Myst VI - Revelation
Pay no attention to the girl on the box cover. The main action is the conflict between the
two sons, Achenar and Sirrus, and their father, Atrus. A true Freudian tale. Way back in
the original Myst it looked as though Atrus had destroyed his two sons. In Myst
VI - Revelation you find out differently. Atarus created two prison worlds and
imprisoned one to each. The worlds are poles apart. Spire is an icy, luminous, craggy land
with only sufficient plant life to afford sustenance -- Achenar's abode. Haven, Sirrus'
prison, on the other hand is a tropical forest populated by a variety of animal life.
Animated cut scenes that you activate by a touching a necklace gives you the insight into
what is going on with the characters -- their feelings and some background story.
You, the player, are asked by Atrus to check out his sons. It is now 20 years later and he
is considering releasing them if they have reformed. Ha, has he no idea what 20 years of
solitary can do to a person? And so starts your exploration. Besides Spire and Haven,
there is plenty to find, see and solve in the home planet of Telemar and even more on the
bubble planet of Serenia -- a magical land of dreamers who have the ability to store and
save a persons memories. No, not in a data bank -- bubbles. The environment is
reminiscent of the Channelwood Age in Myst only more complex.
The creative settings and incredible graphics, which one expects in a Myst game,
do not disappoint. The puzzles are also, in the Myst tradition, mostly mechanical. A
camera will record pictures for future problem solving. It's good idea to take pictures of
anything that looks like it has a symbol. The solutions are so obtuse that a Prima guide is
included within the game. Exceedingly fussy cursor control makes two of the timed puzzles a real
frustration and may stop some players in their tracks. When will they ever learn?
The music -- trance type mystical flowing melodies, composed by Jack Wall and Peter
Gabriel, is particularly suited to the game. The hybrid disk plays on a PC and
Mac. This is a Myst game and that covers all the accolades. By now it's an
institution. This one adds some philosophical conundrums worthy of discussion. Hell -- I
was cheering for the sons.
Reviewed by: Editor - 11/04
Ages: Teen