This really is a calming experience. My father and I used to play this together when I was a boy. I was able to recapture some of that magic today. Thank you!
Realtime 3d has been popular for its dynamic and responsive qualities, but prerendered still can work great for some types of games. I personally wonder if Cyan jumped to realtime too early - given that their early-mid 2000s forays into realtime were the games in the series that flopped. (Realmyst, Uru, Myst V all did poorly at launch and the reasons varied, but the thing in common was realtime 3d but Now, with Obduction, Myst (2021 version) and Firmament we're seeing them able to make realtime 3d worlds that are close in detail level to the best of the prerendered Myst series work. Because the tech has gotten to the point where that looks way better than it could in the '00s. In general, prerendered by its nature will always be well ahead of realtime in fidelity. The difference between what can be rendered in about an hour vs. 1/60th of a second, is always going to be massive. It's possible to do things in prerendered that are unthinkable in realtime - I know, I'm running a render of a VFX sequence that contains 4.5tb of geometry alone* which would never ever work in realtime, at least... not right now. But another decade from now, who knows? Game engines may be doing more graphically by 2035 than Hollywood movies can currently. So while there will always be an edge in detail for prerendered, at some point both prerendered and realtime will be so realistic the perceptual difference won't matter in practice. We're nearly there already in many ways.
You are confusing genre and technology. Your any AAA game is prolly a huge open world. Compare some Uncharted 4 in-house scenes with myst and you will see that Uncharted is head and shoulders above in terms of details and acting. With that said. If someone had a target to create an AAA game in the same genre as Myst it would be completely amazing and you would love that. The problem is that kind of adventures are not AAA type of game, since the audience is very narrow. We're talking about a 20 hours long continuous IQ test. Such things impossible to sell to wide public. The problem is in the market not in real-time 3D.
Second. I've been meaning to create a Myst fangame, but there's no straightforward engine to do prerendered nodes, unless someone else knows something.
@@machiner6 some 3D engines like Unreal Engine have plugins and filters that allow you to create the 'pre-rendered graphics' look without sacrificing performance
So glad I found your playthrough of the Myst series! I used to play these with my dad (i.e., watched him play after school). Hearing you talk about all the little details of the puzzle designs really brings back good memories, thanks!
Randomly stumbling onto this video at 2:08 AM was a blessed moment. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of the game. It’s one of my favorites. I have to admit I cheated on the Spire puzzles because I found them really tough. Looking forward to your Myst V video!
Myst 4 had the worst puzzles (excluding Uru) but probably the most imaginative and beautiful ages. Props to the studio for taking the ideas and lore of Myst and making a faithful game.
My mom and I used to play these games back in the day. She was the smartest person I knew. I wouldn't have gotten through a lot of the Myst series' puzzles without her. This really takes me back.
I used to watch my dad play the Myst games when I was little and MAN the bubbles for the water spirit gave me vietnam war flashbacks. Thank you for sharing your playthrough!
I've watched all your Myst playthroughs and I'm honestly stunned at how seamlessly you are able to complete the puzzles and just pull the information together. And thank you for letting the big story scenes play through! Like you, I've loved the games since I was a little kid, playing them with my Dad. We had the same set up - a notebook to write all the puzzle info down and even the strategy guide for when we REALLY got stuck. This was such a fantastic trip down memory lane, and even after all this time I still got a little emotional when Achenar pulled his final move. I'm excited to see your Uru and Myst V playthroughs! :)
Just blasted through all 4 of these retrospectives and was disappointed to find there isn't a playthrough of Myst V yet! Definitely got a sub from me though.
Fantastic to see this video in my subscription feed! Your Myst videos are always entertaining and informative and I always find out something new with them. Keep up the great work!
Hey man, I cant express how much I appreciate your walkthroughs. These classics are so underrated and even the BIGGEST gamers I know these amazing games! I can recall my father and I spending LATE nights with Riven and Myst 3. Like, spending days if not WEEKS on some puzzled bonded my father and I more then our fishing trips... Im a huge fan of the way you did all your walk throughs, so many easter eggs and amazing information that I didnt now. Thank you so much for this!
I didn't really mind the mysticism aspect of Serinia. As they said, Catherine wrote this Age, and her writing was always considered to be rather out there. Now, whether or not that's a good thing is up to the eye of the beholder, but I did like finally getting to see one of her Ages and how different her writing was compared to the very logical and analytical Atrus.
I think it makes sense from a story context for sure, and I really like that Catherine's age is very different. I just don't think it made for a good gameplay experience. Except the bathysphere. =]
I'd just finished playing Myst IV when you posted this, and I honestly could. not. wait. to hear your take on Peter Gabriel/Serenia, as it definitely took me aback. Fun to compare notes, as always. Thanks for posting!
Excellent analysis Jordan, particularly of the two prison ages in terms of why you would be motivated to complete them if you didn't find Yeesha in either of them. For me, the game went off the rails when I got to Serenia; it didn't feel like an age that belonged in a Myst game - I thought I was playing Beyond Atlantis again, lol! My general impression of gameplay was that the puzzles didn't feel anywhere as organic as they did in Riven - it was as if the developers put them in the game primarily to slow a player's progress down.
I loved this game! The story, the puzzles (minus the Mangaree calling part that was infuriating) and especially the music. "Glacial" was going through my mind the whole time as well, the load times are absolutely brutal, wish someone could fix that!! I have to say as a huge Peter Gabriel fan I was thrilled when I realized it was his song and then also his voice. Thanks for the video!
Just wanted to thank you for the series. I’ve had a lot of fun watching this week and seeing that i missed a lot not sticking with the series as i got older. I hope you continue with the other myst content out there!
I wasn’t surprised that Sirrus had a blanket and supplies to set up a camp. Even though he thought Spire had people, it would be a good idea to bring camping supplies in case it took more than a day to get there on foot.
The TH-cam Algorithm got it right for once. So glad I found your channel. Myst 4 was my first Myst game and I could never finish it but the memories always remained. I want to go back now and finish it and play the rest now that I am older. ☺
Very glad I found your Myst videos! I was looking for a complete summery of Myst 4 because I just could not stand the load times, and your videos are exactly what i was looking for. Very entertaining and informative and obviously an insane amount of effort put into them, really the best way to experience the game without playing it myself. Great work!
