I never played Riven as a kid. I was aware of its existence for sure, but I didn't play the game proper until I was in my twenties. So I didn't have much of an attachment to the game, at least not to the same level as I did with Myst. When I heard that Cyan Worlds was making a re-make of Riven, my reaction was essentially a "huh that's neat" before moving on. Fast forward to June 2024, and I notice there's demo for Riven as part of the Steam Next Fest. So on a whim, I decided to install it and fire it up.

My jaw dropped.

The modern remake of Riven is utterly gorgeous. To be able to experience it in 3D with high-quality, photorealistic graphics is something that could only have been dreamed of back in 1997. I can't quite put my finger on what makes this one in particular stand out to me. Myst has gone through so many remakes and revisions, yet none of them wowed me the way Riven did. Perhaps it's because Riven was left untouched for decades. There was a team working on a fan-remake (they ended up being picked up by Cyan Worlds to help with the remake, which is really cool), but aside from that Riven never got the same love as its predecessor. Maybe that made the jump from the original graphics to the new that much more stunning.

Or maybe it's just me. Maybe my lack of expectations made it much more spectacular for me.

For the uninitiated, Riven is an adventure game. You walk around the environments, picking up pieces of the story as you go, and solving puzzles. Even back in the day, Riven was unique in that its puzzles would often require you to have an understanding of the world around you. In particular, some of the late game puzzles will test you to make sure you've been paying attention and not just brute forcing your way through everything.

Some of the puzzles in the remake have been drastically changed from the original game (the animal totems one comes to mind). These puzzles, from what I can remember, are definitely an improvement from the original. They're more clear about what you need to do while still retaining that key aspect of being integrated into the world's lore. Some more avid Riven fans may have a different perspective on that, but for my part they were a good change. There are other changes as well (including an entirely new area that wasn't in the original game).

The story will be a bit confusing for those who maybe haven't played Myst before. Some of that confusion is intentional, but considering Riven is a direct sequel some of the concepts will be difficult to untangle for those unfamiliar. It's not impossible to come to grips with it, but you'll be playing a bit of catch-up if you jump in unaware.

The one major issue I have with this remake is the cartoon-y character models. The lip syncing on them is very off at times, and they don't always fit in quite right with the environment. They're a massive improvement over the terrifying 3D abominations they had in the 2021 remake of Myst, but they still feel out of place compared to the world around them.

The only other complaint I can think of at the moment is one I had with the original: occasionally the story will just drop a twenty page journal in your lap and expect you to read it. And you'll have to, because the journal could contain a necessary clue for progression. It's nothing major, but it is a bit irritating to have your exploration interrupted because you suddenly need to read an entire short story.

But aside from these complaints, the Riven is a fantastic achievement. So whether you're an old fan looking to re-experience a classic, or someone who was just too young or never played the game growing up, this 2024 version of Riven is hands down the best way to experience it. Just be prepared to challenge yourself, and plunge into a fantastical world of puzzles and secrets.