The original Myst is an immersive classic, a visually appealing challenge for those who like puzzles.
I think that Myst is best described as an experience rather than merely a video game. Its creators strived to develop a world rich with detail and intrigue, with a subtle narrative intertwined into the strange yet beautiful surroundings. As the game begins, you are dropped onto the island of Myst without very much information to guide you. What immediately strikes you as unique about this experience is that there are no friendly characters to help you on your way, no enemies to fight, and not a very clear purpose. The game is largely about just exploring your surroundings and experimenting with different devices around the various worlds. This is what makes the game so immersive. The graphics of Myst, though not quite as extravagant as today’s, were definitely of high quality. Cyan built its 3D world through an extensive layout of still images and QuickTime movies, and the end result is simply amazing. Navigation is node-based, meaning that you don’t necessarily walk through the environment but rather point and click your way through your surroundings. Each new section loads as if you really had relocated, giving the appearance of movement. Making a 3D world in this manner might seem strange, but at the time it was a necessary shortcut to make it possible to run the game on computers without a lot of RAM and processor power. Even by today’s standards, I still think the environments look impressive.
So what exactly does the gameplay entail? As you explore the island, you discover two journals with missing pages, each of which belong to Atrus’s sons, Sirrus and Achenar. Your main objective is to travel through the different worlds, or Ages, and retrieve the missing pages from each book. As you recover each page, you learn more about each brother, and you must try to discover who is lying and who is telling the truth. In the end, it will be up to you to decide their respective fates. Your journey is not easy, for you will have to solve rather challenging puzzles in order to progress throughout the worlds. This can often be frustrating, for the puzzles’ solutions are not always intuitive. It will take much patience and observation, and perhaps even a little help.
The sounds in this game are mysterious and enchanting. The soundtrack consists of strange, sometimes haunting tunes that blend in remarkably well with each respective area. Moreover, the sounds are integral to the gameplay, for some of the puzzles involve listening in addition to seeing. You will need to observe and interpret different sounds and apply that information to the challenges you face. This is yet another way in which you can truly become immersed within the game. The music makes your surroundings feel foreign and believable.
Myst was groundbreaking for its time, and it started an incredible journey that would spark several sequels. It’s an experience that is visually, musically, and intellectually stimulating, and though the game is a bit dated now, I still think it’s worth playing if you enjoy a good challenge. As many have mentioned, the ending is somewhat anticlimactic, but at the same time it will most likely make you want to continue the adventure with Riven.