Wow. I can't believe I watched this entire walk thru. It was fun to experience the game again without having to do all the work! I so appreciate your work and insights - all of which I agree with. I really enjoyed playing Myst IV (twice) and your insights and thoughts resonated with my own experiences and reactions. Thank you!
Thank you for running the gauntlet of Myst games. I recently replayed the first two myself, but quickly got burnt out going through the rest. I appreciate your insight into the series look forward to any future vids!
I can definitely relate. It took me years to ramp up to this game, and at 35 I went back and forth between fun and deep frustration. I appreciate the kind words!
Long game is long! It’s been about a month since I sat down to start it, so yeah take your time, it’ll be here when you want another perspective. I wouldn’t say there are 4 hours of insight here...more like 3 hours of a long game and a dusting of insight. This was a weird one! But thank you my friend, your interest is much appreciated.
I always had a strange guilt playing these games when I was younger because I always had to consult a walkthrough eventually. But in retrospect, your playthroughs show that some of the puzzles are really hard and difficult for an impatient younger player to figure out. So now I don't feel so bad! Great to watch!
Thanks for your videos! I too played Myst with my Dad when it came out on PC and then Riven on the PS. It was fun to see/hear your well thought out videos, lore and explanations! I look forward to your future videos!
I’ve played Myst, Riven, Myst 3: Exile, Uru - Ages Beyond Myst and even Myst V: End of Ages and I loved them all dearly…. This game… I WANT to like it, I really do. But I’ve tried to play it 4 times over the years…. and each time I got to Haven and ended up in complete frustration. Never even got to Serenia. I guess I’m just not smart enough or patient enough for this game. But thank you so much for this playthrough, now I can get to see what I missed.
Jordan, this was an amazing experience! The absolute best walkthrough of any game that I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. It felt like we were exploring the age together. At the very end I had to bail on the Myst IV because it stopped being fun for me. That was okay though because you finished it and I got to see how it ended. No love lost truly. Your critique and final thoughts were spot-on. I'm looking forward to exploring Exile and Riven while enjoying your retrospectives which are two games that I have completed previously on my own but I'm sure that playing them again while listening to your insights and gentle narration will provide a positive enhancement. Thanks for making this video!
Loved your retrospectives. You know, I gotta say, for this being the final game where you play as the Stranger from the original game (given how Uru and V take place in the present day, there's no way the stranger is still alive) I feel it's fitting that it ends with dealing with the brothers once and for all.
I found and have been going through your Myst retrospective series the last few days, and I must say that I really think you found the perfect groove with this video. I'd consider it almost like an annotated long-play which is great, letting the game run through without skipping interactions and cutscenes and providing both good commentary on the puzzles as well as context from research. I realise that you prioritised cutting the videos down to make them more snappy at first, but getting the full uninterrupted long-play is really comforting and many of us appreciate these longer videos, even though we might watch them as chapters over time. When or if you find that you'll have the time to do more videos like this one with other work by Cyan or other publishers I'll be here to watch them! I realise that they require a lot of time to create though, I hope you'll be able to find that time when life isn't requiring you elsewhere!
A very enjoyable commentary on the game/series! I appreciate the balance you strike when offering critical comments as well. Thank you for all the effort you put into this!
Jumped back into the game this year for the nostalgia trip. It truly is one of my favourite games ever. Mostly, like many others have stated, because of the fact I played it extensively as a kid with my father. I do, however, truly abhor the final puzzle in Haven. Considering it is possible to simply skip it and move on to Serenia, that is what I do every single playthrough. It's quite abominable of a timed puzzle and I hate those in general. Every time I engage in Spire's chair puzzle my heart beats out of my chest. I simply despise when you're not allowed to make a single mistake or you have to start all over. It certainly takes a toll on me. Thanks for the video. I enjoy watching and/or simply listening to long playthroughs like these every once in a while. You've got a relaxed voice! Perfect for sleepy Saturdays. ;)
Thank you so much Kyle! Would be happy to read what you think about the commentary, similarities and differences in thought, etc. Your comments and support mean a lot.
@@JordansExpeditions My favorite parts of these commentaries/play through is how you approach and discuss the puzzles. It's refreshing to see someone "analyze" the puzzle like it's the first time playing, rather than simply explaining the solution. It's nice that you take the time to put yourself in the shoes of a first time player, and call out small or subtle hints at the solution. Your videos explain "how" a puzzle is supposed to work, rather than just the answer. It's cleared up puzzles in the past for me, that I now have a deeper understanding and respect for. I also appreciate that during slower parts of the game you have interesting dialogue/content to fill the time. It keeps the entire video engaging and fills in gaps in the story/lore/etc that the player may have missed. Please keep making these! Maybe Obduction next?
Wonderful video - thank you so much for putting it together! I love how you explain things as you go, detailing what you're seeing and what information the player is meant to gather from it. You have a very logical mind that I'm sure helped you complete this while I floundered :) The slowness of the game is a huge problem and I think many of the other game's problems would be mitigated just by fixing that - making the mouse less weird and sluggish, have the cursor highlight the active spots when you mouse over them, and not take five seconds for each step. If movement were quicker, it would be much easier to play and experiment with the puzzles - as it is, it's just so frustrating to even try things. Late on in my video series I timed myself just realigning the wheel on the big water device in Serenia and it takes nearly a full minute to switch it from one direction to the other! Serenia is exceptionally weird... it makes sense that they were trying something new, and that it was different because it was a Catherine age, but the sudden appearance of Peter Gabriel was where I completely lost it. The thing that most frustrates me about it was how rubbish the Revelation was - you've got access to this incredible mystical realm, a network of ancestors' memories for thousands of years, and you use it to get a display of six colours representing how Sirrus prefers to arrange his marbles. I think it would have seemed much more worthwhile if it was taken further - if you had to piece memories together to work out a larger puzzle that you couldn't have seen on your own, almost like something from the Zero Escape series. And oh dear god the last puzzle is like an edutainment game, "sort out the jumbled conversation" - just like the slowness of the controls, you think you've reached the ending and it just keeps going on and on! It really leaves a bad impression, because the game is absolutely beautiful and has a stunning soundtrack. It's a great story but not a great game!
