Adventure game creators have always sought to immerse gamers into their imaginary worlds but have sometimes been limited by technology. For example, I remember some early Spectrum games that were simply text based. Although they were fun, I never felt immersed in the game. Myst was the first game I played where I felt that the immersion experience was successful on me. Other people’s opinions may differ of course, but I can only tell you how I felt about it. I should also warn you that there is a spoiler near the end of the review.
Myst is a graphics adventure puzzle game developed by Cyan Inc. and published by Brøderbund Software. It was released for the Macintosh in 1993, Windows in 1994, 3DO in 1995, and PlayStation in 1996. A remake was released for Windows in 2000 and Macintosh in 2002, and the realMyst: Masterpiece Edition was released on Steam in 2014. The game was ported to many other platforms including Sega Saturn, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Android, iPhone, Nintendo 3DS, Jaguar CD, Amiga OS, CD-I, For this review, I replayed the original Windows version.
Plot
You play as an unnamed protagonist who has fallen into a fissure and appeared on a mysterious island. Where are you and how the hell do you leave?
Gameplay
As you explore the island you learn more about its history and the worlds you will soon visit. Some notes also offer hints to help you progress through the game. You soon learn that you need to gather blue and red pages and restore them to two books found in the observatory. Two brothers, Sirrus and Achenar, have been trapped inside these books. As each one speaks to you through garbled transmissions, they explain that the other brother is mad and has imprisoned them in their respective books. They both try to convince you to free them instead of the other brother, both claiming that the other brother murdered their father. To find the pages you must explore several other worlds and solve various puzzles.
How Does It Handle?
You are able to move and turn by using a cursor to click the route you wish to take or the direction you wish to turn. You can also interact with objects by clicking and dragging them.
One of the more interesting aspects of this game is that you are simply thrust into this game with virtually no back story and no idea what you have to do, and oddly, you cannot die! At first you are simply wandering around, searching for buildings to enter and objects to interact with. This can be quite off putting to some as it can take a while to understand what the hell is going on. Some of the puzzles are fun and challenging. Others are less obvious to solve. One annoying aspect of the game is having to return to the same worlds to collect the other page you didn’t collect on your first visit, as you can only pick up one at a time. For me, this is a cheap way of extending the life of the game.
Graphics
The animations are not as smooth as modern games, and the 3D design of the worlds look dated, but I think the game has held up pretty well. The graphics really draw you in.
Music & SFX
Upon revisiting Myst 25 years later, I appreciate how the background music and minimalistic SFX bring an eerie air to the game adding to the feeling of being truly alone.
Personal Memories
I remember when this game was released, and I played it with a school friend. However, we never got that far as it was a bit too difficult for our teenage brains. When I came back to it years later, I fared better having gained much experience with these sorts of games. Back then, I thought the graphics were out of this world.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
There are four possible endings, with one of them being the true ending. However, the true ending is frustratingly and unsatisfyingly none existent and I found myself wandering Myst for some time before searching online to see if I had missed something. Nope, sure enough there is no ending. I guess I will have to play the sequel Myst: Riven, to see what happens next.
Did I Complete The Game?
Yes, but definitely needed help from the walkthrough on this on!
What The Critics Said:
Gamespot.com: “Myst is an immersive experience that draws you in and won’t let you go. Overall 8.9/10”[1]
My Verdict:
“This is a tough game and seems to be aimed towards more experience adventure gamers. However, I loved the concept of the game, and the ambient music and SFX immerses you into the game. I just feel it could have been so much better if more story was included. I also felt the way you can only carry one coloured page at a time, meaning you have to go through each world twice, was a cheap way to prolong the game. I mean, who can’t carry two pages!”
Rating:
What are your memories of Myst? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.
[1] Sengstack, J., (May 1, 1996). ‘Myst Review’. www.gamespot.com. (https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/myst-review/1900-2542724/ Accessed on 17th February 2020).
Nick Loves to Game 