Customer Reviews

Riven (Original Score)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is a common saying that a sequel is rarely better than the original. Many people today would simply prefer that there were no such things as sequels, leaving the original to stand proud in all its glory. However, the soundtrack to the ever-popular computer game "Riven" is one such case where the sequel surpasses its predecessor.

There is substantial growth in composer Robyn Miller's second effort here. This is made evident in the very first track, which is only a few seconds long. It is the linking sound you hear in the game when you transport from one Age to another. Upon hearing that, the listener knows that there is much added depth to this soundtrack.

Not that Miller's work on the "Myst" soundtrack wasn't good. It was good, very good; but his work on the "Riven" soundtrack is better. The themes are more layered - sometimes they are brooding and dark; sometimes they seem surreal and ethereal; and sometimes you swear he was composing for a real live movie.

A few of the more notable tracks on the CD are the theme-centered tracks: "Atrus' Theme" in Track 2; "Catherine's Theme" in Track 15; and Gehn's Theme" in Track 18. You will also notice that the songs develop a darker and more foreboding feel as you near the end of the CD. Many songs toward the end start off with a very low hissing note, and it only foreshadows what is to come.

As with Miller's "Myst" soundtrack, he incorporates a wide variety of sounds in the "Riven" soundtrack. The thing that amazes me, to be honest, is that everything he composed for both tracks was on a synthesizer. In fact, all three "Myst" soundtracks (the first two by Robyn Miller, and the third by Jack Wall) use a synthesizer in some fashion to achieve the desired effect. I am not typically a fan of this mode of music, but it works great here and I'm glad that all three soundtracks used this approach.

This is a definite must-have for all "Myst" and "Riven" enthusiasts. This is one of those soundtracks that is great to sit back and listen to, whether you're on the road or just trying to unwind and relax at home. Robyn Miller goes out with a bang in his final musical effort, and it is one that is not to be missed.

I'm almost embarrassed by how much I enjoy this music. Whether I want to sit back, unwind with a drink after a long day at work, and just absorb the beautiful sounds, or whether I need background music that will allow me to relax and concentrate on a new project, this music works. It's beautiful, relaxing, and engrossing.

It's also a wonderful way to renew, continue, and extend your experience with the game after you've worked completely through it three or four times. As an added bonus, the packaging has high production values, so you get a cool CD case, useful and interesting liner notes, and beautiful illustrations that complement and deepen the game.

But the music stands on its own apart from the game. If you enjoy music that will let you momentarily drift away to beautiful, distant worlds, you will love this soundtrack.

I'll describe each track in relation to the game, to let people decide for themselves if this CD has what they want. The order of the tracks adheres roughly to a reasonable path through the game, except that "Link" by that reasoning should be further down the list and "Temple" further up. Personally, I think the music over the opening Cyan credit would have been a better opening track, but it isn't included, although otherwise all of Riven's music seems to be present. In fact, some of the tracks are longer versions of music in the game, since here they don't have to be trimmed to fit. :)

Despite the name of one track, no dialogue from the game is included, not even any of the speeches from the alternate endings. The effect of the entire CD is very soothing - the music is very good and was composed to help establish Riven's atmosphere.

"Link" - The brief sliding sound heard when a link book takes the player from one island to another.

"Atrus' Theme" - After the first few bars, which aren't heard at the beginning of the game, this theme tracks Atrus' first meeting with the player, but does not include his speech.

"Gateroom" corresponds to the revolving room on Temple Island - the island on which the player first enters Riven.

"Jungle Totem" begins when the player steps off the stairs to approach the warhk idol on Jungle Island.

"Survey Island Theme" accompanies the causeway on Survey Island - the outdoor pathway running through the oversized map of Riven.

"Temple" corresponds to the temple on Temple Island - the complex in which the room at sea level contains wahrk statues, spilled offering bowls, and stained glass windows.

"Village Entrance Theme" begins when the player enters the blue-lit cavern between the jungle path and the village. (A cave painting of an outsize D'ni figure and smaller human victims can be seen there).

Once the player reaches the village jail, "Moeity Caves" accompanies the exploration of the caves. "Moeity Theme" begins once the player solves the puzzle in the Moiety caves, and cycles until the player steps through to the Moiety's hideout. "Boat Ride" plays while the Moiety transport the player to a holding cell, at which point "Moeity Prison" takes over.

"The Red Cave" is closely related to "Wahrk Room", which accompanies the undersea 'throne' room on Survey Island. (Pressing the correct button on the throne's built-in gadgets will summon a wahrk to the underwater window overlooking the throne.)

"Catherine's Prelude" begins as the player first steps from the fire marble onto the causeway leading to Catherine's prison. "Catherine's Theme" is very brief. If the player manages to find and free Catherine, "Catherine's Freedom" is played as she joins you in the elevator and asks to see the book. (It tends to be played over trailer animation advertising the game, as well, having a very dramatic steeple-chasing theme.)

If the player solves the fire marble puzzle, "Gehn Speaks" underlies Gehn's first speech. "Gehn's Theme" follows; alternately, it plays in full if the player summons Atreus to Riven before resolving the situation between Gehn and the prison book, continuing through the closing credits.

"Fissure" - End title theme, if the player has successfully dealt with Gehn before summoning Atreus to Riven.

"Bonus Track" - Miller notes on the accompanying booklet that while this piece didn't fit any of the visual sequences, he swiped bits of it for several of the tracks that *did* make it into the game.

Riven is one of my favorite soundtracks for writing. I have loved the ambient music Robyn has done for Myst and was thrilled with the soundtrack for Riven when it was released.
I'd certainly have liked to see more music from Robyn.