Great video! I really enjoy your work and I like the way you interweave lore into the story in such a way that it augments it without feeling too heavy or distracting, and I like your editing choices that cut or speed up some of the slower parts of the game. Looking forward to Myst V and Uru!
I’m glad you liked it! I worried (and still worry) about every little decision in putting this together. But now it’s out there, haha. Means a lot to hear someone agrees ;)
This could have been great but even though I consider myself a strong lateral thinker I found the puzzles non-intuitive and often didn't know if I was on the right track because there was so little feedback. I still love the series , and I am glad I played IV for completion , but found this one really frustrating. Excellent playthrough though!
I played these games 15-25 years ago so these retrospectives are neat. I will watch the other 3 you have up. Any plans to ever go through Myst V (and maybe Obduction?)
I had wanted to possibly replay Myst 4, but was honestly hesitant. You pointed out a lot of the reasons why in this, and i forgot how trippy Serenia was. I watched both your Exile playthrough and this one and I appreciate you covering these games in this much detail. When i did Spire's age i remember getting really mad at the crystal puzzle, yet it was so amazing in design i forgave the difficulty of actually completing it. Spire was very fun to explore and interact with different things, probably my favorite age across the games.
This was so much fun to watch, thank you :) it makes perfect sense now why I got stuck playing this game over and over again when I played it with a friend when we were both around 14 or 15 :D those puzzles are tough! And the lack of positive human interaction (except for the beginning) and amount of weird scenes and noises left us quite scared at times 😅
First, I salute you for soldiering through the mess that is Myst IV without screaming, going to sleep, or throwing things. EVERYTHING about this was rock bottom awful; the tired trope of Atreus and C summoning you to bail them out yet again. The addition of the "Bad Seed" child (check that movie if you don't know it; she is so clearly modeled on that) was horrific. But they had no plot, none of the actors have any interesting human qualities, and 99% of this mess is, as you right call it, busywork. The mystical b.s. is full-on cringe. Riven was full-on genius. Myst Exile had some fascinating art work and an actual plot and stellar acting by the wonderful Brad Dourif. And we can all conclude that Atreus and Catherine are really crappy parents. Even so, I really enjoyed your skill and knowledge and honest appraisals; and I agreed with every one of your negative comments. Brilliant work! I came here following your Myst 3 walk-through. Myst IV: The Tail Wagging the Dog.
finished! thank you so much for making this video! This came out when I was in grade 12, I don't think i was smart or patient enough to figure it all out back then and this is the first time I've watched it all played through. I'm surprised how much more difficult it seems than myst 3!
This was a wonderful video. I played Myst and Riven back in the 90s~. I knew there was a Myst 3 (going back to watch that vid now), but I didn't know it went as far as 4 and 5. I did play a bit of Uru, but I just didn't get it, lol. Thanks again for making this Friend 🙂
Thank you very much Jordan, your excellent walk-throughs and insights have added a new dimension to my play-throughs of these wonderful games. Greatly appreciated! In short you ROCK :)
Hey Jordan! I recently found your playthrough videos on the myst series and they are great! watch them all in a couple of days. Please do Myst V, I want to see the conclusion to the story told by you, pleeease
I'm glad I got to see the ending to this..I was completely stuck in Spire when it came to the chair harmonic puzzle..this was a great experience ending the story...I wish new Myst worlds and stories could be made
I was 4 years old when this released and my father played it with me for the first time. I never got past Tomahna by myself so that part is especially nostalgic to me. Such an amazing atmosphere and the scenery is out of this world beautiful. Sometimes I wonder how difficult it would be to upscale the imagery in the game with modern technology - perhaps use AI to sharpen actors' and actresses' recordings while still maintaining their original likeness. I wonder if that could be possible. Unless Cyan Worlds decides to give this a remake as well on their own accord. Thanks for sharing this video with us fellow Myst lovers.
2:30:02 I agree that it's a bad water map but you may notice that major landmarks do match up with it. For example, the nodes by the boy's face/hands coincide with the huge stone face/hand sculptures near each memory chamber/flower.
I've always found this approach to games to be really interesting! It made for some impressive visuals in 2004, even if not all of it rendered in real-time.
Yeah, it's a really constrained approach to the game's visuals that offers a blank canvas but a really controlled interaction space. See also: Resident Evil's pre-rendered backgrounds from the PSX and GameCube era.
after first playing Myst on oculus I found your videos and I’m really glad I did! I enjoy how in-depth you are explaining the game’s content and history of its making. Keep up the good work man, I’m interested to see what you make next and if you might do a retrospective on End of Ages and Uru
Thanks for recording this whole thing! Playing this one was such a miserable experience for me compared to every other Myst game or Obduction. I had to give up after hour 7.
Jordan, I will be very honest with you! These videos on the Myst "franchise" are just AMAZING! You should really consider doing more of these, as in... grab those other games you liked back then and walk people through them with your very interesting persona I think you mentioned once Metroid or so? being your number one? Go for that one! You are very well spoken and your videos are well prepared and have high production value Think about this! I've watched the Riven one like 4 times in the past months for example Blessings
Wow...thank you for this play through. I used to think this game had a depth that made it mysterious, but upon rewatch it's just strange for a Myst game. Well, I guess they tried... anyway, love these videos!
My biggest problem with this game how slow the interface and transitions were. That and some of the puzzles. But overall, I kind of love it! Music and gfx are amazing but I still kind of want a remaster of this. Thanks for the video.
I fell in love with Myst by watching youtube videos, I watched your retrospective of Myst Exile (iirc) and I subscribed just in case you did one about Myst 4. Ty so much
Thank you for this series! Loved watching all 4 of them! I played through 1-3 as a kid, but never 4 or 5. Tried Myst 4 last year but couldnt finish due to the unresponsive and sluggish controls… I got too frustrated.. But I loved "playing" through rest of it with you here! Hoping for a part 5, as I have no intention of playing it myself :p Have you tried out Obduction? Just finished it, and it was quite enjoyable! Looking forward to Firmament 👍 -Audun
@50:28 When I found the first chess board in Tomahna I studied it for a while. I didn't suspect it was a clue or anything I just found it interesting enough to waste some time on. I didn't know who's move it was or even who was playing so I just studied it under the assumption that it was white's turn. Now having found this one in Spire and the memory associated with it makes it clear that it was in fact black's turn so I studied this board some more with this new information. Without getting out a real chess board (which I don't even own) and setting up the pieces exactly the same so I could play it out I can only imagine 4 or 5 moves ahead. There's only so much I can hold in my memory so I can't be completely sure but I suspect that Atrus was setting a trap for Sirus giving up his queen like that. Similarly to the way he used the red a blue books as traps by dangling something tempting and see who takes the bait. I suspect this whole chess game might have been a sort of test by Atrus to see if Sirus has learned his lesson and I imagen he would have been quite disappointed after that move probably thinking something like "Oh dear, he hasn't learned a thing. Still taking the bait."
