realMyst Switch Review
| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release Date | 5/21/2020 |
| Cost | $19.99 |
| Publisher | Cyan Worlds |
| ESRB Rating | E |
Early on in this site’s life, I reviewed a game called Mansion of Tricks and talked about how Myst influenced the escape room genre. Today, I’m reviewing Myst in the form of realMyst: Masterpiece Edition. In the original Myst, it was a slideshow with puzzles. In realMyst, you can walk around and solve the exact same puzzles, except in real time. Myst is now 29 years old, and despite even being completely remade recently, it is still same old Myst it always was.
You start by falling into a void:
Then once at the bottom, you click on the Myst book and experience a minute long loading screen:
You explore a mysterious island filled with switches you pull.
The switches unlock the answers to the puzzles that can be found in the library tower:
Also in the library, you will find two books which two brothers are trapped:
You follow the puzzles until you get into one of four ages, and then you’re on your own… until you discover the hint function:
realMyst is a rehash of a near thirty-year-old game!
Here is my issue with realMyst: It’s essentially the same game that was released when I was ten, and Cyan Worlds has been cruising on that momentum ever since. There are six mainline entries: Myst, Riven, Myst III, Myst IV, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and Myst V. Uru is sort of the spinoff, but since its included in the Myst collection, I include it. There have been no remasters or remakes of the other five entries. I’m getting bored. I’m sure kids today have never played Myst, but they all have ADHD, so I’m not sure they have the patience.
I think Cyan Worlds should remaster or remake the others, as many of them no longer work well on modern PCs. I know there’s some issues with the latter ones being trademarked by Ubisoft, but still, I’m sure something can be done. Or better yet, Cyan should move on. There was something called Obduction, but I guess it never sold that well, so they went back to rehashing Myst.
In the end, I understand why Cyan keeps going back to Myst well, but it is time to move on, at least give me a Riven remaster with a hint function(boy does it need it).
Overall: realMyst is still the same Myst its always been. It is time for Cyan Worlds to remaster Riven, or move on.
Verdict: YMMV
Update: In a hilarious twist of fate, the day after this review was published, Cyan Worlds answered my prayers. Riven is getting a remake.
My review and the announcement are not connected, but in my mind, they forever will be.