Review: Riven (2024)

Developer – Cyan Worlds Inc.

Publisher – Cyan Worlds Inc.

Platforms –  Meta Quest, PC (Reviewed)

Review copy given by Publisher

It’s time to go back to 1997, back to a time when games were distributed on Compact Discs. Riven, the sequel to the very popular Puzzle Adventure game Myst was released back then on October 31st.

Riven garnered widespread acclaim from reviewers, with the magazine Salon heralding it as a game that verges on the realm of art. Critics lauded the game for its intricate puzzles and deeply immersive experience, praising its ability to engage players through its rich narrative and atmospheric design. However, some publications, such as Edge, pointed out that the point-and-click gameplay mechanics imposed certain limitations, potentially restricting the game’s broader appeal.

Despite this critique, Riven achieved remarkable commercial success, becoming the best-selling game of 1997. It sold an impressive 1.5 million copies within its first year. Since then there have been many Myst-related games, but jump to the present day, and after nearly 27 Years, A remake of the game, recreating the world in fully explorable 3D and supporting both normal and virtual reality, has been released.

For our Younger audience or those unfamiliar with Riven, Riven is a point-and-click adventure game experienced from a first-person perspective. In Riven, players navigate through immersive environments using mouse clicks to move or interact with objects within reach. By manipulating mechanical devices and deciphering codes and symbols found throughout the surroundings, players gradually uncover and achieve the game’s subtly defined objectives.

Riven’s story continues where Myst and its companion novel, The Book of Atrus, left off. Atrus, who possesses the ancient art of creating “linking books” that serve as portals to other worlds known as “Ages,” seeks the player’s help to rescue his wife, Catherine. She is held captive in her home Age of Riven, which is slowly collapsing. Her captor is Gehn, Atrus’ manipulative father and self-declared ruler of Riven. Thirty years earlier, Atrus and Catherine trapped Gehn on Riven by removing all linking books that led out of the Age. The last book they escaped with fell into the Star Fissure, a rift leading out of Riven into a mysterious void. This book was later found by the player, leading to the events of Myst. Catherine was later tricked into returning to Riven by her sons, Sirrus and Achenar, where she was captured by Gehn.

At the beginning of Riven, Atrus equips the player with a trap book, a snare that functions as a one-man prison but looks identical to a linking book, and his personal diary summarizing the events leading up to the present situation. Atrus cannot provide a detailed explanation as he is preoccupied with rewriting the descriptive book of Riven to slow its deterioration. The player must enter Riven with no way of leaving, as Atrus cannot risk sending a real linking book until Gehn is safely imprisoned.

The remake retains the original voice performances, with the exception of the late Sheila Goold’s performance as Catherine, which keeps players of the original feeling nostalgic. With the Remake the graphics are beyond beautiful, and it’s obvious to tell why this game is a masterpiece of art even way back in the original from 1997. Well keeping an Old-school texture job, the game graphics are much more vibrant and sharp.

Although a Remake, This version retains the core elements that made the original a classic, while introducing new content and enhancements that elevate the adventure to new heights. Riven remains an artistic masterpiece and a puzzle adventure game that still holds up and can compete and beat out even some of the newest titles of its genre.