[jojo_jinx]

Hello! I have got The Myst collection but haven't played much Myst before - which in you opinions is the best Myst out of the collection?

MYST Masterpiece
RIVEN
MYST III
MYST IV
MYST V

Please say why you chose what you did

[DustyShinigami]

I'd probably say Riven. That's the only Myst game i've played and i played it quite a while ago, so i seem to have quite a few memories of that. It's pretty hard, i had to use a walkthrough throughout the majority of it, but it was an interesting experience. I, too, have the complete collection and haven't got round to playing through them yet. Myst 4 looks pretty good graphics-wise.

[Jelena]

I always rank Riven as the best Myst game although I also really like the others, except perhaps Myst End of Ages.
Riven has beautiful environments to explore and that's why I love it so. Some of the puzzles are truly hard, I had to use a walkthrough even the time I replayed it.

[tsa]

I would also say Riven is the best Myst game. I also enjoyed Myst IV: Revelation a lot because of the developing story in that game. Some of the locations were also very beautiful. It makes a good second place. I would put the first Myst game on third place, together with Myst III: Exile. Both have beautiful locations and reveal parts of the history of Atrus and his family.

The first four games are IMO quite close together, in the sense that there isn't a lot of difference between the first and third place in my list. The worst Myst game by far, in my opinion, was Myst V. There were so many new things in that game that it doesn't resemble the Myst world we got used to in the first four games at all. That gave me the sensation that I was playing onther game instead of a Myst game.

[AprilLives]

Riven, by far. Although all the games that followed have good points, none have the magic of Riven IMO.

Riven was a truly original game and the perfect follow-up to Myst. The exploration felt real, each actor played his/her part perfectly. I loved the costumes, the locations, the music, the sounds, the animated creatures, and the touch of classic theatre that was never overplayed.

The unique concept of the books and every bump and turn of a ride took me to different places that felt grand and were tied together by a common blue sky of billowing clouds. Maybe it was the openness of the sky that created a sense of clarity and gave me an eerie feeling of being watched.

The rebel age gave it a hard edge so real that I could almost smell the grim, polluted air.

The romance of Atrus and Catherine cemented my purpose … with Catherine being the most beautiful and mysterious heroine I’ve seen in a game.

As with any good book, there was room for my imagination to soar.

[jojo_jinx]

Wow, so many thumbs up for Riven!

[MdaG]

My favorite is Revelation, but Riven comes close. Revelation feels the most alive, it also has the best soundtrack in my opinion.

[LuigiHann]

Using "objective" criteria, I'd say Riven is the best, but using "subjective" criteria, I'd say Revelation is my favorite.

They're all worth playing in order, though. There's a great deal of continuity and clever touches shared between the games, especially if you also read the novels.

[misa]

I've played all of them but recently shelved Myst V (going back to it later). I agree with the others that Riven was my favourite and it was hard! Myst III is probably my second choice, then Myst IV and then the first Myst.

If you've got all 5 games, I'd say play them in order so you get a good understanding of the ages and a little history of the family before you move on to the next one. It's not necessary, but hey, why not?

[Gabez]

I'd say Myst 1! I just liked the comparative simplicity. I liked the way that the other lands were all linked from one central place. I've never played Masterpiece, but I sure would like to. I'm going to get my mum the DS version for Christmas, which should be very good.

[simpson_yellow]

Another vote for Riven from me - it's about as close to gaming perfection as I can imagine. A truly massive leap forward from Myst (which I also loved). As others have said, it's by far the most immersive of the series and the environment / puzzle design is breathtaking.

Riven > Exile / Revelation > realMyst > Myst V > Myst / Myst Masterpiece

That said, Riven is the hardest of the series to get into, so I wouldn't normally recommend it as a starting point for most people. I'd probably suggest the more accessible realMyst (sadly, the original Myst or even Myst masterpiece is unlikely to impress any more) or Exile for that.

Revelation is great too, but its story follows more or less directly from the original Myst, so I'd recommend playing Myst / realMyst before Revelation.

[Endosanity]

I'm gonna say the original Myst. Why? Well mainly because I played it on a 3DO and I didn't even have a computer at the time. I couldn't resort to the internet if I got frustrated.

I just took a break and tried to figure things out. I even drew maps with graph paper. I even remember having to calculate something from a math type puzzle... it's been a loooooong time since I've played.

I did give Riven a whirl but... never finished it. The version of Myst that I have says it'll run on a 386... big lotta good that does me.

[MoriartyL]

I'd say Myst IV because I found the worlds both more clever conceptually and more beautiful than the worlds in any other Myst game. I don't think the others are even close, actually.

And yes, the worst was Myst V. I recommend you don't play it at all, and end the series for yourself on a high note.

[DustyShinigami]

While the 3D graphics do look good for Myst 5, i've gotta be honest, the FMV was better and more suited. Plus, i, like so many others, am more used to that. It reminded me of some FPS/RPG hybrid or something. Not only that, but the game runs choppy on my PC compared to the rest.

[misa]

Interesting about the comments on Myst V. I recently shelved it because I just couldn't get into it. I miss the FMV and I'm just not all that interested in either of the main characters in it. Maybe I'll try playing it again in a few months.

[Risingson]

The fourth one. Riven is fascinating at times, but too unfair too often: lot of backtracking, absence of clues, and so on.

[Veovis]

Originally Posted by Risingson

Riven[...]absence of clues.

Don't agree with you. It is all there. Solved Riven without a walkthrough, but had the game not been so totally absorbing and great in every aspect I admit I would have used one for some of the puzzles after being stuck for ages (no pun intended). The puzzle design and the way it all connect is simply superb. My favourite game of all time.

Second best IMO is Myst/RealMyst, followed by Myst 4 and Myst 3. Haven't played Myst 5 yet, but I've heard it's a good idea to play Myst URU and it's expansions before that one to get the most out of it.

[Crapstorm]

Myst III: Exile is the one I enjoyed the most, so it gets my vote for the best. Myst IV: Revelations is the most beautiful, and it was an excellent game. However, my experience was sullied by a couple of idiotic timed puzzles, and a lot tiresome New Age writing. Riven is also a beautiful, captivating game, with visual art that was utterly mind-blowing back in its day. I spent 100+ hours playing it, but most of that time was spent bashing my head against a wall, because a couple of puzzles were extremely finicky. Don't get me wrong, it's a great game - just not flawless. The original Myst hasn't aged well, but it was probably the most successful PC game ever. And for good reason. But I think every sequel surpassed it.

[smulan]

Myst according to Smulans ranking: Riven, Myst/realMyst, Uru, Myst V, Myst III, Myst IV.
Crapstorm is point-blank about the new age writing of Myst IV, but does not mention that also the visuals is new age. Exile (III) too is infected with the same disorder but to a lesser degree.

[Gabe]

Riven design was groundbreaking i dont see others add any new highs on series.Unfortunately last Myst and uru thingy(3d adaptations) turned out quite boring.