. I remember playing through all of Myst, spending time asking my dad for hints or clues on where I need to go next or what I need to figure out. I remember having trouble with the little 'submarine' thing in Myst. My dad just told me that the sounds were important, and left it at that. I'm glad he didn't try to directly spoil it for me, he gave me just enough information to use my brain and figure it out on my own.
I, too, remember playing Riven when it was still on 5 CDs. In fact I've still got the original box and all the sleeves for the CDs somewhere around here. As annoying as it was, I do admit I miss the nostalgia of popping in a different disc and waiting for it to spin up. It may have caused a sudden halt in the overall immersion of the game, but there's still something I miss about doing that.
While it's true the game technically only has two puzzles, the process of learning how to solve them, and how it's all achieved through environmental storytelling, is one of my favorite aspects of the game. I can't think of a single recent puzzle game that has taken the same approach of Riven. I also think it's incredible that Cyan had the foresight to force players into learning the D'ni number system. The fact the code you need from Ghen's book is randomly generated is just awesome. There's no googling that one. You have to figure out how to transcribe it yourself.
Riven is still one of the best puzzle games I've played to this very day. I would love to see more puzzle games try to mimic it or at least rely more heavily on the environmental aspects of the game.
I have very fond memories of playing these games with my mom when I was younger. We both love puzzles and spent hours exploring these worlds and trying to solve all the puzzles. Riven was suburb.
I mean, I already had it on my shortlist, but it's great to hear more about this series anyway.
Got the original disc set of this thing still. Such a fascinating world, yet it scared me as a kid, not sure why. Maybe it was the feeling of isolation, in such an alien environment. It was really immersive back in the day that's for sure. (Aside from the disc changing thing)
This is one of my favorite games of all time. Thank you for recommending this game without much spoilers.
6:19 Oh my gosh, I never knew about that! I can't believe there are still things in this game I didn't know about after years of playing.
I was hoping your next video would be about The Last Guardian, but I'm actually quite happy to see Riven getting some attention as well. Obduction came out last year and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that game some day...
Obduction? I just saw on Twitter that he's planning on reviewing it so I guess we'll know soon. He called TLG his favorite game of 2016.
Would you be interested in reviewing Professor Layton series or one game from it? It would be really interesting to hear what you think of the games and how you view them. And if you haven't play any game from the series, I highly recommend you do. The games are a lot of fun and I find the game design to be really fun and interesting.
Love ur videos, would be nice to see Torment review someday. :)
I think it's harsh to say there are only 2 puzzles. There a loads - but the genius of the design is the puzzle within a puzzle - or the big picture emerging from the small puzzles. I never cracked the eye one, or even appreciated what was going on, but when I read about it much later I was deeply impressed.
Love these old school point and click style adventures. Broken Sword is my favourite though.
Riven is a triumph. However, as a kid I was disappointed in the fact that there wasn't very much linking to other ages. That's the core concept that drives the Myst series. Using the tram to get around to the islands was thrilling, but nothing in any game ever has stuck with me in the way that linking to another world through a book did.
thanks for this video am currently playing riven because of it and im really enjoying it so far!
thank you for making this. I Played this game before i had internet when it came out and i sunk so many hours into it until I solved it. amazing game.
Good to have you back.
This was certainly a nice little video showing a neat game I may or may not play. (Idk, I don't buy many games nowadays.) I will say though, I do think pre rendered environments have their little charm to them. Certainly holds up much better in this game's case. And in terms of environment storytelling I think it could open the possibilities to subtle storytelling for games.
To me Riven really is the best Myst game, because of the one big, coherent world with this great atmosphere and few, but very challenging and rewarding puzzles.
I do remember being very frustrated thoough at the point where you reach the frog trap. When you first get there, the trap is nothing more than a distraction (though it does serve a small purpose in terms of the main puzzle in the end). But its placement in a dead end really makes you think that it has some significance, that it somehow triggers something which makes you advance. Back in the day this trap really had me stuck for hours, exploring every nook and cranny of the island until I finally found out what to do near the trap... and cursed the developers.
"...in another 5 years or so." Nice touch right there ;-)
Thank you so much for this. I really want more people to know about the Myst series and Riven. Riven is by far my all-time favorite game. I love all the Myst series too, but I feel this is the pinnacle of the Myst experience, and I haven't seen any game do it better than this since. And you said exactly what I have been saying for a while, that I wish I could forget everything about it to experience it new again. And, even though the resolution hasn't aged well for modern displays, if you play it on an old CRT it still looks perfect, and even on new displays the quality of the source renders still shines through.