My favorite (and apparently, many others' as well) track is "Gehn's Theme". It is beautiful and haunting, the dark undertones of the music creating the perfect counterpoint to any of Gehn's appearances in the game. It is elegant, sophisticated and chilling and it is woven throughout the game purposefully to serve as a reminder of Gehn's dominance over the people of Riven.

Along with the occasional Myst-specific selections that come through, particularly with Atrus' music, this album is not only the perfect counterpoint to the game itself, it has a life beyond the computer. It is one of the best ambient and electronic albums I have heard.

I guard my copy carefully, since it is packaged in the early version of the more common paperboard cd cases that are becoming popular for DVDs among other things.

My copy is an original 1997 pressing and I have noticed does not mp3 extremely well. The best way to listen to this album is from the CD itself. And it is a worthwhile investment for anyone looking for something interesting and unique to listen to, regardless of if you're a game player or not. It should be in the collection of anyone who loves Yanni, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream or Art of Noise. (All of which I love)

It is a wonderful compliment to the entire Myst/Riven/Exile suite. If you've got Myst, Exile and now Uru, you must have Riven.

You know the world has changed since you last looked when films are not the only entertainment pieces to have a soundtrack. Video games also have soundtracks these days and the one by Robyn Miller for the game 'Riven' got me hooked non-stop ever since I first overheard it streaming from a colleague's cubicle at work.

It provides you with a dark, epic atmosphere that never really gets loud, so it also carries a bit of an ambient (almost new age) flavor to it. Perfect not just to go with the game (I have to assume, since I am not a gamer myself), but to work, read or write. It's mellow, but it doesn't sound common or simple. It is one of those albums you wish you could get more of, so I end up playing it once and again. It reminded me of the soundtrack to the anime "Ghost in the Shell" very much and it's definitely got moment that bring back "The Big Blue" to mind.

OK, I admit it: Robyn Miller's music appeals to me. It has a mystical, surrealistic quality that is enticing. However, music is very idiosyncratic, and what appeals to me may be an anathema to you. Try the "Listen to Sample" selections, and see if they are at least in the ballpark of your musical tastes. These selections are only 30 seconds long, but they give you a rough, first approximation of the ambience of this CD. If you liked the game Riven, you'll love its soundtrack. My CD did have a "hiss and surface noise" problem, when I first played it. But this problem disappeared after my sound card was upgraded to a Creative SB Live.

This CD is awesome. Since playing the game for a while, i wondered if it had a soundtrack. I found the music when playing the game, very moody and mystical. But when playing it on my stereo... I found other, deeper, more emotional parts, with a lot of feeling and thought. Tracks like "Survey Island Theme" and "Fissure" are just plain beautiful. "Gateroom" and "Boat ride" set you in a moody feeling. "Whark Room" will send you to the stars and back. Great CD while relaxing, painting, preforming your favourite hobby. Also if you are in a bad mood, it's easy to regain strengh, from this particular CD. Robyn Miller at his best. I don't have the Myst Soundtrack, but when playing Myst, compared to when playing Riven, The music has developed far more than the first game. The best alternative music. This CD can never be too expensive.

I recommend The Cure after this.

If you're taking the time to read this, you'll probably have played Riven at some point - and then you'll probably know what I mean when I say that this music is an excellent accompaniment to the game itself. Slow, not much happening, exotic synth-sounds... The game made as music, perhaps.

I once read a review of this very music that complained about the lack of variation and that all tracks seem to begin and end in the same way - which is nothing less than absolute truth. Your experience of this music is entirely an aesthetic matter. Either you can accept its eccentricities, or you judge it as an independent release. If you're fully of the latter persuasion, this CD is probably not for you. I, however, relish every last boring minute of it.

This time for "Riven." This soundtrack is by far one of the best in the series. In my personal opinion I find better than Myst. It has a more atmosphereic/dreamy mood and is better made (thanks to some improvements!)

Now a short summary of the soundtrack for you: "Atrus' Theme" opens the game with haunting yet memorable tune. "Gateroom" takes all the segments from the scene and puts them together as one track with its mysterious mood. "Jungle Totem" is a beautiful mysterious ambient tune. "Survey Island Theme" reminds of "Jungle Totem" with similar mysterious sound. "Temple" sounds similar to "Gateroom" with added new sounds. "Village Entrance Theme" consists of drum beats with minimal sounds. "Moeity Caves" has a jungle-feel to it despite being referred to as "cave." "Moeity Theme" is filled with excitement and cool effects. "Boat Ride" is the only true "scary track" thanks mostly to the eeire siern-ish opening. "Moeity Prison" has the feel of being stuck on a prsion cell with the Moeity style to it. "The Red Cave" is quiet in a way, a simple little mealody. "Wahrk Room" is IMO the best one off the soundtrack, dreamy and beautifully done. Catherine's Prelude & "Catherine's Theme" are similar in that they are dark and yet pretty mealody. "Catherine's Freedom" is the only "action" song. "Gehn Speaks" another dark mealody with a building presence throughout. "Gehn's Theme" has elements of G.speaks, but this one is more memorable and I find better. "Fissure" is the longest track and has blend of everything to make a fantastic finish.

The first track on the disk isn't Atrus' theme, but "Link" a 10 second interlude that plays when you journey to another world through a Myst book, making a "zoom" sound. Also, at the end, there is a track on unused music for the game worth checking out. Two tracks that should've been included are the observation room (which contained the chair with cage around it) and the fan-duct tunnel (which takes parts of "Temple" & adds a little scare ambience). Other than that, great soundtrack!

Highly recommend, especially if you enjoy video game sountracks. Haven't played the game? No harm done! You'll find the soundtrack quite enjoyable!

It doesn't really matter if you've played the game or not, this CD is a must. I played Riven and was amazed that the music topped that of Myst's. If you played Riven it would be stupid not to buy this CD. Excellent!!