Myst

"Plunge into this amazing surreal world..."

Myst plunges players in a surreal environment where they may unlock various worlds to unlock the mystery sealed on Myst island. They travel around the worlds by means of special books, a special craft of a now-gone civilization that lived in the Middle-Earth world of Dunee. Myst is a very well-written and intellectual game, but requires a very high level of patience.

Storyline - 10/10
The storyline of Myst is a very complex, revolving around the concept of traveling through the books. This allowed the people of Dunee to travel around to gain extra resources, and have room to live, as Dunee was very limited. Their writing spawned these new worlds, which slowly developed, as the worlds gained life and form. Atrius, one of the people now trying to rediscover the magical book-writing language, has gone missing, but has left a message to you asking for help. You must travel across the various worlds to gain information, in order to solve the puzzle on the island.

Graphics - 10/10
While the graphics of Myst have no complex animations, but the graphics are near-perfect for the situation it is in. The worlds consist of beautifully designed artwork put together to form an elegantly crafted atmosphere which makes the game very relaxing and soothing. It allows your imagination to take over, and explore the deepest reaches of your mind.

Sound - 9/10
The sound of Myst is nothing special, but it is perfect for the situation. With the beckoning calls of the birds, the easy flow of the water, and the rippling of the wind, the sounds add to that amazing surreal effect of the game.

Gameplay - 10/10
The control system for Myst is nothing special, but I still loved playing the game. Playing requires ample patience and attention to even the most minute detail, but is a very rewarding, soothing game that makes you feel like you could be on vacation. The worlds contrast, each creating a very elaborate mix of various dazzling locations that unfortunately do not exist on our Earth.

Replay Value - 9/10
Many people would disagree with me on this, but this is a great game to replay. It is incredibly calm and relaxing game to play, and is so easy to fully indulge yourself into it.

Rent or Buy? Buy
It is a timeless classic of a game that is nice to own so you can always go back and enjoy the pleasure of playing it again and again.

Score - 10/10
I rarely give perfect scores on even the best of games, but Myst is such a well-designed game which allows the player to visit beautiful worlds that do not exist... and has such a calming surreality to it. It is one of my all-time favorite games, and in the realm of gaming is a timeless classic.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/02, Updated 10/17/02