A great follow-up to one of the best adventure games. This will surely get your mind working hard. (Actual: 8.75)
The main issue is its ability to run on XP. It suffers from the same problems that Myst Masterpiece Editions suffers (by the way, the 5 disc edition runs absolutely fine on XP). I will begin by explaining how I was able to get the game to work on my PC, and this will apply to Myst Masterpiece Edition as well.
1. Uninstall Quicktime and restart computer.
2. Install the version of Quicktime included with game (6.3). Restart computer.
3. Set compatibility mode to Windows 98 (right-click the .exe file->click properties->click the compatibility tab->check the 'run in compatibility mode' box->choose the Windows 98 option (95 should work too)).
4. Right-click on desktop then click Properties. Click the Settings tab, then Advanced.
5. Click the Troubleshoot tab, then scroll Hardware Acceleration all the way to 'None'. Apply then close all boxes and error messages.
Be warned that you won't be able to do much with your computer during this phase, and after you are done playing the game you'll have to turn Hardware Acceleration back on. An error message will pop up when you start the game, let it be open and then maximize the game. It should work absolutely fine at this point, with minor messages popping up in the normal disc swapping areas, but the game will not suffer from this.
Now that that is cleared up, onto the review.
First and foremost, this IS a sequel to Myst, and therefore it is HIGHLY suggested you play that first, since the stories are intertwined. That being said, the story in this game is significantly better than Myst, though still mediocre when not including the knowledge gained from the novels. It definately is much more interesting, though. This is mostly due to the added population in the game and good actors, along with subtle hints in journals that give you a much larger insight as to what is going on than Myst did.
The game itself plays just as beautifully as Myst. The controls are the same, but the puzzles are not. Myst depended more on Ages that were independent of eachother, and therefore isolated each puzzle set, making it much easier to figure out. Riven on the other hand, has most puzzles intertwined with eachother, lending the 5 island Age more character and continuity. You will likely be able to fit all of your notes on one two-sided piece of paper for this game as well, which is interesting considering the game is a bit larger than Myst. The main draw here is that about half of the puzzles do not require blatant memorization of clues, but rather require problem solving skills on the spot. That does not mean that the puzzles are not ingenious. The puzzles are brilliantly blended in with Riven, making them seem natural and realistic. The puzzles are a bit more obvious this time around, but their simplicity also makes them a bit more difficult, if that makes any sense. The one problem with keeping all the islands of Riven related to eachother, is that sometimes it can get confusing when trying to connect puzzles together, rather than being organized like Myst was with its isolated Ages. This is a minor gripe though, because all it does is make the sequel a bit more challenging and gives your brain more room for thought. Also, I should mention that overall each island is distinct and therefore easy to navigate. The game feels a little smaller than Myst for some reason, but after playing around a bit I discovered that it is actually quite a bite larger.
The game also looks significantly better than Myst (4 years in the making, shouldn't come as a surprise). At this point though, the game does not flaunt amazingly top-of-the-line graphics. The 3D rendering is acceptable though, and the FMV sequences for all the acting and all the object movement is done absolutely beautifully, loads better than the original. Another big thing that makes the not-so-perfect graphics great is the immense attention to detail, which makes every locaiton feel alive, real, and very much interesting. Riven is, for lack of a better descriptor, stunningly beautiful. You will find no reason not to gape in awe at the expanse of the 5 islands.
As it was immensely important in Myst, so is the sound immensely important in Riven. Luckily, the sound effects in the game are nothing short of amazing. Each sounds very well done, and that is good considering how much this game (successfully) tries to immerse you in its world. As for the voice acting, well the voice acting when involving the Rivenese or D'ni languages oftentimes sounds tacky, since there weren't any accents applied to them. When spoken in English though, the acting is very well done. Overall, the game sounds just as blissfuly amazing as its predecessor.
The game can take you up to 20 hours, depending on how much help you seek. The game is definately beatable in 20 minutes if you know the islands inside and out. That being said, games full of puzzles tend to shorten in length significantly in multiple playthroughs, due to the lack of the need to figure out solutions. That being said, you will likely get a good amount of time out of your first playthrough, and with (at least) 3 endings, you may end up coming back to play again. Still, like Myst, you will most likely never come back to this game unless you want a refresher before starting later games in the series, due to the lack of fun of playing the game with all solutions known. An added improvement, though I don't know how they did it, is that this game will not leave you feeling quite as empty as Myst did by the end, which makes it feel like more worth your money in the end.
Regardless of complaints and gripes, this game improves upon Myst in many ways, while still retaining its own brand of unique flavor. This is a must play sequel to one of the best adventure games of its time.
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Value: 8/10
OVERALL: 9/10 (8.75/10.0)