Riven: The Sequel to Myst

"A great adventure and a great story"

Riven is the sequel to Myst, one of the best-selling computer games of all time. It continues where Myst left off, with Atrus, whom you met at the end of the first game, giving you a task; namely, the rescue of his wife. You are sent to the age of Riven, which was written by Atrus' father, Gehn. From there on you are drawn into the world of Riven, learning about its past, and the people who inhabit it.

STORY
The Myst Saga is one of the few computer games in existence to warrant a full-length novel, and in fact it has several. The story is in fact the most important part of the game, and is integral to the gameplay. You learn about the history of Riven, and what has occurred under the rule of Gehn. It is interesting to see the mark he has left on the age, and how he has seemed to convince himself and others that he is a god. The story is revealed largely through journals, which add an extra depth to the game, providing a window in the minds of the characters.

GRAPHICS
Riven's pre-rendered graphics are superbly beautiful, and the amount of design put into the game only takes advantage of it. Everything has an intensely organic and historical feel to it. The water shimmers, bugs float past you are you walk.

SOUND
The sound helps just as much as the graphics to create Riven's atmosphere. You can tell that a lot of effort was put into it, and I couldn't help but be reminded of Star Wars, with all of its own unique sounds. The game a has a few nice pieces of music. Granted, it doesn't have the "peaceful dentist's chair music" from Myst, but it's still pretty good.

GAMEPLAY
Riven requires intelligence. There's no other way around it. Some of the puzzles in this game can be pretty tough, and some have their clues scattered all over the islands. Many puzzles require that you make many different associations between symbols, objects, and even sounds. By the end of the game, in fact, you're literally going to have to learn how to count all over again. Some people might not be able to solve everything on their own. Perhaps the best advice would be to explore everything and click everywhere; discovery is what Riven is all about, anyway.

OVERALL
Riven is much better than Myst. Its storyline runs deeper, and is integrated much more seamlessly into the gameplay. The entire world is wonderful to just look at and immerse one's self in. Recommended for anyone who wants to be challenged and rewarded mentally.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/04