[simpson_yellow]

The Myst series is very close to, if not at, the top of my list of favourite game series. I played the original Myst probably about a year or so after its release and then played the sequels more or less as they hit the shelves, with the exception of Uru, which I'm yet to play.

After suffering a recent, and fairly serious, addiction to Half Life 2 Deathmatch, I managed to set aside a spot for Myst IV on my hard drive about a week ago - a welcome change of pace.

The fourth instalment is considerably more nostalgic than the third. Being centred on the antics of Sirrus and Achenar a couple of decades after the events of Myst, I kept feeling a burning desire to reinstall Myst or realMyst.

The Myst games, for me, have offered an unparalleled sense of immersion and Revelation continues the tradition. The environments are absolutely stunning and some settings are positively teeming with life. Trees sway, birds soar, lizards dart and waves crash, all very convincingly. As you’d expect, there's an awful lot of FMV in this game, and a full install will set you back around 8 GB. The insertion of moving images into backdrops (waterwheels etc) is handled with pure class. The cut scenes are great although not quite as seamlessly integrated as I'd hoped. To me, it felt as though the transitions from game screens to cut scenes were a touch rougher than in Exile, and the resolution was a bit coarse, but I'm probably expecting way too much. The cut scene content was certainly impressive and had the requisite Myst "Wow!" factor.

The acting and dialogue, whilst mostly adequate, could not be considered stellar - although nothing here quite echoes Brad Dourif's ... er, enthusiastic characterisation of Saavedro. There were a few too many NPCs in one of the Ages, which jarred me out of the wonderful isolationism that I love the Myst games for, but that’s a small quibble.

The interface is excellent, being essentially a cosmetically enhanced version of the Exile interface - node based with full 3D panning. The new cursor (a customisable animated 3D hand, rendered in real time) is nicely done and offers improved interactivity with objects in the game world - drawers must be opened by clicking and dragging rather than just clicking, for example. Another fine addition to the interface is the camera (or 'image recorder'), which largely does away with the reams of notes that normally clutter my desk during a Myst game. Being able to quickly reference previously obtained clues in this way was pleasing to say the least.

As always, the audio is first rate. The soundtracks in each Age are perfectly suited (with one minor exception, which I'll get to in a moment) - mostly haunting and ethereal, spotted with the occasional moment of urgency. The environmental sound effects are nothing less than superb. Using your cursor, you're able to audibly tap just about any object within arm's reach, interactive or not. I spent a lot of time doing just that - the game is littered with these nice touches.

My aforementioned gripe with the soundtrack is the Peter Gabriel track "Curtains" that turns up in the later portions of the game. I'm not sure of the backstory regarding Peter Gabriel and the Myst series (I think there was something to do with Uru, but am too lazy to look it up at the moment), but it seems to me that this track was just rammed into the game with brute force. It didn't suit the moment and doesn't suit the series. Lyrics in a Myst audio track just don’t seem right.

Onto the puzzles, then. All in all, the puzzles are excellent and definitely worthy of the Myst franchise, being logical and fairly manageable. Some puzzles are more or less standalone and can be solved locally, whilst others must be tackled on a broader scale, with coordinated input from several different locations. I'd say the difficulty and quality of puzzles is on par with Exile, with nothing as sprawling and difficult as those found in Riven. Notwithstanding the overall quality of the puzzles, there were a few that I felt just weren't properly integrated into the environment, and seemed almost blatantly tacked on.

Everything comes together really well and Revelation is a cohesive and polished package. I’m not a huge fan of the fantasy / sci-fi aspect that creeps in near the game’s conclusion but I don’t think it detracts significantly from the title. I definitely got value for money but, whilst the Ages seemed fairly large at first, the overall game felt a little shorter than previous offerings, and I managed to knock it off in about 3-4 (solid!) sittings without a walkthrough (although I did need one small nudge for a puzzle that involved tensioning - you'll probably know which one if you've played it).

I feel as though I've played the negatives a bit hard in this review, which is quite misleading, as I had a truly great time playing Revelation. It brought back all those wonderful Mysty memories from years gone by and I was sorry when it was all over. An unmissable title for those that have enjoyed the series so far.

I, for one, am positively salivating in anticipation of Myst V.

[Marian]

Very nice review, which I enjoyed reading. Thanks for taking the time to write and post it.

[simpson_yellow]

Originally Posted by Marian

Very nice review, which I enjoyed reading. Thanks for taking the time to write and post it.

That's cool. Glad you liked it and thanks for your comments .
I probably wouldn't have posted it if deadworm hadn't run that poll - I'd always assumed that Myst's popularity here was a little on the low side.

Hope you get around to finishing the game sometime (if you haven't already)

[Ninth]

Good review, magnificent game.
I loved the new direction the game took, away from the brillance of Riven, but toward a new depth of story and immersion.

[simpson_yellow]

Originally Posted by Ninth

Good review, magnificent game.
I loved the new direction the game took, away from the brillance of Riven, but toward a new depth of story and immersion.

Thanks.
Yeah, I thought the story was much more developed than Exile's (although I still loved Exile). When you say you loved the new direction, are you referring to the mystical / new age stuff in Serenia? I enjoyed Serenia but more for the puzzles than the atmosphere, I think.

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by simpson_yellow

Thanks.
Yeah, I thought the story was much more developed than Exile's (although I still loved Exile). When you say you loved the new direction, are you referring to the mystical / new age stuff in Serenia? I enjoyed Serenia but more for the puzzles than the atmosphere, I think.

No, I was referring to the fact that the puzzles are easier and not as coherent as in Riven, while the story and atmosphere are much more developped. Riven is fascinating, Myst 4 is compelling... Whatever that means.

[simpson_yellow]

Ah, fair enough then. I see what you mean - seems I read a bit much into your comment