This review contains spoilers
I finally played Myst. The more I think about it, this was a pretty glaring omission in terms of important games I haven't played. As a huge fan of The Witness, I really should have played this sooner. This is obviously a very similarly structured game.
First of all, the "vibes". They're immaculate. Something about playing 90s and early 00s games like this just lights up a serotonin receptor in my brain. Myst is so charming in that aspect. The sound design and rendered graphics feel carefully crafted to create this world that I was quickly absorbed in.
I like how non-hand hold-y the game is. From the very beggining the game gives you a piece of paper with your first directive and from there, you have to figure out the rest. Some of this involves reading some (pretty interesting) lore books to find puzzle solutions. Some other puzzles rely on listening to audio cues or paying attention to specific details in the environment. Overall, when this works, Myst feels amazing. Experiencing an "A-HA!" moment in Myst genuinely made me feel like a genius and that's part of what makes the design so good.
The design, however, isn't perfect. One of the visual aspects that felt a bit uneven in Myst is how it's hard to tell when a screen you're on is meant to be for a puzzle or purely for decoration. This causes some busy environments to feel a bit overwhelming. Not because a puzzle is complicated but because from a mechanics POV, it isn't clear what's worth clicking on. For me, this caused a lot of overthinking, especially in the Mechanical Age. Likewise, while most of the puzzles are genuinely great, some are just lame. Dropping down the tree elevator for example, just feels bad to figure out and worse to perform.
I also think that I appreciated how many physical notes I needed to take to get through the game. It enhanced the experience and really had me thoroughly engaged to the point I played this game for 10 hours in a single day and stayed up till 2AM to finish it. Something I rarely do.
Really though, the bad moments in Myst are VERY MUCH worth bearing to experience this singular game. I can't imagine how revelatory this game was in the 90s. It's still great today, if you go in with an open mind and willingness to engage the game on it's terms, not your own.
First of all, the "vibes". They're immaculate. Something about playing 90s and early 00s games like this just lights up a serotonin receptor in my brain. Myst is so charming in that aspect. The sound design and rendered graphics feel carefully crafted to create this world that I was quickly absorbed in.
I like how non-hand hold-y the game is. From the very beggining the game gives you a piece of paper with your first directive and from there, you have to figure out the rest. Some of this involves reading some (pretty interesting) lore books to find puzzle solutions. Some other puzzles rely on listening to audio cues or paying attention to specific details in the environment. Overall, when this works, Myst feels amazing. Experiencing an "A-HA!" moment in Myst genuinely made me feel like a genius and that's part of what makes the design so good.
The design, however, isn't perfect. One of the visual aspects that felt a bit uneven in Myst is how it's hard to tell when a screen you're on is meant to be for a puzzle or purely for decoration. This causes some busy environments to feel a bit overwhelming. Not because a puzzle is complicated but because from a mechanics POV, it isn't clear what's worth clicking on. For me, this caused a lot of overthinking, especially in the Mechanical Age. Likewise, while most of the puzzles are genuinely great, some are just lame. Dropping down the tree elevator for example, just feels bad to figure out and worse to perform.
I also think that I appreciated how many physical notes I needed to take to get through the game. It enhanced the experience and really had me thoroughly engaged to the point I played this game for 10 hours in a single day and stayed up till 2AM to finish it. Something I rarely do.
Really though, the bad moments in Myst are VERY MUCH worth bearing to experience this singular game. I can't imagine how revelatory this game was in the 90s. It's still great today, if you go in with an open mind and willingness to engage the game on it's terms, not your own.