We’ve been seeing a lot of remakes that aim to bring some of gaming’s finest classics to a modern audience. When they’re done right, they let you experience adventures you’ve probably enjoyed several times before through a new lens, with fresh new touches blending well with a sense of familiarity.
Myst does that quite well, bringing the adventure we know and love back in a fresh new avatar that breathes life into the surreal world you find yourself exploring while retaining the sense of mystery that’s made it so popular over the years. But there are multiple versions of the title that have already tried to do the same. Does this one’s tweaks make it special enough to stand tall amongst its peers? Let’s find out.
"There are no enemies to fight, and no death screens to worry about."
Let’s begin with why you’re on Myst Island in the first place. It’s the home of Atrus, a writer whose travels across various Ages are recorded in mysterious books that are strewn about the island, hidden away behind clever mechanisms. His sons have been trapped in two books for some reason, each blaming the other for his apparent death.
Your task is to complete the pages of each son’s book, learning more about their predicament in the process. Getting to those pages is easier said than done, however, and that’s essentially the crux of the core gameplay loop on offer.
There are no enemies to fight, and no death screens to worry about. Instead, Myst challenges your wits by being as opaque as ever. You’re given no context to why you’re on the island, and where to go once you’re there. You learn more about things the more you explore the island, although the lack of hand holding in this one can get a tad frustrating at times.
That’s because interacting with objects in the area doesn’t necessarily give you any indication as to what they do, and several of them are red herrings, placed deviously enough to have you wondering just what the hell is going on. This is a game that demands diligent exploration and backtracking before it begins to get rewarding, just like it was back in the day.
"Myst is a rather short experience once you know what you’re doing."
But is that enough to keep you hooked? Your mileage may vary depending on whether your natural curiosity doesn’t let you leave a mystery unsolved, but I can easily see many players dropping off once the novelty wears off, or perhaps blazing through the experience thanks to a very large volume of helpful guides and walkthroughs available.
But that would take away the best parts of this one? Myst is a rather short experience once you know what you’re doing. But figuring it all out is where its beauty truly lies, the gameplay and story working together to present a world that guards its secrets jealously until it finds a player clever enough to uncover them.
I’d say that the game’s new graphics are now a great part of the experience, with the remake bringing improvements to both performance and lighting that elevate this version of the game above the others, at least on the visual front. The levels and environments you find are detailed very well, and the improved draw distances sell the illusion of a distant island really well.
The audio design is as good as it’s ever been, and the manner in which the game’s soundtrack is used to embellish scenes is definitely a plus. The game chugged along pretty well on a base PS5, with smooth and consistent framerates making the switch to a 2D format seem natural.
Of course, interacting with the world around you is an important part of the experience in Myst, and the remake handles that with aplomb. You get your cursor to let you know where you’re looking, and it changes contextually when you can touch or otherwise engage with an environmental element.
"The lack of combat, or any sense of danger whatsoever is another point to think about, as Myst’s concept was ahead of its time, but it’s definitely behind them now."
The controls could take a bit of getting used to and the sensitivity on the right stick could use a nerf, but those are minor complaints in the grand scheme of things as far as engaging with the island is concerned. I love how the new visuals add splendor that the original version simply wasn’t capable of. Myst Island isn’t beating any benchmarks but it does look very pleasing to the eye nonetheless.
But does a new lighting system, a visual overhaul, and a solid translation of the gameplay from VR to a controller merit a $35 price tag? Myst is a classic, and a very influential title from gaming’s past. That does count for something. It’s an alluring title when you first get into it, but if you’ve beaten the game before, it’s going to take you all of two or three hours to do it again.
Of course, you might argue that the game’s multiple endings lend it a fair bit of replay value, but I’d say that while that is true, I personally don’t see too many players choosing to do it all again other than for what could be considered the ‘canon’ ending that sets up its sequel. There’s a ton of videos and material on this one to know what happens in all the other ones, after all.
The lack of combat, or any sense of danger whatsoever is another point to think about, as Myst’s concept was ahead of its time, but it’s definitely behind them now. That’s not to say that I’m batting for the addition of enemies or artificial challenges for the sake of it, but this one’s only going to challenge your brains, and definitely not your brawn.
That leaves us with either nostalgia, or curiosity. Your mileage is definitely going to vary with the former, but the latter is where things get interesting. There’s a lot of stuff to hold your curiosity if this is your first time playing Myst, but you’re going to want to think about whether you’re okay with a game that absolutely stonewalls you at every turn.
"Myst is now a modern reminder of an era of video games long gone"
It isn’t going to take more than a few hours for returning players, and newbies could always have a guide handy if you want to do away with the hours of wondering what you need to do for progression. But that takes away part of the game’s innate charm. It takes the mystery out of Myst, and it isn’t what I’d recommend.
But with a bit of disciplined searching, you could find a balance that works and experience a game that has managed to stand tall over a little more than three decades. Myst is now a modern reminder of an era of video games long gone. And, as such, it is something that only the most curious are sure to enjoy.
For the rest of you, it’s still worth picking up on sale.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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