I second this. That game had me addicted to keep exploring to put the story and mechanics together and just gave me such a profound experience overall. It's 100% the closest thing to playing Myst again for the first time really.
@@JordansExpeditions So, I'm sure you've played the expansion by now, what do you think? There were elements of it where I definitely felt heavy Myst/Riven influences, and I loved every second of it. Great excuse to make Outer Wilds my GOTY for the third year in a row. Also, I've been watching each of your videos in sequence after finishing each respective game, and the "rock" solution for the harmonics puzzle definitely feels a lot more out of the way than most puzzles in the series so far -- I couldn't find conclusive evidence anywhere myself. Glad to know it wasn't just me.
Great effort mate - loved reliving the game through your video; been many many years since I originally played it. Can’t wait to see your videos on Myst V, URU and Obduction should you choose to make them. Love your channel 🤩
Thank you! Glad I was able to help you relive the experiences =) I'm still playing through URU DLC and Myst V is installed. I will admit it might be difficult to make a comprehensive video on URU, still mulling over what I might do, but I'm sure I'll think of something.
I really enjoyed your Myst game series. I think you have a great balance between a no-commentary longplay and an all-commentary retrospective video essay that just uses clips, and you are well-spoken with an enjoyable voice. I can tell you're passionate about this series, and as someone who threw themselves into the games and books as a kid too, I think you did a great job for long-time fans. That being said, this is two years old now! Can you start thinking about doing a "Journeyman Project" series now?
As someone who's played Myst/Riven as a kid and Exile and Uru as an adult I've very much enjoyed your retrospective. I'm also very happy I never gave Myst 4 a go, with all of the cut scenes and the storytelling by literally telling you the story instead of using the environment to do so it breaks the immersion for me. I also think the graphics just aren't that great. Not only did Exile look more diverse and overall more impressive, I think Riven is still the best looking game in the series. Thanks for doing these anyway, it's a blast to watch and I'd 100% watch any future installments! :) There's a thing I don't quite understand about the lore though, Atrus says the books only LINK to ages, but they also say they WROTE the linking chambers into the prison ages. So, which is it? Or are there 2 types of books? I also don't quite grasp how one could write 'a chamber' into an age, I always thought that The Art was more about writing the physics of ages and then having the age build itself from that, not like literal descriptions of what one would encounter in that age. If anyone has lore background on this please enlighten me
Sorry I am replying to something 6 months old, but Catherine wrote the linking chambers in, not Atrus. If you deep dive into the lore (including the novels) Catherine was originally taught by Gehn to write the "Art", even though she is Rivenese and not D'ni. I don't know if that contributed to her writing, but Catherine figured out ways to bend the Art but still have stable Ages. So she was able to write in Linking Chambers into the Prison Ages, that, under regular D'ni rules that Atrus follows, shouldn't technically work, but do! Catherine wrote Serenia too I believe, why it is so weird.
This really is a calming experience. My father and I used to play this together when I was a boy. I was able to recapture some of that magic today. Thank you!
The way you explain everything in intelligent, exquisite detail for almost 4 hours straight is remarkable. Very well done, Jordan!
am i the only one who prefers pre-rendered graphics to full 3d engines? this looks 100x better than pretty much any AAA 3d game made today
Realtime 3d has been popular for its dynamic and responsive qualities, but prerendered still can work great for some types of games.
I personally wonder if Cyan jumped to realtime too early - given that their early-mid 2000s forays into realtime were the games in the series that flopped. (Realmyst, Uru, Myst V all did poorly at launch and the reasons varied, but the thing in common was realtime 3d but Now, with Obduction, Myst (2021 version) and Firmament we're seeing them able to make realtime 3d worlds that are close in detail level to the best of the prerendered Myst series work. Because the tech has gotten to the point where that looks way better than it could in the '00s.
In general, prerendered by its nature will always be well ahead of realtime in fidelity. The difference between what can be rendered in about an hour vs. 1/60th of a second, is always going to be massive. It's possible to do things in prerendered that are unthinkable in realtime - I know, I'm running a render of a VFX sequence that contains 4.5tb of geometry alone* which would never ever work in realtime, at least... not right now. But another decade from now, who knows? Game engines may be doing more graphically by 2035 than Hollywood movies can currently. So while there will always be an edge in detail for prerendered, at some point both prerendered and realtime will be so realistic the perceptual difference won't matter in practice. We're nearly there already in many ways.
You are confusing genre and technology. Your any AAA game is prolly a huge open world. Compare some Uncharted 4 in-house scenes with myst and you will see that Uncharted is head and shoulders above in terms of details and acting.
With that said. If someone had a target to create an AAA game in the same genre as Myst it would be completely amazing and you would love that. The problem is that kind of adventures are not AAA type of game, since the audience is very narrow. We're talking about a 20 hours long continuous IQ test. Such things impossible to sell to wide public.
The problem is in the market not in real-time 3D.
Second. I've been meaning to create a Myst fangame, but there's no straightforward engine to do prerendered nodes, unless someone else knows something.
@@machiner6 some 3D engines like Unreal Engine have plugins and filters that allow you to create the 'pre-rendered graphics' look without sacrificing performance
@@10C45E I'm talking actual fixed nodes like Riven, not real-time 3d
So glad I found your playthrough of the Myst series! I used to play these with my dad (i.e., watched him play after school). Hearing you talk about all the little details of the puzzle designs really brings back good memories, thanks!
Randomly stumbling onto this video at 2:08 AM was a blessed moment. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of the game. It’s one of my favorites. I have to admit I cheated on the Spire puzzles because I found them really tough. Looking forward to your Myst V video!
Myst 4 had the worst puzzles (excluding Uru) but probably the most imaginative and beautiful ages. Props to the studio for taking the ideas and lore of Myst and making a faithful game.
