Almost fifteen years ago now, Rand and Robyn Miller and the folks at Cyan Worlds began work on Myst, a ground-breaking computer game with no guns, no aliens, and no power pills. The brothers Miller were no strangers to breaking new ground; their initial effort for the fledgling company they founded was The Manhole, the "first entertainment product ever on the new medium of CD-ROM." But with Myst, they truly broke free of the shoot-em-up actioners, war-strategy boards and computerised table-games that had been the norm before this game debuted.
The story-line is simple—but when had a game ever had a story-line before? With this one departure from the norm, the Millers might have had a hit. But they added artist Chuck Carter and audio engineer Chris Brandkamp, and funding from Sunsoft of Japan, and set out to make a CD-ROM game create an absorbing environment, complete with brooding music, nearly-real video clips smoothly integrated into the artistic backgrounds, and a stunningly-smooth interface that let the player easily immerse into the series of nested puzzles that is the game.
In this last, Myst most closely resembles another classic computer game, Collossal Caves. Caves' challenge was to map a vast mostly-underground structure, based on clues from the text descriptions. Younger players may never have worked around the frustrations of the "maze of twisty passages, all different"—but they have probably (if worldwide sales in the region of over 12 million units are any indication) mapped the dark Selenitic subway of Myst.
Bloggers have written before of the spell cast over them by this game. Christopher Josephes, for example, wrote a journal of his time exploring the worlds of Myst (which contains spoilers, if you are planning to play the game for the first time.) Hint- and cheat-sites are everywhere, and dozens of forums support players who want to talk about, consult over, and dissect the play of the Myst worlds.
Article comments
1 - RJ
I've heard a lot about this game, but know almost nothing about.
Perhaps someone could it explain the gameplaying in a bit of detail for me, before I decide whether or not to purchase this game?
2 - Matt Paprocki
Certainly. It's a dull, boring point and click adventure with ridiuclous, random puzzles. It plagued game consoles for many a year, and exists purely to show off the CD-ROM format. Now, it's junk. If you want point and click, dig up any of the classic Lucasarts adventures.
Sorry DrPat!
3 - Victor Plenty
Many highly regarded games use "point and click," including most RTS games and most RPG titles as well. (Diablo in particular is infamously all about the pointing and the clicking.)
About the only accurate statement in Matt's biased microreview is that Myst contains puzzles. (Well, okay, Lucasarts does good work, too, but that statement doesn't describe the game in question.) The puzzles in Myst are no more random or ridiculous than the ones in Doom or Half-Life or any other game that requires you to figure out some kind of logic puzzle before it will allow you to advance the story.
The main distinction you need to know about: Myst makes little or no attempt to stimulate the adrenalin like the "twitch" games I mentioned above. If you find purely cerebral challenges dull, you probably won't like it any more than Matt did. But if you like to relax and really take your time cogitating on puzzles, you could get as addicted to it as DrPat does.
(Disclaimer: I have not actually played Myst, partly because every description of it I've ever read indicates I'm in the subset of people who would find it dangerously addicting.)
4 - DrPat
No apology required, Matt -- if you need a game to have visible opponents, explicit goals, and obvious scoring, Myst will not suit.
I would characterize the gameplay as point-and-click exploration, rather than adventure.
I like it because its demand is cerebral. The "random puzzles" are anything but random, and challenge the player to notice everything and build a mental map.
I've played similar games since my first encounter with Myst and Riven (Dreamcatcher's Riddle of the Sphinx, for example), but they didn't compare to the Myst worlds for density (and beauty) of detail. Then there's the music, perfectly matched to the scenery...
No, it's not an adrenaline-booster. And that, I think, is part of what makes Myst a masterpiece.
5 - DrPat
Victor, I find your almost-concurrent echo of my thoughts a little disturbing...
Addiction is a definite possibility -- but I remembered from my first time with Myst, that once I finished the game, there was little more draw to play it. (Although the music has haunted my dreams for years. Literally.) So I was fairly confidant that I could put it down once I solved the last puzzle.
But you notice I don't feel safe to install the later games on my new system...
6 - Duane
I'm always surprised at the fact that a lot of people are so either/or when it comes to video or computer games. There are so many people who hate the Myst series who evidently only like FPS games. I have played (or at least tried) almost every type of game, in part becuase my son has a few popular titles for his PS2, and in part because I have a few of my own.
