Riven

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,544 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
Riven Game Cover
Riven is as impressive, immersive, and unmissable as it's ever been.
Starting at €33.99Buy now
Get on Steam

“I know what he’s doing… He’s watching you.” Travel to Riven, a beautiful and mysterious world on the verge of collapse. Explore this mysterious place, solve its puzzles, reveal its mysteries, make a daring rescue, and escape. VISIT A MYSTERIOUS WORLD “I am Gehn. I assume you’ve heard of me.” Riven takes you on a journey through dense jungles, awe-inspiring caverns, and monolithic structures. …

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,544 reviews
graphics188 positive mentions
optimization33 negative mentions
  • The remake beautifully captures the essence of the original game while introducing new puzzles and areas to explore.
  • The graphics are stunning, providing a modern visual experience that enhances the nostalgic feel of the original.
  • The game encourages exploration and critical thinking, rewarding players for paying attention to details in the environment.
  • Some character animations and models feel awkward and less polished compared to the rest of the game.
  • The pacing can be slow due to lengthy animations and travel times between areas, which may frustrate some players.
  • Certain puzzles have been simplified or altered, which may disappoint fans of the original who expected a more faithful experience.
  • graphics396 mentions

    The graphics of the remake have received widespread acclaim for their stunning beauty and immersive quality, effectively modernizing the original's iconic art style while maintaining its nostalgic essence. Many players noted the impressive detail and atmospheric design, although some expressed disappointment with character animations and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the visuals are considered a significant upgrade, enhancing the gameplay experience and drawing players into the richly crafted world.

    • “The graphics are stunning and are a faithful and genuine improvement over the original graphics.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, the world and locations are gorgeous, and a pleasure to marvel at.”
    • “The updated graphics are great, very beautiful.”
    • “I even ran it on low graphics, although there's also not that much of a difference between 'low' and 'high' either in terms of the actual visuals.”
    • “It looks so outdated - I'm not exaggerating, it looks like from the mid-2000s kind of graphics - except with 2023 resolution.”
    • “The graphics are usually much better, although the characters look... really bad.”
  • story303 mentions

    The story of Riven has been praised for its immersive environmental storytelling and rich lore, with many reviewers noting that the remake enhances the original narrative by addressing plot holes and expanding on character backstories. While the core story remains intact, the updated version offers a more cohesive experience, integrating puzzles more logically into the narrative. However, some players found the story challenging to follow without prior knowledge of the Myst series, and a few noted that the character writing could be improved.

    • “The world building, story, and lore really do wonders investing you in the world of Riven and its many secrets.”
    • “The storytelling through worldbuilding is just amazing; it feels like a real place.”
    • “Cyan leans hard into Riven’s lore here, and those additions put some meat on Riven’s storytelling bones, expanding it while adding further interesting details, benefitting both narrative and puzzle design.”
    • “The story is hard to follow at times, especially if you haven't played the first game.”
    • “While you don't technically need to have played Myst to play through this game, the story will be even more incomprehensible than it already is.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay112 mentions

    The gameplay in the remake of Riven has been significantly enhanced, featuring well-designed puzzles that maintain their purpose within the narrative while introducing new mechanics that keep both new and veteran players engaged. While some players appreciate the streamlined and modernized approach, others note that certain elements feel overly simplified or tedious, particularly with slow animations and some puzzles that rely on guesswork. Overall, the game successfully marries environmental storytelling with challenging gameplay, making it a rewarding experience for puzzle enthusiasts.

    • “The puzzles are incredibly well built, offering a solid challenge while also feeling like they have purpose for existing instead of just being there for the sake of gameplay.”
    • “This remake preserves the same degree of immersive environmental storytelling and gorgeously-rendered worlds, while also expanding and modifying the gameplay to keep veteran players on their toes.”
    • “The actual gameplay, puzzles, and general atmosphere when exploring the islands is fantastic and realized in a way that mirrors the originals.”
    • “The gameplay itself is mostly fine, if you ignore the presence of red herrings and puzzle solutions that rely on guesswork and borderline pixel hunting.”
    • “Some of the mechanics are painfully slow.”
    • “It sadly feels more in line with what Firmament offered: the new elements are more often mechanical, repetitive, and fairly arbitrary to the point of feeling gamey.”
  • optimization110 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. While some users report smooth performance at high settings, particularly with DLSS, others highlight persistent issues with VR performance and graphical glitches, indicating a need for further polishing and optimization. Despite these flaws, the game is still considered playable, and there is hope for improvements in future updates.

