It's almost unbelievable that this game is from 1997.
It's so ahead of it's time. Everything is so intriguing: the story, the feeling of mystery around every corner of those islands, the inhabitants, the places, the puzzles... Ah the puzzles! Thats probably the pinnacle of the puzzle concept in video games. I still haven't played something that compares to Riven in this specific aspect.
I remember trying to play it as a kid, back in the days cause it was my dad's but it wasn't suitable for children. The difficulty is real in this one. Even though I remember just getting astonished with everything about that islands, its people, its wildlife, the events. This feeling of fascination hit me so hard that I had nothing but love for this game, even though I couldn't go too further in this first attempt.
Many years later, after being a little grown up I decided to revisit Riven with a mix of curiosity and fear. Curiosity because I remembered the fascination I had but feared that this wouldn't stand to the test of time.
Oh, but I couldn't have had a greater surprise. It definetely standed still and I went though all of it by myself. I still have this playthrough as one of my greatest achievements in my gamer life. It is a hard amalgam of puzzles and mystery, but totally worth every neuron burnt.
The gameplay by static photos could seem a little aged, indeed, but as soon as you get used to it, its a trip down the apex of immersion.
It's so ahead of it's time. Everything is so intriguing: the story, the feeling of mystery around every corner of those islands, the inhabitants, the places, the puzzles... Ah the puzzles! Thats probably the pinnacle of the puzzle concept in video games. I still haven't played something that compares to Riven in this specific aspect.
I remember trying to play it as a kid, back in the days cause it was my dad's but it wasn't suitable for children. The difficulty is real in this one. Even though I remember just getting astonished with everything about that islands, its people, its wildlife, the events. This feeling of fascination hit me so hard that I had nothing but love for this game, even though I couldn't go too further in this first attempt.
Many years later, after being a little grown up I decided to revisit Riven with a mix of curiosity and fear. Curiosity because I remembered the fascination I had but feared that this wouldn't stand to the test of time.
Oh, but I couldn't have had a greater surprise. It definetely standed still and I went though all of it by myself. I still have this playthrough as one of my greatest achievements in my gamer life. It is a hard amalgam of puzzles and mystery, but totally worth every neuron burnt.
The gameplay by static photos could seem a little aged, indeed, but as soon as you get used to it, its a trip down the apex of immersion.