A beautiful point and click adventure/puzzle game that uses lateral thinking and has a mystery story.
The gameplay elements revolve around solving puzzles and you'll need to search for clues that explain how to solve puzzles.Some of the puzzles can be operating or positioning machinery in a certain way and because there's delicate combinations for the puzzles,you'll need those clues and you'll need to think laterally about the clues you find and how they can apply to a certain machine.
Some of the machines you'll need to operate will be portals or a rocket that will take you to other secret locations or even more simple things such as a keyboard that you'll need to play the correct keys on for certain puzzles or using a clue you've found to open a secret door.There is some of the puzzles that don't have any clues on how to solve them and they require trial by error which can be frustrating.
Also,you'll be searching for missing pages that belong to a blue book or a red book.Both the blue book and red book have an individual trapped inside each of them and both individuals will talk to you through a screen that's inside each book and they'll give you conflicting accounts on what happened to the people on the island before you arrived and they'll ask you to help them(by finding the missing pages to their book so they can be freed from the book they're stuck in)and they'll tell you not to listen to the other individual who's trapped in the other book.You can choose which individual you want to help and the story has some big revelations at the end.
The game also provides clues on which individual you should help because you can read letters that are laying around and think about the environments that both individuals lived in and how the individuals act when they talk to you.
The island's library has many books that you can read and they have lots and lots of information such as people's journeys,new inventions,personal feelings(which can help you decide which individual you want to help)and provide information on how to solve some of the puzzles.The books have so many pages of information,you could spend lots of time reading the books as if they're a real book.
The adventure element of the gameplay allows you to explore big,open environments in point and click fashion.You can spend a lot of time just exploring the island and exploring it's beautiful locations.The island has forest regions(some of the forest regions are flooded by which I think is rain water because the water looks clean and it blends with the trees beautifully).There seaside locations with stunning views of the ocean,dry/rocky style environments,dark rooms(some that are moist and dirty)and others with surprises that I don't want to spoil for you.The island has beautiful looking structures and the observatory allows you to turn out the light and see stars.
The game had very detailed graphics for it's time,and showed details with it's graphics that most other games didn't such as detailed wood patterns for wooden objects,and semi-realism for flowing water effects and how the trees and landscapes look and for the details for the metal/stone objects.I also like some of the other graphical details in the game such as seeing semi-realistic checkered floors in some rooms,mist in the air when you travel through some places.Myst was easily one of the best looking games for it's time(in a technical and artistic perspective).
The game uses FMV to show beautiful footage of different regions on the island.
The music suits the environments very well.For example,when you're near the elegant buildings you'll hear gentle/classy music.When you're inside dark/dirty/moist rooms,the music will try to intimidate you or sound chilling.
When you enter a portal,the portal will make a creepy sound.
However,this is not a game for everyone,and I will explain why.
1.It's not a game for kids.It might be too difficult for some adults.
2.You need a lot of patience to get anywhere in the game.
3.Some puzzles require a lot of trial by error(the point it becomes monotonous).
But overall,it was a magnificent game for it's time because of the way it combined lateral thinking,a mystery story and beautiful environments.