For me, Myst 4 has the best puzzles (the most interesting and challenging), and the first Myst has the worst puzzles in the series.
Monkey chess, monkey picture.
Its a shame cause I loved the idea of haven and tomahawk was great but these puzzles were ass
My mom and I used to play these games back in the day. She was the smartest person I knew. I wouldn't have gotten through a lot of the Myst series' puzzles without her. This really takes me back.
I used to watch my dad play the Myst games when I was little and MAN the bubbles for the water spirit gave me vietnam war flashbacks. Thank you for sharing your playthrough!
I had so much fun to „play“ with you Myst the last days - so calm and well explained. I would love to see future gameplays
I've watched all your Myst playthroughs and I'm honestly stunned at how seamlessly you are able to complete the puzzles and just pull the information together. And thank you for letting the big story scenes play through! Like you, I've loved the games since I was a little kid, playing them with my Dad. We had the same set up - a notebook to write all the puzzle info down and even the strategy guide for when we REALLY got stuck. This was such a fantastic trip down memory lane, and even after all this time I still got a little emotional when Achenar pulled his final move. I'm excited to see your Uru and Myst V playthroughs! :)
Just blasted through all 4 of these retrospectives and was disappointed to find there isn't a playthrough of Myst V yet! Definitely got a sub from me though.
Thank you! I do plan to find a way to include some kind of retrospective for URU and Myst 5, whenever I can make the time for it.
@@JordansExpeditionswould love to see you cover Obduction as well!
Fantastic to see this video in my subscription feed! Your Myst videos are always entertaining and informative and I always find out something new with them. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much, that’s really kind of you to say and means a lot to me.
Hey man, I cant express how much I appreciate your walkthroughs. These classics are so underrated and even the BIGGEST gamers I know these amazing games! I can recall my father and I spending LATE nights with Riven and Myst 3. Like, spending days if not WEEKS on some puzzled bonded my father and I more then our fishing trips...
Im a huge fan of the way you did all your walk throughs, so many easter eggs and amazing information that I didnt now.
Thank you so much for this!
I didn't really mind the mysticism aspect of Serinia. As they said, Catherine wrote this Age, and her writing was always considered to be rather out there. Now, whether or not that's a good thing is up to the eye of the beholder, but I did like finally getting to see one of her Ages and how different her writing was compared to the very logical and analytical Atrus.
I think it makes sense from a story context for sure, and I really like that Catherine's age is very different. I just don't think it made for a good gameplay experience. Except the bathysphere. =]
I'd just finished playing Myst IV when you posted this, and I honestly could. not. wait. to hear your take on Peter Gabriel/Serenia, as it definitely took me aback. Fun to compare notes, as always. Thanks for posting!
Excellent analysis Jordan, particularly of the two prison ages in terms of why you would be motivated to complete them if you didn't find Yeesha in either of them. For me, the game went off the rails when I got to Serenia; it didn't feel like an age that belonged in a Myst game - I thought I was playing Beyond Atlantis again, lol! My general impression of gameplay was that the puzzles didn't feel anywhere as organic as they did in Riven - it was as if the developers put them in the game primarily to slow a player's progress down.
I loved this game! The story, the puzzles (minus the Mangaree calling part that was infuriating) and especially the music. "Glacial" was going through my mind the whole time as well, the load times are absolutely brutal, wish someone could fix that!!
I have to say as a huge Peter Gabriel fan I was thrilled when I realized it was his song and then also his voice.
Thanks for the video!
I just spent my entire Friday evening watching this. Damn you. (Thank you.)
Just wanted to thank you for the series. I’ve had a lot of fun watching this week and seeing that i missed a lot not sticking with the series as i got older. I hope you continue with the other myst content out there!
I wasn’t surprised that Sirrus had a blanket and supplies to set up a camp. Even though he thought Spire had people, it would be a good idea to bring camping supplies in case it took more than a day to get there on foot.
Thanks so much for this series! This is the second time I've watched, your commentary is absolutely brilliant :)
The TH-cam Algorithm got it right for once. So glad I found your channel. Myst 4 was my first Myst game and I could never finish it but the memories always remained. I want to go back now and finish it and play the rest now that I am older. ☺
You did a great job of keeping it interesting as usual. I look forward to your next installment!
Very glad I found your Myst videos! I was looking for a complete summery of Myst 4 because I just could not stand the load times, and your videos are exactly what i was looking for. Very entertaining and informative and obviously an insane amount of effort put into them, really the best way to experience the game without playing it myself. Great work!
Wow. I can't believe I watched this entire walk thru. It was fun to experience the game again without having to do all the work! I so appreciate your work and insights - all of which I agree with. I really enjoyed playing Myst IV (twice) and your insights and thoughts resonated with my own experiences and reactions. Thank you!
I just found your videos this week, and I was looking at your channel last night for the Myst IV video. Perfect Timing sir!
Thank you for running the gauntlet of Myst games. I recently replayed the first two myself, but quickly got burnt out going through the rest. I appreciate your insight into the series look forward to any future vids!
I can definitely relate. It took me years to ramp up to this game, and at 35 I went back and forth between fun and deep frustration. I appreciate the kind words!
I loved all four of your Myst retrospectives and I can't wait to see more of them in the future!
Brilliant! So glad you did this game! Uru and Myst 5 left!
I told you it was soon! ;)
That was quick, I haven't even started yet! Will have to watch this after I go through it myself, but at nearly 4 hours it promises to be a treat :)
Long game is long! It’s been about a month since I sat down to start it, so yeah take your time, it’ll be here when you want another perspective. I wouldn’t say there are 4 hours of insight here...more like 3 hours of a long game and a dusting of insight. This was a weird one! But thank you my friend, your interest is much appreciated.
I always had a strange guilt playing these games when I was younger because I always had to consult a walkthrough eventually. But in retrospect, your playthroughs show that some of the puzzles are really hard and difficult for an impatient younger player to figure out. So now I don't feel so bad! Great to watch!
Was lying down in bed sick for the day, this was the best thank you. I also love your commentary.
Thanks for your videos! I too played Myst with my Dad when it came out on PC and then Riven on the PS. It was fun to see/hear your well thought out videos, lore and explanations! I look forward to your future videos!