I played Riven before I played Myst, because it was shortly after the release of Riven that I got my first desktop computer at home. I also bought a copy of Unreal, which, at the time, was a state-of-the-art FPS. I thought both of them were immersive experiences, Unreal had the sweaty palms adrenaline thing, and playing Riven was like being in another world. The puzzles were ingenious, and very satisfying to solve after much head scratching. I was less impressed by Myst and Myst 3. Oh, well. The thrill is gone.
And, of course, as DrPat points out, the Myst games have almost no replay value, if that matters. Once you know the way, the suspense is gone.
Some people also think that puzzle games appeal only to women. I read an article somewhere years ago that addressed the fact that many men were into these games, in particular, the Myst series. The idea was that men cannot stand to be locked out of a place, and will work very hard to solve the puzzles that open up new areas, or, in the case of Riven, allow access to the other islands. Supposedly, the male's territorial instinct comes into play.
I think those Rand brothers are geniuses.
7 - Matt Paprocki
Myst hit at the right time with the right look. It was flashy, impressive, and beautiful. The puzzles extend the games length well beyond its welcome. They require insane backtracking, and now it's a piece of nostalgia.
There are numerous sections of the game that do NOTHING and they don't have a purpose either. They're only there so it can look good. That's bad game design. The video clips are useless too, and like much of the backtracking, just exist to extend the length.
It's one of the games, like the Sims now, to break the sex barrier. It's very popular amongst woman. I'm not sure why either, but whatever they did, it worked. It also managed to break the mainstream wall. That's because it's easy to pick up and understand without a stack of control options being thrown at some one. However, it's likely one of the few games these people have played. I don't mean that to offend anyone here, but Myst made its sales numbers (which keeps it high in the all time numbers) because of people who played Solitare and Minesweeper.
Vic's theory is wrong. I love a great puzzler, Tetris, Meteos, Columns, the Lucasarts titles, etc. included. Myst just isn't a great game, epsecially after dealing with so many of them. Is it because I'm jaded? Could be, but it also doesn't really offer that much either. It's a bunch of pretty pictures connected with video.
8 - Victor Plenty
Well, I didn't directly make any claim about why you dislike the game, Matt. Only that a hypothetical person who prefers adrenalized gaming probably would share your opinion that it's a "dull, boring" game.
Most power gamers really like to feel they're making rapid progress in a game, but not everyone approaches gaming that way. I've spent between 150 and 200 hours playing Dungeon Siege, for example, and I've only gotten maybe half or three-quarters of the way to finishing the single player game.
When I play games like Civilization or Alpha Centauri or Master of Orion, I often intentionally refrain from destroying the computer opponents. Power gamers want to see how fast they can eliminate the opponents and "beat" the game, but often I want to prolong the game and see just how advanced I can make my own civilization grow.
It just shows people play games very differently.
A lot of people loved Myst even if its reputation among hardcore gamers is not so great. We don't really know which group RJ might fall into.
9 - DrPat
Dimissing Myst because it lacks replay is, to me, like dissing a good mystery you've just read because now you know the ending. The best books (and games) can be placed on your shelf, waiting just enough loss of memory to make them seem fresh.
Matt, your beloved Lucasarts games are mostly adventure-based (Star Wars, etc.), and really nothing like Myst. I guess the bottom line is, if you like using a joystick more than you like using pen-and-paper or mental mapping to solve a complex puzzle, you won't enjoy Myst.
You can't shoot, jog or jump your way out of any dead-end on Myst Island -- but you can, if you're patient, persistent and perceptive, solve the puzzles and "win" the game.
RJ, I hope that answers your question, too.
10 - Temple Stark
I liked the puzzles tremendously. But then I'm that type of person. (and Aaman where's that Quiz Time 8?) You've got me Jonesing Dr. Pat. But I don't have a copy.
I dallied before with the orignal Myst but I don't think I ever finshed it. Visions of the scenes are floating back to me now as I type.
It was certainly frustrating at times because it was so different and required brain power. But not boring.
11 - DrPat
I've read comments from other ardent Myst players that they felt Riven and Myst III were not as compelling as the original. I don't remember feeling that way.
In fact, my spouse just asked me to install Riven for the sake of the "roller-coaster" rides we'd seen the first time I played it. (I had to refuse -- honey, I love you, but would you rather I sleep with you or play Riven? [DON'T answer that!!]
12 - RJ
"I often intentionally refrain from destroying the computer opponents. Power gamers want to see how fast they can eliminate the opponents and "beat" the game, but often I want to prolong the game and see just how advanced I can make my own civilization grow."
