Myst 4 - Revelation - Review englisch

Myst 4 - Revelation

Release date: 09/2004
Developer/publisher: UbiSoft
Game language: German

USK: age 6 and older

A review by MaryScots 11th February 2005

No matter, how you feel about the series there is no point in denying that „Myst" and its sequels have become a legend in gaming history. So much so that for the first time ever in history developer/publisher UbiSoft teamed up with the London Country Hall Gallery, also home of the Dalí Museum, to organise a videogame based exhibition on the occasion of the release of "Myst IV – Revelation". From 17th until 19th September 2004 this event contributed to helping videogames receiving a larger acceptance and what’s more, acknowledgement as an art form.

All the more this review became a challenge and a risk for me. Why? Well, because a) I have begun playing "Myst" twice only to throw it at the nearest wall after a while in a fit of distress and anger, b) I consequently ignored the existence of its sequels "Riven" and "Exile" – which means that I approached "Revelation" without possessing any knowledge to speak of – and c) I could risk being tarred, feathered and finally stoned to death by die-hard Myst fans.

But hey, like Forrest Gump’s Mama used to say: ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, never know what you're gonna get.’

Story

Looks like we are already eagerly awaited in Tomahna, the world Atrus and Katharina live in with their little daughter Yeesha. Yeesha welcomes us in a kind of overhead railway and takes us to her father’s laboratory where he enlightens us regarding the reason for our visit. 20 years ago Sirrus and Achenar, his sons, have been sent on a – let’s call it "educational" holiday each in his own prison world written by Atrus – yes, that’s right, Atrus understands the art of creating worlds by describing them in books. He banned his sons because they destroyed four of his worlds out of greed for possession and power. To please his wife who suffers from the disruption of their family he now wants to find out whether those two regret their misdeeds, have changed for the better and deserve to walk free again. This is where we join the game. Atrus thinks we are the only ones impartial enough to decide on Sirrus’s and Achenar’s freedom or further imprisonment.

Only a few more adjustments on the crystal viewer are to be made in order to get in contact with the prisoners. We lend Atrus our helping hands which results in – boom! – a short circuit! Before leaving to fetch a substitute for the machine Atrus tells us how to get the electricity running again and asks us to watch over little Yeesha. Can’t be that difficult, or can it? It wouldn’t be if Yeesha had not suddenly vanished just after we succeeded in fixing the electricity problem! Almost completely on our own we now have to face the task of recovering the little girl. On our quest we explore three more worlds and will again be confronted with the primary reason for our journey to Tomahna – the revelation of the riddle of Sirrus and Achenars fate…

Installation/Start

To be honest I did expect a more striking package for a game of the now legendary Myst series than a simple, somewhat boring DVD box containing the two PC/MAC hybrid DVD’s and the manual. But that’s a matter of taste I guess.

Setup ran smooth and my machine needed a solid 15 minutes to complete the full installation of 8 GB. As I mentioned above, the game comes on 2 DVD’s (!) otherwise it would have been hard to pack the enormous graphics, movie sequences and sounds.

However, when I started the game the program refused to run. The problem in my case was that the path to ‘My Files’ was located in the root directory of a partition. I found the solution on the game’s website (www.mystrevelation.com) under support FAQ. At this point I would like to mention that I have rarely seen such a concise and detailed support site for a game. You get a very detailed walkthrough for the changes needed in your settings and afterwards everything worked just fine!

Handling/Menus

From the very beginning of the game we start our journey into other worlds by means of a book – the main menu looks like an ancient tome, which transfers us into the world of Myst. Via the cover we can start a new game, enter the savegames and loading functions, change the game’s settings etc.

The latter offering everything we could possibly ask for in a graphic adventure, from screen settings and separate volume controls to the cursor’s degree of transparency (!). I would have preferred, though – for the sake of a better acoustical understanding – if among all these options a possibility had been provided to tune the volumes of speech and sound effects separately. For that matter, I’d gladly have done without the optional change of the cursor colour something I personally find almost ridiculous.

As far as I can tell unlimited saving is possible. The saves will be numbered serially if we don’t name them and furnished with a current screenshot as well as the date. In case we forget the program has an automatic saving routine. But the new one will then substitute this file.

In spite of the full installation it took quite some time to load the main menu while playing.

The game is completely mouse-driven except for the "ESC"-key which transports us to the main menu or terminates cutscenes and animated movies if we have to repeat scenes now and then.

The cursor is an animated hand and precedes our first-person-self within the gameworld. I quite like the idea as we get the impression that we really can touch and grab things just as if it was our own hand. OK, OK, that’s nothing new really and of course I don’t run around in real life with my hand stretched out in front of me, but I noticed it especially because the animation of that cursor is very lifelike. One has to pay attention, though, to realise when it is changing and thus showing us hotspots.

