Customer Reviews

Riven: The Sequel to Myst DVD-ROM

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of the best computer games I've ever played. It was one of the few games I've found that respected my intelligence. It presented puzzles and challenges that were unique, difficult, logical, and stimulating. The scenery and the artistic quality of the game is stunning, and it manages to loose the plastic, romantic unused feel that was present in Myst. Finally, along with the cinematic graphics, the dynamic story made Riven seem to be not a computer game but instead an interactive film with a plot and characters.

Riven: The Sequel to Myst was the first, and only, game where every frame looks like a photograph. A combination of incrediblely realistic textures, intricate modeling (they used the same program used to make the dinosaurs in the first Jurassic Park), and an amazing command of design brought this about. We see sights never before seen. Yet much of it is smoke and mirrors, and the incredible little details make all the difference in it's believeability. Along with that, it continues the story of Atrus, and introduces two new characters mentioned but not seen in 'Myst.' Catherine, his wife, was once Katran, a native person of the Age. The other is Gehn, Atrus' father, the Writer of Riven, his fifth Age, and the person who taught Atrus to Write. Myst, Riven, and Myst: The Book of Atrus (a novel written by David Wingrove using an extensive outline by Myst creators Rand and Robyn Miller) form one complete satistifying story. The third sequel, Myst III: Exile, dealt more with events cronicled in the Book of D'ni. The saga of MYST is one intruigue and mystery, of tragedy and hope, of setting yourself against injustice. The saga told through three games, three books, and two comics is to Computer Games what the Star Wars saga is to the motion picture... and for many of the same reasons. Both show things that no one had ever seen before. Both told epic stories. Both allowed the audience to dream outside their current life. What is great about Riven is that despite being a relatively small part of the story, it is the only one that trully takes us inside the worlds of Myst. Both the audio and visuals were completely realistic. Because of this, the actors blended in seamlessly. Most computer games give us a depiction of it's world. This one uses the monitor as a window into it. The Riven DVD version has several key enhancements. First, since this double-layered DVD can store more than nine times the amount of data that a CD can, the entire game fits on a single disc, greatly increasing your immersion into the game. Second, the increased space and more modern video compression allowed for higher resolution video files, very close to the still frames resolution. And finally, for those of you who have a set-top DVD player in addition to your DVD-ROM drive, you can use it to watch 'Making of Riven' (like the Making of MYST quicktime movie on the Myst CD-ROM) in full DVD resolution with Dolby Digital sound. Very much worth the purchase for an intelligent game with exellent story, acting, puzzles, sights, and sounds.

This game is the same as Riven, but instead of 5 CDs, there is only 1 DVD, which makes the games much more playable, as you don't have to switch CDs ever. As for gameplay, this game is great. Fun puzzles, great graphics, and its one of the only games I've played that makes you think. The only reason I gave this game 4 stars is because it doesn't run in Windows 2000, and tech support wouldn't even give me 1 word of advice on how to make it work.

The original CD-ROM Riven I gave a 4/5, and also a 4/5 for the Playstation version mainly due to the disc swapping. But the DVD-ROM version is a relief. Now you can enjoy this great adventure without switching discs every few minutes which makes it feel more realistic in my opinion. This is a great game. I recommend it to any video-gamer who is up for a new, unique, challenge.

Riven is a wonderful computer game- the sequel to the phenomenal Myst and the prequel to the extremely wonderful Myst: Exile. It takes a while to finish it, but it's worth it. I would recommend buying a walkthrough book or if you really wanted to figure it out on you own, get a writing pad and draw EVERYTHING that you see. It'll come in handy. Again, it's one of the best games I've ever played!

This has got to be one of the best games of all time. The puzzles are truely hard compared to other games. For once i actually had to think about a game. I absolutely loved this game, Myst, and the novels and I can't wait until Myst3 is released in a few months.

I just finished Myst, Riven, and the novels. Read the novels, they bring more into the gameplay. Riven DVD was a good conclusion but froze in a couple places continually. The only way to pass this was to turn around several times before trying to proceed. Overall though well worth any trouble.

This an incredible game. The graphics and sound track are super. The story itself is an amazing achievement. It took the makers of Myst to finally make a better game. I would recomend paying for the DVD as it greatly enhances your enjoyment of the game. Oh, by the way, you won't complete it quickly!

How anyone can rate this (and other Myst games) less than 5 stars is beyond me! the fun level of this game was definately 5 stars! I had no problems with the CD-ROM version running on Win2000 (I have the server edition); even though it says it doesn't support Win2K. I can't seem to find a copy of Riven on DVD...but I really want it! I've already gotten well into the Exile game, but I think the fun level of Riven is better. (Exile is equally worth owning and playing!) Hooray for E rated games!

I love Riven! I played the CD version years ago and was unable to finish it. Thinking the new DVD technology would be even better, I was excited about ordering this. But it doesn't work with new computers. I've been told the DVDs will still work with Windows 95, but not with anything newer (XP, 98 or 07). It freezes up frequently, making me restart very often, so I started saving my games like crazy. But after 18 games, it lost the previous 3, taking me way back, and I couldn't get any further. What a disappointment! It's too bad the company is out of business, which means no tech support at all. On to newer games, I guess...