    • “The game is well optimized and runs really smooth.”
    • “Cyan outdid themselves with the graphics, having beautiful visual effects on high settings, and (unlike some other nice-looking titles) has a high-performance profile for lower-end systems that doesn't eat up power more quickly than a pregnant lioness in a hamburger factory.”
    • “Important: the Riven re-creation is optimized wonderfully, even on my 5-year-old Dell desktop PC that, while still robust, certainly isn't top of the line anymore.”
    • “The performance is absolutely atrocious, and there are flickering shadow artifacts that made me physically ill.”
    • “Regardless of PC specs, the game is a stuttering mess.”
    • “This game is poorly, and I mean poorly optimized!”
  • music97 mentions

    The music in the game has been widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting Robyn Miller's original soundtrack as a standout feature that evokes nostalgia. While the remastered version retains most of the original tracks, some new compositions have received mixed feedback, with a few feeling disconnected from the overall ambiance. Overall, the sound design and music contribute significantly to the immersive experience, enhancing the game's enchanting visuals and storytelling.

    • “Robyn Miller’s soundtrack is pitch-perfect.”
    • “The music is delightfully moody, full of ambient tunes that perfectly capture each scene while imbuing them with touches of mystery, discovery, tranquility, and tension.”
    • “The music hits at the pit of your being like no other soundtrack can; 'atmospheric' doesn't even come close to describing the level to which the music elevates this game.”
    • “Music transitions are abrupt.”
    • “Not enough music and ambient noise to build atmosphere.”
    • “The new music felt disconnected from the game, almost like leftover tracks that didn't make the cut from a previous project.”
  • atmosphere78 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and the ability to evoke a sense of mystery and exploration reminiscent of the original title. Many reviewers highlight the successful recreation and enhancement of the game's ambiance, which captivates players and encourages them to lose themselves in its richly crafted environments. However, some critiques mention occasional framerate issues and a lack of ambient music that can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The atmosphere is brilliant and it feels completely fresh.”
    • “The atmosphere and immersion are just as good, if not better, as the original game, to the point that I was never unhappy having to backtrack or wander around or simply be patient while I worked out what to do next.”
    • “The atmosphere, the writing, the world; everything about it is perfect, or just about.”
    • “It's a shame because the atmosphere and mystery is there, but gets immediately broken when the framerate tanks.”
    • “Not enough music and ambient noise to build atmosphere.”
    • “There's less atmosphere.”
  • stability37 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs, including visual artifacts and occasional crashes. While some users noted that these issues were minor and did not significantly detract from the overall experience, others expressed frustration over the lack of optimization and persistent bugs. Overall, the game is described as somewhat unstable, with a need for further polishing to enhance its performance.

