Riven

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,802 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
Riven Game Cover
Riven is as impressive, immersive, and unmissable as it's ever been.
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"Riven" is a single-player adventure game with an interesting plot and outstanding game mechanics. It offers a journey through the beautiful and mysterious world of Riven, full of ingenious graphics, a masterful soundtrack, and cunning puzzles. Immerse yourself in this surreal landscape, unravel its secrets, and experience a highly emotional and daring rescue mission.

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

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,802 reviews
graphics222 positive mentions
optimization33 negative mentions
  • Fantastic recreation of Riven with beautiful visuals and excellent world-building.
  • Great puzzles that are engaging and require thoughtful exploration and note-taking.
  • Improved controls and a more immersive experience compared to the original.
  • Some character animations are awkward and less engaging than the original FMV.
  • Long travel animations and loading times can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • Certain puzzles may feel simplified or less challenging compared to the original.
  • graphics453 mentions

    The graphics of the 2024 remake of Riven have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, effectively bringing the intricate world to life with modern Unreal Engine 5 technology. Players have noted the breathtaking environments, vibrant colors, and immersive atmosphere that enhance the overall experience, although some have pointed out minor issues with character animations and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the remake successfully captures the essence of the original while elevating it to extraordinary levels, making it a visually captivating experience for both new players and fans of the classic.

    • “The graphics and overall attention to detail have given me goosebumps on multiple occasions.”
    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, bringing the surreal beauty and intricate details of this classic world to life.”
    • “Cyan Worlds has managed to not only preserve the essence of the 1997 classic, but also elevate every aspect of the game to extraordinary levels, especially when it comes to the visuals and atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics are just okay for 2024.”
    • “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.”
  • story357 mentions

    The story of *Riven* is widely praised for its exceptional environmental storytelling, intricate world-building, and compelling narrative that seamlessly integrates with gameplay. While the core storyline remains largely unchanged from the original, the remake enhances the experience with improved graphics, additional puzzles, and refined lore that deepens player engagement. Critics note that the game encourages exploration and deduction, rewarding players for piecing together its rich narrative through observation and interaction with the environment.

    • “The story remains as compelling as ever, weaving mystery, tension, and discovery seamlessly into the gameplay.”
    • “The world-building, environmental storytelling, and environmental puzzle design are just top-notch.”
    • “Riven is a game rich in ambiance and environmental storytelling that draws you in.”
    • “The story is hard to follow at times, especially if you haven't played the first game.”
    • “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.”
    • “To me, the story is weak, and does not really work.”
  • gameplay131 mentions

    The gameplay of Riven (2024) has been significantly enhanced through polished mechanics and the introduction of new areas and puzzles, maintaining the essence of the original while offering a more immersive and fluid experience. Players appreciate the balance between challenging puzzles and improved accessibility, with many mechanics feeling intuitive and purpose-driven. However, some critiques highlight pacing issues and the occasional reliance on guesswork, suggesting that while the remake revitalizes the classic, it may not fully capture the original's intricate puzzle design.

    • “Awesome game, an old masterpiece brought to modern days with a more fleshed-out gameplay and overall bringing a smoother player experience.”
    • “The story remains as compelling as ever, weaving mystery, tension, and discovery seamlessly into the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay consists of exploring the world and solving various puzzles, which are usually related to the machines in the environment.”
    • “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.”
  • music120 mentions

    The music in the Riven remake has been widely praised for its atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting the seamless integration of the original soundtrack by Robyn Miller alongside new compositions that enhance the game's emotional depth. The sound design is noted for its immersive qualities, effectively complementing the stunning visuals and enriching the overall experience. While some new tracks received mixed feedback regarding their fit within the established soundtrack, the overall consensus is that the music remains a standout feature, evoking nostalgia and enhancing the game's mysterious ambiance.

    • “The reimagined soundtrack creates a perfect synergy between tension and contemplation, guiding the player emotionally through each moment of the journey.”
    • “The music is beautiful, delightfully moody, full of ambient tunes that perfectly capture each scene while imbuing them with touches of mystery, discovery, tranquility, and tension.”
    • “The sound design and music are very similar to the original, with wonderful additions and re-imaginings that enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The new music felt disconnected from the game, almost like leftover tracks that didn't make the cut from a previous project.”
    • “My only complaint regarding the OST is that the handful of new tracks, composed by the original game's composer, do not fit into the existing OST and do not reach the same level of production quality.”
    • “I'm not sure why, but it doesn't seem like any attempt was made to utilize the same synthesizers as the original OST did, and so the new tracks stick out a lot, and not in a good way.”
  • optimization118 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing stuttering, frame drops, and glitches, particularly in VR mode. While some users report smooth performance on high-end systems, others note significant issues even on powerful hardware, indicating a need for further patches and improvements. The game's visuals are praised, but the transition from live-action performances to 3D models has left some players feeling that the character animations lack the charm of the originals.

