Myst IV: Revelation

I remember the agonizing years it took (middle school to the end of freshman year in high school) for me to beat this beautiful, richly compelling game. Over the years I have had the drive - and really just pure luck - to beat all five of the Myst games. By far, this is the most compelling one out of all of them. Myst was good, Riven was great, Exile was ambitious, and this is just the top of the cherry. I like that they made it dark, that it had significantly more disturbing elements and violence, and I loved the real life themes of spirituality and shamanism seamlessly woven into the game play. Peter Gabriel as the spirit guide who in the end plays a key role in the climactic events is a soothing and vibrant character amidst all the chaos. But this one really keeps you going. Juliette Gosselin, who plays the mcguffin, is charming and genuine enough so you really want to see her to safety. The reluctant actor, Rand Miller, is iconic as ever as the timeless Atrus. But I have to hand it down to Guy Sprung and Brian Welch. They did a wonderful job giving humanity to the otherwise faceless characters of Sirrus and Achenar. This is a very character-driven game, and really an experience unto itself apart from the Myst universe while still being a part of it. It's currently out of date for the updated Mac OSX which is a real shame. I hope Ubisoft follows Cyan Worlds and ends up posting it and Exile online. I give it a solid 10/10, probably the best game in the entire Myst series, and excellent because all the other games built up to it and with it here it's all the more special. If the opportunity arises for you to play it, follow my advice. Just play it. Bring a cheat guide just in case, though. As it is the most stimulating it also features some of the most difficult puzzles I have ever encountered, makes Riven look like tic-tack-toe.

Warning, to finish this game takes much time, skill, and maybe even help .

Myst IV is the most realistic game I've ever played. With green screen acting, actors are made to realistically fit onto fantasy background world.

Without spoiling it, I can say that this game revolves around the same story line as in Original Myst game. So if you've played original Myst and enjoyed it, you are bound to love this game. This game includes original D'ni civilization writing and Books that Link a person to other worlds.

Music by Jack Wall and Peter Gabriel in a 360 degree view keeps the game nice and playable for many hours. If you are like me, you'll get tired of some of the puzzles and either take a break for a while or use help system.

There is a camera to use in game so you don't have to take many notes. Just take photos of what you think will be useful.

Yeesha, or Juliette is the main character other than the player and boy is she a great actress. She is the one who keeps you glued to this game for so many hours. Although she didn't write the story line, she makes the story.

Rand Miller plays Atrus, Yeesha's father.

If you like puzzles, this game is for you. This game is mostly puzzles.

Here is hoping another game with living beautiful actors and actresses happens some time in the next ten years.

The ending made me cry. I guess it was the ending plus Peter Gaibriel's song, Curtains.

The Myst franchise was always known for its engrossing environments and complex, mind- bending puzzles. As the graphic engines of personal computers got better and better, though, the "screenshot" method of the series (where each mouse click essentially advanced you to another screen of interactive images) started to seem a bit dated. With "Revelation", however, the graphics were ushered into a new era and able to match up with the previously established greatness.

Though the puzzles of "Revelation" are definitely intriguing, what I always remember about the game was just how incredible everything looked. It was as if the worlds were truly coming to life around me. There was a 360-degree range of motion, and the objects within the worlds looked as pristine as any other game of that time. For example, the "Spire" age in this game to this day remains perhaps the most incredible world I've ever experienced in the Myst universe.

Story-wise, the franchise did well to bring back the Sirius and Achenar characters (this time again plotting against father Atrus by kidnapping sister Yeesha), as Myst fans deserved a bit more about those two individuals and the type of worlds they created/destroyed. After branching the story out quite a bit in "Exile", "Revelation" brings things back to its roots once again.

Overall, then, "Revelation" could easily be viewed as the top game in the entire Myst franchise simply for the way it combined state-of-the-art graphics with the typical compelling Myst story lines and logic-based puzzles.