Though the game looks very different the original's pre-rendered visuals feel more vibrant and alive in 3D. Even after decades away, though, when I found myself on the dock in the game's opening moments, I recognized where I was. I played Myst on my Mac when I was a kid, but hadn't touched it for many years. Even as a fan of the original, inclined to forgive its faults, I recognize that it can become tedious checking your work and tinkering with puzzles, especially when you get stuck-doubly so when using VR-style "teleport" movement. And, even with a scratchpad, there are a few puzzles that rely on your being a thorough investigator with a very good memory. Many of the puzzles require you to walk to one area to flip a switch, then go somewhere to check whether doing so led to the intended result. Compared to modern puzzle and adventure games, Myst is an incredibly inconvenient game. Taking notes is just one aspect of Myst that feels archaic. On the Quest, I found myself taking lots of screenshots, which takes a little longer but ultimately worked just as well. In the 1990s, this was a game where you would need to write things down on a piece of paper. Like the puzzles, the information you'll need doesn't make itself obvious, so you have to pay close attention and keep information in mind as you go. Told in bits and pieces, learning the island's history leads you to learn more about how you might escape. The randomizer doesn't change how the puzzles are solved, but it forces you to go through all the steps without cutting corners. If you want the game to keep you honest, though, there is a puzzle randomizer, which changes the symbol- and number-based answers. They unlock something, but they don't do what you'd expect or work intuitively.Īs far as I can tell, all the original puzzles remain intact, so returning players who remember what to do can fly through the game. You would never figure out how to use them if not for the note. Plus, switches are normally meant to be pulled. However, the switches have been placed adjacent to points of interest on the island, so they look as if they should be connected to other puzzles. The first puzzle, explained in a note you find when you first arrive, sets the tone for the whole game: The note tells you to count the number of switches on the island, and enter that number into a machine to view a secret message. More often than not, you'll need to take a good long look at your surroundings and figure out how the puzzle works before you can solve it. At a glance, each puzzle seems completely obtuse, a hodge-podge of interactive puzzle pieces that don't easily fit together. The content of Myst's places and puzzles do not follow any kind of unifying aesthetic-they are united in service of creating perplexing challenges that require you to be mindful of your surroundings and think creatively. Trapped on Myst, you will need to unravel its puzzles to uncover its secrets and escape. As you poke around-opening every door, pressing all the switches, reading the books and notes you find-your situation starts to take shape. When you arrive, you have no idea why you're there or what you should be doing. Myst is a small uninhabited island dotted with odd buildings and unintuitive, free-standing switches. When you get over that initial sense of wonder-or if you don't have the nostalgia that conjures it-Myst can’t hide its age, and its VR makeover exacerbates its blemishes. Being inside a world you’ve only seen through a screen before feels like diving into your own memory. For returning fans, seeing it in VR for the first time is a powerful nostalgia trip. Even after all these years, its puzzles will still test, and maybe even stump, you. Now, 27 years later, the classic is reborn in virtual reality-rebuilt, but almost completely unchanged. Wildly popular when it launched in 1993, the narrative adventure was a pivotal moment for puzzle-solving in games. If you've enjoyed having your brain teased by a video game in the last 20 years, or enjoyed the layered mechanical riddles of an IRL escape room, you have Myst to thank.
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