Riven: The Sequel to Myst

Well, other commenters are certainly right - this is one hard game to beat!! I found the whole thing riveting, however; the graphics are superb and you feel as if you actually are in Riven while playing it. The story was excellent and the suspense caught on many times. You must play this game for yourself to experience the beautiful animation and intricately detailed scenes, it's just so wonderful. I can't wait to get the third game! And don't worry; it's not easy, but you can beat Riven without cheats or hints....it just takes a while that's worth every minute :).

Riven has been the standard by which all subsequent adventure games have been judged, and so far none has been able to take the crown from this well-crafted, intelligent, strangely realistic work. Riven brings you into a logical, almost photographic, immersive environment in which all that is lacking is the feel of the trembling ground beneath your feet.... or the scent of the humid, air clinging to your sweaty skin as you climb paths and plumb depths to search out the lands puzzle-like controls in your quest to aid your friend, Atrus, in a desperate hour.

The acting is good to excellent. Keston was engaging, even intriguing! I wanted to hear more from him! Rand Miller's opening performance was quite moving. I don't think I want to know the person who could look into Atrus' eyes and deny his request. The other performances were pretty good. I liked the little girl & the moiety lady next best. I fully recommend this game to anyone and everyone, provided you are willing to think...

Riven was probably the best game I have ever played. The graphics and story really allow you to become part of that world. The puzzles, while hard, leave you with a great sense of satisfaction when you complete them, as the story can leap forward once you have finished them. I throughly enjoyed my visit to Riven.

This game was great. A nice sequel to Myst. The detail was absolutely amazing. I can't imagine the frustration the crew went through to get it just right. But, like its predecessor, the ending was left wide open for another sequel.

After the success of the original "Myst" game changed the landscape of computer gaming, its widely-awaited sequel created an even more engaging atmosphere. The only trouble? It is difficult to the point of giving up on far too many occasions.

Basically, "Riven" follows the same point-and-click philosophy as its predecessor. You go around solving logic puzzles with the goal of saving Catherine (wife of age-writer Atrus) from the murderous Gehn.

In terms of overall imagination and scope, "Riven" is, dare I say, easily the "best" of the Myst bunch. The puzzles are more engaging than "Myst", and the game just has an epic feel to it. Every single different island, creature, or pathway one encounters in the game leads to an amazing discovery. At least at the outset, it is almost impossible to not get swept away by the atmosphere and become completely immersed in the gameplay.

The problem? Here it is: After playing all the Myst games through as a teenager when they first came out, I decided to tackle them all again and review them on Amazon this time. "Myst" was a grand experience, and so was "Riven"...until you actually have to begin solving the the mystery of the Golden Domes (which leads in turn to the infuriating dot-matrix puzzle). The difficulty level gets to the point where one most devote countless hours (and probably even some sleepless nights!) to wrapping one's brain around the mysteries. Unless you are fully, 100% committed to the game, you will waver at this point.

An easy "fix" for the difficulty problem would have been having the islands be a bit more accessible. Whereas in "Myst" the action took place in relatively enclosed spaces, "Riven" sprawls out over and incredibly large environment. Thus, a "discovery" on one island is prompted not only by the thought of "I know what this does now", but also "how the heck do I get back there?!". Not having to spend valuable time traipsing across the entire game would have ratcheted up the experience quite a bit (instead of dragging it down considerably).