    • “Other than that, everything was bug-free and a real masterpiece once again.”
    • “Also, this runs great on the Steam Deck :-)”
    • “And it released stable and mostly bug-free, not to mention decently well optimized.”
    • “However, there are some important flaws to note: the game clearly lacks optimization, there are some glitches, some crashes, overall it's a bit rough around the edges. Even though it doesn't ruin the experience too much, it would just be nice to have some more polishing.”
    • “First off, this is an Unreal Engine game, which if you've had the experiences I've had should be sounding alarm bells. Sadly, yes, there are numerous visual glitches in VR that seem to be unfixable.”
    • “The game is buggy in some ways—it crashes all the time.”
  • grinding25 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to slow animations, unskippable sequences, and extensive backtracking across large distances. While some appreciate the revamped puzzles that aim to reduce tedium, many still feel that the exploration and movement mechanics detract from the experience, leading to frustration and discouragement. The game's reliance on lengthy travel and repetitive tasks often overshadows its puzzle-solving elements, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “But after the 30th time traveling back and forth on a mine cart, or a jet-rail train, or waiting for spinning orbs to come to a stop, open, close, load and open... it grows tedious, time-consuming and eventually straight-up frustrating.”
    • “Ultimately I didn't feel like I was using my brain as much as I was just running around the map too many times (which is made tedious by the many trams, elevators, animations and loading sequences that slow down your pace) hunting for random clues or hidden passages.”
    • “The first and most glaring issue is that almost nothing in the game is skippable, which is particularly bizarre when you consider that the original game, 27 years ago, allowed you to skip almost any animation, as the creators undoubtedly understood that even the most beautiful animation can be tedious after you've been forced to watch it 50 times.”
  • emotional22 mentions

    Players express a profound emotional connection to the game, often reminiscing about childhood experiences and the sense of wonder it evokes. The intricate puzzle design and rich world-building create a feeling of immersion and nostalgia, with many reviewers noting moments of joy, accomplishment, and even tears as they navigate the familiar yet enhanced environments. Overall, the game successfully rekindles cherished memories while delivering a heartfelt journey that resonates deeply with players.

    • “I finished this game over a week ago and I still think about it every day, whether it is a puzzle, a line of text, a specific place in its world, or just about the sense of wonder and discovery it made me feel as I slowly peeled each layer of mystery away from its onion.”
    • “This journey of getting to experience this world again was an emotional experience; my inner child was smiling ear-to-ear and jumping for joy to get to experience.”
    • “I got emotional reliving my childhood memories and enjoying the beautiful new graphics and added complexities.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the randomization of puzzles that enhances replay value, others feel that the inherent nature of the mystery genre limits replayability. The recent remake has introduced features that allow for a more varied experience, but many still believe that the best way to enjoy the game is through an initial, unassisted playthrough.

    • “The adjustments to the puzzles to make them more replayable is a welcome addition.”
    • “Also, randomization is built in, so there is replay value.”
    • “The Myst remake a couple of years ago was beautiful and wonderful to re-experience, and the new randomized puzzle solutions feature was a welcome addition, giving a bit more replay value than the original had.”
    • “I hit expensive since there is no replayability.”
    • “The myst remake a couple of years ago was beautiful and wonderful to re-experience, and the new randomized puzzle solutions feature was a welcome addition, giving a bit more replay value than the original had.”
    • “Besides, if you finish it right you still have a variety of options to finish it wrong, which gives you a very odd feeling of replayability.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as both clever and entertaining, with users finding amusement in the absurdity of certain elements, such as the overpriced walkthrough and unexpected plot twists. While some moments elicited genuine laughter, others were noted for their quirky charm, though a few aspects could have been executed better. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the experience, enhancing player engagement.

    • “Charging $10 for a PDF of a poorly written 'walkthrough' is hilarious.”
    • “Some of the changes and additions made my jaw drop, others made me laugh out loud, and still others made me feel vindicated to learn that my headcanon was accurate.”
    • “Haha, funny and clever.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    Reviews indicate a mixed perception of the game's monetization, with some players initially viewing it as a potential cash grab due to the legacy of the original title. However, others argue that the sequel is not merely a profit-driven endeavor, suggesting a more thoughtful approach to its development.

    • “The game comes across as more of a cash grab than a passion project.”
    • “I had played Myst endlessly through several platforms: PC, Sega Saturn, etc. and I knew there was a sequel, but for some reason, I assumed it was just a cash grab, since in my head, nothing could top the first one.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character development in the Myst remake received mixed reviews, with some users noting that while the game is generally well-received, it suffers from flaws in character design that detract from the overall experience.

    • “The Myst remake, while pretty good, had a few flaws as well, especially in terms of character design.”
    • “Character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “The characters are one-dimensional and their arcs are predictable, which detracts from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

86% average critic score

Buy Riven

Play time

8hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
1-14hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games