I do this with AoE. I build a giant wall around my civilization and have towers that fire upon anyone wanting to break down this wall. Then I spend HOURS building up my civilization.
Actually destroying my opponents is actually rather anti-climactic at that point... :-/
13 - Bob A. Booey
OK, Urkel :)
Why can't you waste hours and hours playing Baseball Mogul like I do? That's the only good computer game ever.
That is all.
14 - RJ
Hmm...Baseball Mogul...sounds interesting...
Are you able to actually PLAY games, or are you stuck in the front office?
15 - Bob A. Booey
Only front office, but you can read the boxscores of every game and get play-by-play to find out what happened. You just can't control the game as it goes on because it's text-based (it's not like a Playstation game where you swing, run, and hit, although those are fun too). It's crack addict fun.
www.sportsmogul.com
They also make a Football Mogul game, but I'm not a fan.
That is all.
16 - RJ
Well...I'm interested, BAB.
But, before I investigate further, what's wrong with the football version?
17 - Bob A. Booey
It's good and fun, but too easy to win at Football Mogul. Whenever I play it on the hardest setting, I win the Super Bowl 8 or 9 times every decade, and my teams average like 45 points a game while giving up 12. That's not realistic to the parity that's in the NFL.
I also think the Football Mogul game makes it way too easy to release and re-sign your players every week in order to get way, way under the salary cap and have superstars as your backup at every position. The best feature of the game is that it has a really fun NFL draft feature.
It's not really a challenge -- Baseball Mogul is more challenging and realistic. It's very, very hard to win a World Series with a small-market team like Tampa Bay or Kansas City and even with a big-market team like the Dodgers, you win the Series only maybe once every 3 or 4 years. It's also pretty easy to bankrupt yourself by having too high a payroll, which restricts your ability to sign free agents and add salary through trades -- I'm working with the Cubs (who have a good but not unlimited payroll) and I keep going into the red despite winning a couple of World Series titles.
That is all.
18 - Laurie
I too was an addict of the original Myst, Raven and unsuccessfully Exile. It was a great bonding experience for me and my son, and I usually had to have him get us through the most difficult pieces of the puzzle.
There's a new demo for the (gasp! can it be?) Final Myst game - Myst V - End of Ages. I haven't played it yet but may at least open it up to check it out. I was very much entranced by the original scenery and soundtrack, and that was part of the attraction to the game, too.
http://dlx.gamespot.com/index.html
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19 - CDR
I have a simple question. Does it really matter which game I play first? I have always wanted to play Myst but never got around to doing so. Should I start with Myst and go one by one or should I jump up to Revelations. I dont want to miss out on anything but then again... seeing as how long it takes to win the game, do you guys think it is ok to start with Revelation? I imagine the newer games have much better graphics. Plus I would be saving mucho cash! What do you think? Is it worth starting from Myst?
20 - Jet in Columbus
Yes CDR definately start with MYST first. They're sequels of eachother and you'll lose the story line if you take them out of order.
Also as the technology progressed, the graphics got better and better, so it's best to start at the beginning, or you'll be disappointed.
Keep a nope pad nearby, you'll need to draw a map of that subway maze in Myst.
21 - DrPat
I agree, CDR -- but for a different reason. the original MYST game was its own genre-breaker, and each new edition just built on that new approach to video games.
Come to think of it, its not really a different reason at all. Welcome to the island!
22 - Jet in Columbus
Blue pages, bring me only blue pages...
23 - CDR
Thanks for your quick replay. Now i just have to locate a store that sells the sequel.
Thanks for your comments..
24 - Jet in Columbus
I picked up the 10 Anniversary edition At Best Buy on line last month, it contains Myst, Riven, and Exile for $19.99
I played Myst a long time ago, Riven two years ago, and I haven't gotten around to Exile yet, I understand there's another sequel after that, but I haven't found it yet.
Enjoy, and keep that note pad handy.
The turntable in Riven is murder without it, I actually cut out a round piece of paper to keep track of what opened where ant to what.
And remember bring be red pages only red pages!
25 - CDR
Hey Jet In Columbus.
I wish I had a best buy near here. Unfortunately I am currently living in Mexico City and so far have not found any store that sells them. I just saw in on Amazon.com... migth be the only way to go. I guess I will know what these blue and red pages are all about ..soon enough! And Thanks for the note pad tip!!1