Riven

Riven is as impressive, immersive, and unmissable as it's ever been.

If you’re a Riven fan, you simply must play this version. If you’ve never played Riven, there’s no better opportunity. Escaping into another world is not just the external promise of the Myst games, but the actual premise, and Riven’s update brings those two things closer than ever before.

Riven remains an enchanting place to visit, though not everything appears exactly as it was.

Riven is another beautifully assembled upgrade of a classic for Cyan Worlds, and it seems to play more wonderfully than ever. The puzzles and exploration feel immersive, even if it gets a bit unwieldy with a lot of back and forth between the islands as you come back to solve certain puzzles later. Even then, the returning Notebook system does a great job of aiding in the easy access of clues and information if you use it effectively. With that said, this is also just a beautiful game to explore and whether you’re a returning player or discovering Riven for the first time, it's likely to be a peaceful and intriguing experience.

The Riven remake is gorgeous and difficult, and better than its precursor in many ways.

Riven is a puzzle game developed and published by Cyan Worlds, Inc. Following the events of Myst, a new adventure full of mysteries and intrigue begins. With a new quest and new puzzles, visit Riven, a mysterious world on the brink of collapse. Explore diverse environments and uncover the secrets of Riven.

Riven returns with a superb remake that modernises its mysterious world while its multi-layered brain teasers remain as tricky as ever.

Riven thrives on nostalgia and intrigue in equal measure, and it could prove highly addictive for anyone who enjoys puzzle-heavy experiences. However, if you're expecting more from it beyond that core appeal, you may come away disappointed. Even so, it remains a timeless classic, and its latest version is well worth considering if you can pick it up at a good price.

I think I preferred the world of Riven as a whole compared to Myst. Exploring multiple islands, that are all interconnected offers a much more natural flow, rather than going back to a hub world. But Myst’s puzzles felt a little better. Riven, does provide a lot more story, and emphasis on exploring but a lot of the time this can become quite jarring to play-through. In the end though I did have fun and I can see why both Myst and Riven are loved. The animal totem puzzles was the one that probably ruined my mood the most. I will be giving Riven the Thumb Culture Gold Award.

An excellent sequel completely reworked from the ground up for a new age