Your videos are like a hidden gem. I'm looking forward to the next one.
I’ve played Myst, Riven, Myst 3: Exile, Uru - Ages Beyond Myst and even Myst V: End of Ages and I loved them all dearly…. This game… I WANT to like it, I really do. But I’ve tried to play it 4 times over the years…. and each time I got to Haven and ended up in complete frustration. Never even got to Serenia.
I guess I’m just not smart enough or patient enough for this game. But thank you so much for this playthrough, now I can get to see what I missed.
Jordan, this was an amazing experience! The absolute best walkthrough of any game that I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. It felt like we were exploring the age together. At the very end I had to bail on the Myst IV because it stopped being fun for me. That was okay though because you finished it and I got to see how it ended. No love lost truly. Your critique and final thoughts were spot-on. I'm looking forward to exploring Exile and Riven while enjoying your retrospectives which are two games that I have completed previously on my own but I'm sure that playing them again while listening to your insights and gentle narration will provide a positive enhancement. Thanks for making this video!
Loved your retrospectives. You know, I gotta say, for this being the final game where you play as the Stranger from the original game (given how Uru and V take place in the present day, there's no way the stranger is still alive) I feel it's fitting that it ends with dealing with the brothers once and for all.
You can also travel through time when you link so you could still be the same character
after playing this game, one of my biggest dream was that Tomanha was real...I would definitely live there
I found and have been going through your Myst retrospective series the last few days, and I must say that I really think you found the perfect groove with this video. I'd consider it almost like an annotated long-play which is great, letting the game run through without skipping interactions and cutscenes and providing both good commentary on the puzzles as well as context from research. I realise that you prioritised cutting the videos down to make them more snappy at first, but getting the full uninterrupted long-play is really comforting and many of us appreciate these longer videos, even though we might watch them as chapters over time.
When or if you find that you'll have the time to do more videos like this one with other work by Cyan or other publishers I'll be here to watch them! I realise that they require a lot of time to create though, I hope you'll be able to find that time when life isn't requiring you elsewhere!
Thank you for the comment! It is strange that there aren't more videos in this style or format, but yeah I'd love to make more given the opportunity.
What a fantastic walkthrough. You need to keep doing this, very relaxing, explained things while still flowing through the game etc. Loved it
Thank you, I am glad to hear it's a good blend! Means a lot.
Great work, thanks for suffering for us haha. Hope to see your future playthroughs as well.
A very enjoyable commentary on the game/series! I appreciate the balance you strike when offering critical comments as well. Thank you for all the effort you put into this!
Jumped back into the game this year for the nostalgia trip. It truly is one of my favourite games ever. Mostly, like many others have stated, because of the fact I played it extensively as a kid with my father. I do, however, truly abhor the final puzzle in Haven. Considering it is possible to simply skip it and move on to Serenia, that is what I do every single playthrough. It's quite abominable of a timed puzzle and I hate those in general. Every time I engage in Spire's chair puzzle my heart beats out of my chest. I simply despise when you're not allowed to make a single mistake or you have to start all over. It certainly takes a toll on me.
Thanks for the video. I enjoy watching and/or simply listening to long playthroughs like these every once in a while. You've got a relaxed voice! Perfect for sleepy Saturdays. ;)
Thank you so much for doing this! I really appreciate your commentary on this series and glad you were able to make it. 👍
Thank you so much Kyle! Would be happy to read what you think about the commentary, similarities and differences in thought, etc. Your comments and support mean a lot.
@@JordansExpeditions My favorite parts of these commentaries/play through is how you approach and discuss the puzzles. It's refreshing to see someone "analyze" the puzzle like it's the first time playing, rather than simply explaining the solution. It's nice that you take the time to put yourself in the shoes of a first time player, and call out small or subtle hints at the solution. Your videos explain "how" a puzzle is supposed to work, rather than just the answer. It's cleared up puzzles in the past for me, that I now have a deeper understanding and respect for. I also appreciate that during slower parts of the game you have interesting dialogue/content to fill the time. It keeps the entire video engaging and fills in gaps in the story/lore/etc that the player may have missed. Please keep making these! Maybe Obduction next?
Wonderful video - thank you so much for putting it together! I love how you explain things as you go, detailing what you're seeing and what information the player is meant to gather from it. You have a very logical mind that I'm sure helped you complete this while I floundered :) The slowness of the game is a huge problem and I think many of the other game's problems would be mitigated just by fixing that - making the mouse less weird and sluggish, have the cursor highlight the active spots when you mouse over them, and not take five seconds for each step. If movement were quicker, it would be much easier to play and experiment with the puzzles - as it is, it's just so frustrating to even try things. Late on in my video series I timed myself just realigning the wheel on the big water device in Serenia and it takes nearly a full minute to switch it from one direction to the other!
Serenia is exceptionally weird... it makes sense that they were trying something new, and that it was different because it was a Catherine age, but the sudden appearance of Peter Gabriel was where I completely lost it. The thing that most frustrates me about it was how rubbish the Revelation was - you've got access to this incredible mystical realm, a network of ancestors' memories for thousands of years, and you use it to get a display of six colours representing how Sirrus prefers to arrange his marbles. I think it would have seemed much more worthwhile if it was taken further - if you had to piece memories together to work out a larger puzzle that you couldn't have seen on your own, almost like something from the Zero Escape series.
And oh dear god the last puzzle is like an edutainment game, "sort out the jumbled conversation" - just like the slowness of the controls, you think you've reached the ending and it just keeps going on and on! It really leaves a bad impression, because the game is absolutely beautiful and has a stunning soundtrack. It's a great story but not a great game!
Great video! I really enjoy your work and I like the way you interweave lore into the story in such a way that it augments it without feeling too heavy or distracting, and I like your editing choices that cut or speed up some of the slower parts of the game. Looking forward to Myst V and Uru!
I’m glad you liked it! I worried (and still worry) about every little decision in putting this together. But now it’s out there, haha. Means a lot to hear someone agrees ;)
Great videos on the 4 myst was a awesome watch. You did great commentary. Hope to see part 5 from you one day
This could have been great but even though I consider myself a strong lateral thinker I found the puzzles non-intuitive and often didn't know if I was on the right track because there was so little feedback.
I still love the series , and I am glad I played IV for completion , but found this one really frustrating.
