Myst - Masterpiece Edition
I forgot how good it was. With the first chords and Atrus' gravely voice the adventure
once again claimed me. The Miller brothers have created an enduring masterpiece.
For those of you who haven't played it before, wondrous things are in store for you. As
the game starts, you find yourself on tranquil, sun dappled Myst, the base island for your
exploration of the other four worlds. The back story begins with Atrus who creates worlds
by writing about them. His library has been torched, thereby destroying these worlds and
Atrus suspects his sons. By reading the few remaining books you find clues to the linking
books that will transport you to these worlds. Once on these worlds you must find the
linking book to return to Myst island. There are puzzles to solve both in the going and
coming back. You must visit all the worlds before you can enter the endgame and find out
the true story.
As you wander these five lands, moving through the silent buildings filled with
abandoned possessions and machines you feel the presence of the people who once lived
there. You, the voyeur, can handle their possessions, read their books, and live for awhile
in their lands while you solve the conundrums that will reveal the mystery.
The ambient sounds for the original game created a startling reality and these effects are
now even better - clearer. Machines rumble, water gurgles, wind blows through the trees.
The music never tires and adds greatly to moving you through the story - at times
ominous, mysterious, restless - always matched to and enhancing the mood - awesome.
Addressing concerns that Myst was too complicated - the Masterpiece Edition
features in-game, multilevel help in the style of strategy guides where each level provides
more and more information. Here, the top level solution still leaves plenty for you to
work out. I found the help to be useful mostly when you were advised to move on
because there was nothing more to be found. Sometimes I got a polite “Wait a moment -
I'm studying your situation” I didn't wait.
The graphics for Myst island and the four worlds, called ages, are superb. It's hard to
realize that Myst was originally done back in 1993. This Masterpiece
Edition has upgraded the graphics to sparkling 24 bit color making the clues stand
out much better. There are more maps - no more doing quick sketches to get the lay of the
land (you gals are so lucky) and the fly over animations of the worlds have been enhanced
to provide lots more useful details.
Each age is different, offering an unbelievable variety of environments and puzzles to
explore. Stoneship Age, Channelwood Age, Selenitic Age and the Mechanical Age will
lead you through tree houses, underwater rooms, space ships, lonely rock outposts,
planetariums, towers, elevators that rotate, walls that disappear, fountains that reappear.
Enough! Go there and see for yourself. The only complaint I have heard is that there are
no people there– so - take along a friend with you when you go on this adventure.
Reviewed by Genevieve 10/99
Ages Kids to Adults (KA)