    • “The intuitive interface and improved performance make the experience smoother than ever, offering both longtime fans and newcomers a seamless journey into the fascinating world and story of *Riven*.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game is well optimized and runs really smooth.”
    • “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 too much of the experience; it would just be nice to have some more polishing.”
    • “The performance is absolutely atrocious, and there are flickering shadow artifacts that made me physically ill.”
    • “The old men playing around in UE5 need to turn on the optimization settings before pushing the build; I'm like walking through invisible corridors and freezing every 5 seconds on a 3070, 16GB RAM, 6-core CPU because it's so unoptimized.”
  • atmosphere92 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game has been widely praised for its immersive quality, successfully capturing the essence of the original while enhancing it with modern graphics and sound design. Reviewers noted the stunning visuals, atmospheric music, and environmental storytelling that create a rich, nostalgic experience, although some expressed concerns about the realism of certain character models. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and exploration, making it a standout in atmospheric puzzle gaming.

    • “Cyan Worlds has managed to not only preserve the essence of the 1997 classic, but also elevate every aspect of the game to extraordinary levels, especially when it comes to the visuals and atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere and immersion are just as good, if not better, than 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 is brilliant and it feels completely fresh.”
    • “What I feel ruins the game's atmosphere and immersion are the animals and characters; they don't look realistic!”
    • “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.”
  • stability39 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is marked by a mix of minor glitches and optimization issues, with players reporting various visual bugs, occasional crashes, and some awkward UI elements. While these issues can detract from the experience, they are generally not game-breaking, and many players still find the game enjoyable despite its rough edges. Some users noted that the game runs well on different systems, including the Steam Deck, but highlighted the need for further polish and updates to address the bugs.

    • “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.”
    • “It's an absolute buggy mess.”
    • “The game is buggy in some ways—it crashes all the time.”
  • grinding30 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to slow traversal, unskippable animations, and repetitive backtracking. While some puzzles have been improved to reduce tedium, the overall experience is marred by lengthy loading times and cumbersome navigation, leading to frustration and discouragement in exploration. Despite some positive changes, many reviewers feel that the game still requires significant patience and effort to progress.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Moving around the world is so tedious that it seems like punishment.”
    • “But after the 30th time travelling 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, hunting for random clues or hidden passages, which is made tedious by the many trams, elevators, animations, and loading sequences that slow down your pace.”
  • emotional25 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a deep sense of nostalgia and wonder, with players expressing feelings of joy, accomplishment, and even tears as they navigate the beautifully reimagined world. While some critiques mention that certain digital characters lack emotional depth compared to the original, the overall experience evokes strong memories and a heartfelt connection to childhood, making the journey both impactful and memorable. The synergy of the soundtrack and intricate puzzle design further enhances the emotional engagement, allowing players to feel truly immersed in the game's universe.

    • “The reimagined soundtrack creates a perfect synergy between tension and contemplation, guiding the player emotionally through each moment of the journey.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it features some randomization and multiple endings that encourage replaying, many players feel that its mystery nature limits overall replay value. The addition of randomized puzzle solutions enhances the experience, making it more engaging for those who enjoy revisiting the game. However, some users still find it lacks significant replayability compared to other titles in the genre.

    • “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.”
    • “Just be advised there isn't a ton of replayability with this entry (as compared to perhaps Moula, which is still receiving new content close to 25 years later).”
    • “I hit expensive since there is no replayability.”
    • “The myst remake a couple 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.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as both clever and entertaining, with players finding amusement in various aspects, such as the absurdity of a $10 PDF walkthrough and unexpected plot twists. While some elements elicited genuine laughter, others were noted for their quirky charm, contributing to a lighthearted experience overall. However, there were moments where the humor fell flat or could have been executed better.

    • “I felt like Rand was sitting on the other side of my screen laughing, because there was no brute forcing my way through.”
    • “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 commercial endeavor but rather a genuine effort that stands on its own merits.

    • “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 feedback, with some users appreciating the overall experience but noting flaws, particularly in character design.

    • “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

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Play time

10hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
3-24hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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