Once the player figures out the operation of the game, it essentially reveals one random numeral from 1-10 each time the player interacts with it.To add on even more clever design work in this very simple event: Rather than present the info directly through a diagram, or maybe something to decode, the game allows the player to interpret a believable in-game artifact based solely on their interactions with it and the context it’s found in. One illustrative example (minor spoilers ahead) – and one of my favourite design elements of the game – is where the player is able to learn the in-game numeral system by playing a simple mechanical game that can be found in what appears to be a classroom. It feels like every single piece of information you’re given has an in-world justification. Something that Riven does exceedingly well is making the puzzles and clues feel “diegetic” – that is – as if they are genuine and meaningful parts of the world, rather than abstract obstacles. If the player doesn’t pay attention, they might be able to explore all of the islands of Riven, but won’t end up with the tools necessary to complete the game. I would expect most people to say that Riven is much harder than Myst – not necessarily because the puzzles are more complex or more difficult to solve based on the clues, but rather because Riven is a much more self-guided journey. Most of the gameplay revolves around just exploring and being observant in order to learn about the world and how it works. To borrow a phrase from another review I read, Riven is less a puzzle game and more of an archaeological expedition. This made it very boring to play as my younger self, but it set the stage for an absolute treat of an experience as I returned to it later in life.
#Riven myst how to
Simply put, I couldn’t really figure out how to do anything. In Riven, particularly near the beginning, there were relatively few mechanical devices to click on and interact with, and the objects that could be interacted with didn’t make it obvious what they did or were useful for. But beyond that, there was just so much more to the game itself – to learn, experience, and understand.Īs a child I played Myst far more than I played Riven simply because – as I’ve mentioned – my puzzle solving ability was largely non-existent at that age. There were more images (with a higher fidelity), more video (now often full-screen rather than relegated to a small box), more dialogue, more locations, more lore, and so on. It was once-again on the forefront of graphics in computer games.
So, what exactly does “more” mean? On a technical level, an easy way to express it is that where Myst came on a single CD-ROM Riven was 5.
More than just “holding up” like I have said for Myst, Riven is one of the best puzzle games I’ve ever played.
If I were to play the games without context, I would have assumed there was at least one or two entries worth of refinement between them. Not only in how much more Riven is in just about every way, but also in how the Cyan team were able to deliver a sequel so far advanced from the original and and still absolutely nail it. The difference between Riven and Myst is remarkable. For additional context, first check out my Thoughts after playing Myst – I’ll be referencing Myst a lot.