Also, to anyone wanting to play this after watching this video, buy the GOG version and DO NOT install it using the galaxy client. I currently have some research in the works, but the gist of it is that 1. the GOG version has compatibility tweaks that the steam copy does not, 2. the GOG Galaxy version is the DVD version which, to be brief, has less compressed video and more compressed audio, and is NOT properly tweaked for modern systems, and overall you're best with the version you download from their site.
I usually don't regret anything, but I kinda regreat using a FAQ to finish Riven back in 1998 as a 12 year old. Had I played it with a bit more patience....a bit later in life I would have loved the difficulty perhaps. I'm still very impatient...but I think the puzzles would make a bit more sense to me now.
Great, great video. Never played the game, probably never will, but you have a real talent for narrative and analysis.
Great video. Even as a fan of Myst I was always put off by the obtuseness of Riven, but I'm definitely more interested in checking it out now.
Would love to hear your thoughts on Nier: Automata.
Myst is one of the games I remember my dad/brothers playing as I struggled to look over the desk and watch. I have the game on my DSi now but I never got to experience Riven.
Matthew, have you played The Witness? Would love to see your commentaries about it.
I finished Myst in VR and it was awesome! Loved the atmosfere. Riven is announced to get the same remaster treatment as myst so Iam looking forward to that, although it is going to be a while before release. We will get Firmament soon. These games are great fit for VR.
Thanks for doing something different. The length is much more easily digestible too. Riven is a game with surprising depth in 2017 and few elements that have aged as much as others games from the era.
Seeing good voices talking about Myst and Riven makes me feel okay about the world.
God I've missed you dude, keep em comin'!
I LOVED Myst but never got a chance to play Riven. Great job
I met Mr.Ketty who worked as a 3D modler for the Myst series. Now hes my professor at a community collage, how bout that.
I love Riven to death, the one glaring issue being the fire marble puzzle; which ironically is one of the big two puzzles in the whole game. Not to spoil too much, but you can only concretely determine about 80% of the answer; no matter what you do, the last 20% of the solution takes guesswork.
It doesn't take long to trial and error the last part, but up until then you hadn't been expected to. Its one of the more insidious tricks in my opinion. Things like closing a door behind you, or not assuming this foreign language using a base ten number system, I enjoy as it plays with assumptions the player would make. The game forces you to reflect on your own automatic thinking patterns.
The fire puzzle, on the other hand, suggests to the player that there's a way to find out the whole solution, like the rest of the game does. So its less revaluating your own assumptions, and more like the devs withheld information to make the puzzle harder. Feels less satisfying to solve, like I cheated even though guessing is the only way to solve the last part. Im really not surprised so many people get stuck on it, I know I spent a long time looking for a way to determine the correct colours.
On the other hand, I feel it adds a little bit of realism to the experience, for better and for worse. After all, a real place isn't going to be perfectly suited for you to be able to gather all of the information you need. The few clues in the game that are broken, missing, or slightly different from the rest all have valid story reasons to be the way they are which I think is really cool.
I never beat this game. As a kid it's mystery and aesthetic drew me in. I played Myst with my grandfather as well... and damn if that game didn't make me feel uncomfortable too.
Alien, but familiar... fantastical... but realistic.
I beat Myst with my grandpa and when we stumbled on Atrus and the green book we flipped. We knew that something was wrong with those two psychos.
Then Riven came out. It's somber opening... the feeling of being watched while you explore... the eerie and sinister atmosphere. It felt even darker than Myst. Like this world had been ravished and dominated. Sure Myst had these areas too - but Riven just captured that unnerving atmosphere so much better.
Myst felt like I was exploring a man made paradise that had been abandoned. Riven felt like I was witnessing a forgotten culture.
I love them both. Exile didn't work for me. The lack of a sinister atmosphere and good villain ruined it for me. It just didn't feel as good.
Gen felt like a truly menacing and evil individual.
Atrus's sons felt like manipulative psychopaths...
Saavedro didn't have was too sympathetic. Gen and Atrus's sons we awful evil people who were capable of atrocious things... and because of that the atmosphere of these two games had this dark underlying feel of dread.
These two games were perfect examples of atmosphere. Their art direction was insane... and they captured me. I think I'll go back and beat Riven.
Are you going to do a review of the new Zelda? Would love to hear your thoughts on it.