Riven: The Sequel to Myst

"The Dark World of Riven will draw you in just like it's Predecessor"

When the Miller brothers finished Myst in 1993, they didn't expect that it would be the huge success it was. They had the money to workd on that sequel they had planned, so they did just that... Riven was born.

Story 10/10:
The storyline in Riven is set shortly after the events in Myst. At the ending of Myst Atrus spoke of a foe greater than his sons could imagine, and now he needs your help in stopping him. You are sent to the world of Riven with... like Myst... no way of getting back (for obvious reasons.) You must once again gather your intellect as you unlock the tragic events of Riven and it's inhabitants in your quest.

Gameplay 9/10:
I'm assuming you've played Myst, so I won't go into large ammounts of detail. You've got a cursor, and you can click stuff as well as navigate with it. It's simple enough to understand. The puzzles in Riven are far more complicate than Myst's, the answers are sometimes not even hinted at, at all. I wish everyone who wishes to play this game in the future luck with some of those puzzles...

Graphics 10/10:
The graphics in Riven are much like Myst's, 2D and Pre-Rendered. Unlike Myst however, Riven is photo-realistic. Everything looks as it would if you really were there (Or are you really there? You can't really tell...) Once again Quicktime was used for the very few people you come across with excellent acting (what little there is) and realism.

Sound 9/10:
Riven's ambience is perfect. Every sound effect fits it's location perfectly, you'll truly feel like you're there just like in Myst. As for the music, I was rather dissapointed, it was way too soft and quiet you hardly ever knew there was music to begin with. When you actually do hear the music, it's quite good, but it really should have been a little louder so I must subtract a point from sound.

Controls 10/10:
Simple, you use your mouse to navigate and manipulate just like Myst. Nothing new here, except now you can move your mouse to the black space below the game screen and the books you are currently holding shall appear, then you can click them to read\look at them.

Replayability 7/10:
Like Myst, Riven is far too linear for most people to replay. For those who love the adventure and storyline like myself, you may find yourself replaying Riven for many years to come.

Overall 9/10:
Riven is a masterpiece in gaming history, it has an excellent story and immersive feel to it. Like Myst die hard action fans should avoid it, but anyone wanting a good story and puzzle based adventure game will enjoy Riven for a while to come.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/04