Mysty eyed adventures

I must have been feeling in a particularly masochistic mood recently. It's the only explanation for my ordering Myst: Revelation, fourth in a series with which I have a definite love/hate relationship. I'm not alone in my feelings - the games attract praise and derision in equal measure. I've only played the first two games. The original Myst and it's sequel, Riven. Certainly I have a great affection for that first game. Being placed in world, without any real idea of what to do or how to accomplish it, and then watching the story unfold as gradual experimentation . I didn't manage to complete it entirely unaided however, stumbling as I did on a couple of it's classic problems (the mine cart, and the elevator door). Nevertheless, it was pleasant world in which to lose yourself, literally worlds away from the fast past video games dominate the industry.

My affection didn't hold for Riven however. Despite it's even lusher visuals the nature of it's puzzles seemed entirely too arbitrary in nature. I found myself turning for help with increasing frequency until I realised that it just wasn't worthwhile anymore. I abandoned the game feeling disappointed with myself and vowing never to return to it. I pretty much abandoned the series as well, until I read an interview recently with the game's developer about the soon to be released Myst V which took a suitably contrite tone when discussing Riven. On that basis, I decided to give the series another try (skipping over Myst III, which I recall being derided once as an aberation in the series, though that may or may not be so).

It's interesting to see how much, or how little the nature of the game has changed over the years. Some differences are immediate obvious, such as the camera system which affords you a three hundred and sixty degree view of your surroundings, the even more gorgeously rendered environments, and the clever integration of video. But on the other hand, the game itself is immediately familiar. So far the difficulty hasn't spiked as high as Riven and I'm enjoying the Myst-like atmostphere of old. I'm sure I'll be tearing my hair out before long as well though.

Now I've got an early start tomorrow. I'm off down to London for the weekend, for pleasure as much as for work. My visit coincides with the annual London Open House weekend, during which the doors of a number of buildings usually closed to the public are flung open. I've not real plan as to what to tackle yet, but I'll give you an update on what I managed to get around when I return.

Ta ta 'til then.