Excellent playthrough though!
I played these games 15-25 years ago so these retrospectives are neat. I will watch the other 3 you have up. Any plans to ever go through Myst V (and maybe Obduction?)
Yeah, I would really like to. This year's been tough to find time for them but I sure would like to.
I had wanted to possibly replay Myst 4, but was honestly hesitant. You pointed out a lot of the reasons why in this, and i forgot how trippy Serenia was. I watched both your Exile playthrough and this one and I appreciate you covering these games in this much detail. When i did Spire's age i remember getting really mad at the crystal puzzle, yet it was so amazing in design i forgave the difficulty of actually completing it. Spire was very fun to explore and interact with different things, probably my favorite age across the games.
As long as you avoid thinking too much about how someone could possibly survive in Spire, the setting and puzzle is very Riven-like, and it's great.
This was so much fun to watch, thank you :) it makes perfect sense now why I got stuck playing this game over and over again when I played it with a friend when we were both around 14 or 15 :D those puzzles are tough! And the lack of positive human interaction (except for the beginning) and amount of weird scenes and noises left us quite scared at times 😅
First, I salute you for soldiering through the mess that is Myst IV without screaming, going to sleep, or throwing things. EVERYTHING about this was rock bottom awful; the tired trope of Atreus and C summoning you to bail them out yet again. The addition of the "Bad Seed" child (check that movie if you don't know it; she is so clearly modeled on that) was horrific. But they had no plot, none of the actors have any interesting human qualities, and 99% of this mess is, as you right call it, busywork. The mystical b.s. is full-on cringe. Riven was full-on genius. Myst Exile had some fascinating art work and an actual plot and stellar acting by the wonderful Brad Dourif. And we can all conclude that Atreus and Catherine are really crappy parents. Even so, I really enjoyed your skill and knowledge and honest appraisals; and I agreed with every one of your negative comments. Brilliant work! I came here following your Myst 3 walk-through. Myst IV: The Tail Wagging the Dog.
Who said I didn't get upset on my casual play-through >_>. But thank you for the comment, I appreciate it =)
finished! thank you so much for making this video! This came out when I was in grade 12, I don't think i was smart or patient enough to figure it all out back then and this is the first time I've watched it all played through. I'm surprised how much more difficult it seems than myst 3!
Yeah it is tremendously more difficult than Myst 3, but not in ways that I would say is always...fair. Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This was a wonderful video. I played Myst and Riven back in the 90s~. I knew there was a Myst 3 (going back to watch that vid now), but I didn't know it went as far as 4 and 5. I did play a bit of Uru, but I just didn't get it, lol. Thanks again for making this Friend 🙂
Lost it when you edited in the meme during the Peter Gabriel part. If only he started singing Sledgehammer after his monologue.
I loved the whole Myst series. Funny I would play the games with my 3 sons watching, they loved it and are now about your age.
Thank you very much Jordan, your excellent walk-throughs and insights have added a new dimension to my play-throughs of these wonderful games. Greatly appreciated! In short you ROCK :)
perfect description of life: "This is just an interactive cutscene"
Out of all the Myst games, this one and URU I enjoyed the most.
Great content. Would love to see Myst V and Uru as well.
Hey Jordan! I recently found your playthrough videos on the myst series and they are great! watch them all in a couple of days. Please do Myst V, I want to see the conclusion to the story told by you, pleeease
Glad you like them! I'm going to try my best to get something done for URU and Myst 5 this year.
I'm glad I got to see the ending to this..I was completely stuck in Spire when it came to the chair harmonic puzzle..this was a great experience ending the story...I wish new Myst worlds and stories could be made
I was 4 years old when this released and my father played it with me for the first time. I never got past Tomahna by myself so that part is especially nostalgic to me. Such an amazing atmosphere and the scenery is out of this world beautiful.
Sometimes I wonder how difficult it would be to upscale the imagery in the game with modern technology - perhaps use AI to sharpen actors' and actresses' recordings while still maintaining their original likeness.
I wonder if that could be possible. Unless Cyan Worlds decides to give this a remake as well on their own accord.
Thanks for sharing this video with us fellow Myst lovers.
2:30:02 I agree that it's a bad water map but you may notice that major landmarks do match up with it. For example, the nodes by the boy's face/hands coincide with the huge stone face/hand sculptures near each memory chamber/flower.
An effort was made, yeah =)
I've always found this approach to games to be really interesting! It made for some impressive visuals in 2004, even if not all of it rendered in real-time.
Yeah, it's a really constrained approach to the game's visuals that offers a blank canvas but a really controlled interaction space. See also: Resident Evil's pre-rendered backgrounds from the PSX and GameCube era.
after first playing Myst on oculus I found your videos and I’m really glad I did! I enjoy how in-depth you are explaining the game’s content and history of its making. Keep up the good work man, I’m interested to see what you make next and if you might do a retrospective on End of Ages and Uru
Thanks for recording this whole thing! Playing this one was such a miserable experience for me compared to every other Myst game or Obduction. I had to give up after hour 7.
I got pretty frustrated too but I'm glad I could make it through for you ;)
Very nice detailed video. I remember buying this game and never beaten it, exponentially more difficult than Myst III exile
Very cool thank you for doing this. I don't remember a lot of this game and it was nice to relive it a bit. Recently went through exile as well.
You totally missed the top of Achenar's lake hut. He does paintings and such that show you more communication sounds for the last puzzle
Jordan, I will be very honest with you!
These videos on the Myst "franchise" are just AMAZING! You should really consider doing more of these, as in... grab those other games you liked back then and walk people through them with your very interesting persona
I think you mentioned once Metroid or so? being your number one? Go for that one!
You are very well spoken and your videos are well prepared and have high production value
Think about this! I've watched the Riven one like 4 times in the past months for example
Blessings
Also, omg, your explanations make the puzzles so much easier to comperehend. When I first got to them I was always like "WTF IS GOING ON?!?!" lol
Amazing game! Got stuck several times, but managed to complete it in the end
Wow...thank you for this play through. I used to think this game had a depth that made it mysterious, but upon rewatch it's just strange for a Myst game. Well, I guess they tried... anyway, love these videos!
Your Myst videos are really good. Very informative and watchable.
