Myst
- February 22, 2008 15:46 PM PST
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Back in 1993, Myst was released on the Apple Macintosh and proceeded to blow the doors off of what people had previously thought computer gaming was all about.
Myst remains mostly unchanged as Midway doesn't attempt to mess with the formula that made this game a 90's phenomenon. Though Myst inspired multiple sequels and even a series of novels, this DS version stays old school in sticking with the same format as the 1993 released game. That means the same brain-stumping puzzles, intriguing storyline, and mysterious, uncharted lands are still in Myst which should definitely please fans who loved it the first time around.
Everything from the original Myst is here, with the addition of new areas and a new age.
Those who haven't played Myst will enjoy how the story unfolds as one advances through the game. Myst doesn't start out with any detailed storyline which sets the premise for what you're doing. Basically, you just start off exploring a seemingly uninhabited island. Eventually though, you'll find books throughout the game that link worlds described by the books. When you go through the link, you'll be taken to different ages such as the swampy Channelwood Age or the fortress-bound Mechanical Age. Later on, you'll find that you're not alone as you run into characters such as the brothers Sirrus and Achenar, and their father Atrus. This only leads to more puzzlement and trouble.
There are new twists and levels added to the game as well. It might be considered kind of lame if this was a straight-up copy of the original Myst. So some things have been added to your character's inventory to improve upon the older version. There is a magnifying glass so you can zoom in on hard to read stuff, a notepad which you can type clues in, and a camera which has enough memory to store one picture (probably a digital camera from 1993 as well). Also, there is an entirely new level to explore in the Rime Age. This arctic world serves to make the game longer and is an added draw for those who have breezed through Myst several times.
All of the familiar, mind-boggling puzzles are still here, along with some new, fresh ones.
While the game play is still point and click, the method has definitely changed. The Mac and PC (1995) versions of Myst were obviously mouse-based since there wasn't any other way to control computer games at the time. And since the DS is not a mouse-based handheld, a new method of play is undoubtedly needed. So the DS answer is a touch screen method that utilizes the stylus as the toucher. You'll tap the screen with the stylus to click, and drag the stylus on the screen to move things across. Unfortunately, there is no onscreen pointer though so you'll have to rough it there.
But overall, the game shouldn't be too rough on you and can be interesting to all game players regardless of age.
