The Riven remake is out now, already has a 95% rating on Steam
Playing Riven and Myst back in the day was an experience unlike anything else and is something that will probably never be repeated. As a verified old person who was there and even read the novels, it’s impossible to understate the buzz and excitement these obtuse, confusing puzzle games caused. Whispered conversations in school corridors about what to do with levers, no guides or walkthroughs to help, just the collective minds of a bunch of nerdy children all bashing their heads against puzzles. It was a unique time and while it may never be seen again, there’s a chance now to experience it in a different way as the stunning Riven remake has just launched.
Riven, like its predecessor Myst, makes a point of throwing you in at the deep end. The puzzle game simply plonks you down with a moment of exposition and then you’re off. You have little guidance, no real clue of how to achieve your goals, just a lot of strange machinery and a few different places to explore. As you play, however, you’ll piece together what the hell you’re doing and how the hell you’re going to do it. What sets Riven, and Myst, apart from other games is how it feels like your mind is expanding as you play it. Everything is interconnected, puzzles can take days to crack, you’ll learn invented languages, explore mathematical concepts, and much more. Slowly – oh, so slowly – you’ll make progress and when you do, you’ll feel like the smartest person in the room. Even if you’re alone in that room.
The Riven remake follows on from several remastered versions of Myst, and like that earlier game developer Cyan Worlds hasn’t just given the game a lick of paint and sent it out the door. Instead, what we’ve got here is a full reimagining of Riven, with new cutscenes, characters, redesigned puzzles, and an overhaul that touches every aspect of the game. While it’s called a remake, it’s much more like the full realization of the original dream for the game. It means that even if you’ve played Riven every day since launch, you’ll still have plenty of surprises in store.
Out now, the Riven remake is already attracting an audience that seems to love what it’s doing. Currently sitting at a 95% rating on Steam, it’s hitting all the right notes for the players who’ve picked it up already. A quick glance at the reviews and it seems most are existing Riven players who are dipping their toes into remade waters, with the majority extremely happy about the quality, and scope, of this release. They’re not the only ones, as our 9/10 Riven remake review attests.
Hopefully, the success of this Riven remake will see the other games in the Myst series come back to life, though if Pyst could stay in the history books – I’d be more than happy.
You can grab the Riven remake with 10% off until Tuesday, July 9, bringing its price down to $31.49 / £26.55 down from $34.99 / £29.50. Head over to the Steam page to learn more.
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