I have the biggest freaking crush on this dorky Myst dude. He explains everything so well 😭😭😭
just want to say watching u play myst and riven i love it . i like not skipping animations and i really like your story telling with it . keep it up
My biggest problem with this game how slow the interface and transitions were. That and some of the puzzles. But overall, I kind of love it! Music and gfx are amazing but I still kind of want a remaster of this. Thanks for the video.
Looking forward to you eventually covering End of Ages and Uru!
I just watched your Myst series over the course of this last week and I think they're great. I truly hope you'll do you Myst V: End of Ages
That's the plan! My life is crazy right now, but it's my goal to do it in the first half of this year.
The cursor and the depth of field effect are cool
I fell in love with Myst by watching youtube videos, I watched your retrospective of Myst Exile (iirc) and I subscribed just in case you did one about Myst 4.
Ty so much
Thank you for this series! Loved watching all 4 of them! I played through 1-3 as a kid, but never 4 or 5. Tried Myst 4 last year but couldnt finish due to the unresponsive and sluggish controls… I got too frustrated.. But I loved "playing" through rest of it with you here! Hoping for a part 5, as I have no intention of playing it myself :p
Have you tried out Obduction? Just finished it, and it was quite enjoyable! Looking forward to Firmament 👍
-Audun
That is one of the great mysteries of life. - Grandpa Longneck, The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock (1998)
@50:28 When I found the first chess board in Tomahna I studied it for a while. I didn't suspect it was a clue or anything I just found it interesting enough to waste some time on. I didn't know who's move it was or even who was playing so I just studied it under the assumption that it was white's turn.
Now having found this one in Spire and the memory associated with it makes it clear that it was in fact black's turn so I studied this board some more with this new information. Without getting out a real chess board (which I don't even own) and setting up the pieces exactly the same so I could play it out I can only imagine 4 or 5 moves ahead. There's only so much I can hold in my memory so I can't be completely sure but I suspect that Atrus was setting a trap for Sirus giving up his queen like that. Similarly to the way he used the red a blue books as traps by dangling something tempting and see who takes the bait.
I suspect this whole chess game might have been a sort of test by Atrus to see if Sirus has learned his lesson and I imagen he would have been quite disappointed after that move probably thinking something like "Oh dear, he hasn't learned a thing. Still taking the bait."
Jordan, make sure to check out Outer Wilds.
Outer Wilds was essentially Myst 2.0 for me and brought back all the magic of Myst.
I played it the year it came out, loved it to death, and can’t wait for the expansion to come out ❤️
I second this. That game had me addicted to keep exploring to put the story and mechanics together and just gave me such a profound experience overall. It's 100% the closest thing to playing Myst again for the first time really.
@@JordansExpeditions So, I'm sure you've played the expansion by now, what do you think? There were elements of it where I definitely felt heavy Myst/Riven influences, and I loved every second of it. Great excuse to make Outer Wilds my GOTY for the third year in a row.
Also, I've been watching each of your videos in sequence after finishing each respective game, and the "rock" solution for the harmonics puzzle definitely feels a lot more out of the way than most puzzles in the series so far -- I couldn't find conclusive evidence anywhere myself. Glad to know it wasn't just me.
The theme that plays in Tomahna after you wake up from the fall also seems to appear in the first few arcs of Naruto (or it at least is very similar).
Lol
Great effort mate - loved reliving the game through your video; been many many years since I originally played it. Can’t wait to see your videos on Myst V, URU and Obduction should you choose to make them. Love your channel 🤩
Thank you! Glad I was able to help you relive the experiences =) I'm still playing through URU DLC and Myst V is installed. I will admit it might be difficult to make a comprehensive video on URU, still mulling over what I might do, but I'm sure I'll think of something.
Awesome walkthrough dude.
Gee thanks Cyan, you got us motion sickness with that rollercoaster effect :p
The only detail I think you missed is the knock-out pollen from the Haven plants also knocked you out when Sirrus blew up the linking chambers.
This was my favourite myst game. Just loved everything about it.
I really wish this was available on iPad.
Looking forward to watching more of these, very informative!
good job! man i used to live this game as a kid. gonna try to pay more of them
Man, these games take me back every time i see them. I played myst and riven on my friends gateway computer😂 simpler times
I really enjoyed your Myst game series. I think you have a great balance between a no-commentary longplay and an all-commentary retrospective video essay that just uses clips, and you are well-spoken with an enjoyable voice. I can tell you're passionate about this series, and as someone who threw themselves into the games and books as a kid too, I think you did a great job for long-time fans.
That being said, this is two years old now! Can you start thinking about doing a "Journeyman Project" series now?
As someone who's played Myst/Riven as a kid and Exile and Uru as an adult I've very much enjoyed your retrospective. I'm also very happy I never gave Myst 4 a go, with all of the cut scenes and the storytelling by literally telling you the story instead of using the environment to do so it breaks the immersion for me. I also think the graphics just aren't that great. Not only did Exile look more diverse and overall more impressive, I think Riven is still the best looking game in the series. Thanks for doing these anyway, it's a blast to watch and I'd 100% watch any future installments! :)
There's a thing I don't quite understand about the lore though, Atrus says the books only LINK to ages, but they also say they WROTE the linking chambers into the prison ages. So, which is it? Or are there 2 types of books? I also don't quite grasp how one could write 'a chamber' into an age, I always thought that The Art was more about writing the physics of ages and then having the age build itself from that, not like literal descriptions of what one would encounter in that age. If anyone has lore background on this please enlighten me
Sorry I am replying to something 6 months old, but Catherine wrote the linking chambers in, not Atrus. If you deep dive into the lore (including the novels) Catherine was originally taught by Gehn to write the "Art", even though she is Rivenese and not D'ni. I don't know if that contributed to her writing, but Catherine figured out ways to bend the Art but still have stable Ages. So she was able to write in Linking Chambers into the Prison Ages, that, under regular D'ni rules that Atrus follows, shouldn't technically work, but do!
Catherine wrote Serenia too I believe, why it is so weird.
I also forgot to say thank you, sorry I know my last comment kinda rambled on… also ur a genius figuring out these puzzles on your own good job!!
I can't wait to see the next videos! Subscribed!!!
Am hoping you make a video and retrospective playthrough of Myst 5: End of Ages. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts as well brother!
That's the plan! If I can find a way to do URU too ;)