The inventory is – very myst-like – basically nonexistent apart from one novelty which I liked very much. At the bottom of the screen we have a camera and a projector. While playing we can take photos until our fingers fall off, no matter whether we simply like a sight or to help us keep a hint in mind. The projector provides a lot of space to write down our thoughts and notes. Later we’ll also find an amulet, which blinks if there is more information for a hotspot. By clicking on the necklace we will either find enlightenment or have to figure out the meaning of some cryptic statement.

When the ZIP-mode is activated in the main menu we can also click on it in the lower screen area and use it to travel faster from point A to point B within a world so we don’t have to cover the distance "on foot", which can be very laborious at times. But we should better only do this after we have had a good look around or we might miss out on important hints and besides some of the various means of transport are a lot of fun. I used to forget that the ZIP-mode actually existed!

Graphics

In this regard I was totally floored! I really didn’t expect something like this. Please keep in mind that I only know "Myst" and would rather call it a kind of elaborately designed PPS-file. As much as its graphics might have been revolutionary it didn’t and still doesn’t give me anything. But let’s drop the matter before the stones start flying in my direction.

"Revelation" put me under a spell! The beautiful, imaginative and detailed 360° environment could almost be called decadent. Each of the worlds has its own distinctive atmosphere, above all Tomahna – a place I would move to at once. Especially at night it was a perfect dream.

A lavish amount of realtime-3D-animations breathes life into the pre-rendered 2D backgrounds. I couldn’t get enough of watching the sparkle of the sun or moon reflected by the waves in the water, the clouds wandering across the sky and the alternating play of light and shadow, the flickering and crackling fire, the animals at play, the gentle sway of leaves and plants in the wind – get the picture? There is so much to see and examine that I sometimes simply lost myself in daydreaming and totally forgot that I had a mission. But most of all I fell for the soap bubbles which I loved when I was a child. The moment I realised that I could gather them or make them burst with my cursor hand… err, I am wandering off topic, sorry…

Another feature that is very well done are the video sequences in which we meet other characters. Compared to "Myst", in which we click ourselves through the landscapes utterly alone, all hell breaks loose in "Revelation" or so it seems. Now and then we meet familiar – at least to Myst-aficionados – and previously unknown people who are played by real actors (among them Rand Miller - one of Myst’s creators – as Atrus). Various graphic techniques (2D, 3D and FMV) have been reconciled and in a very harmonious way, I think. And as I already mentioned it would be a pity to bypass such animations like a lift ride or the trip with that overhead railway thingy by using the ZIP-mode.

The only downer was a feeling of shortsightedness – like I had forgotten to put on my glasses – after each cursor movement. The impression vanished as soon as I kept the mouse still but it occurred throughout the game and I found it a little interfering.

Voice acting/Translation

The Myst series isn’t really famous for its extensive dialogues. Rather the opposite. Which doesn’t mean that the characters communicate in sign language. In fact we should listen to what they have to say instead of asking questions.

The voice actors are well chosen and there is nothing to complain about the localisation other than a little more effort in adjusting the voices to the lip movement would be preferable. Some minor translation glitches occurred in the texts of the books we come across everywhere in the gameworld, though they do not cause any misunderstanding.

Sound

Perfect! Well, 99% at least. Composer Jack Wall has created a soundscape, which not only emphasises but also complements the marvellous graphics optimally. The main theme is a mixture of choral chants and ethno pop. Our explorations are accompanied by subtle ambient sounds that always match the environment. One of the most impressive moments for me was the one in the beginning in Tomahna when I stepped out of the elevator after a short ride. The picturesque home of Atrus and his family is spread out before us. The sun shines from the blue sky and the buildings mirror on the surface of the river. We hear the whisper of the wind in the trees and the gurgle of the stream below us, birds are singing and the gentle background melody is so subliminal that at first you don’t even notice its presence. This is a score according to my taste. It does not distract but distinctly intensifies the atmosphere.

Now, the icing on the cake is certainly the song "Curtains" which was composed and sung by Peter Gabriel specially for this game. I want the CD - now! Of course I knew that Gabriel contributed a song but I was surprised nonetheless when I reached that point where we can actually hear it. I won’t spoil it for you, I’ll only say, that for me this moment was the absolute highlight of the game!

They went the whole nine yards, too, regarding the sound effects. First of all we can touch everything with our cursor hand and will be rewarded with a corresponding sound, no matter whether we tap on metal, wood or glass – it sounds like metal, wood or glass. Dipping the cursor finger into a water bucket will not only produce tiny waves but also a soft rippling noise.

Aside from these gimmicks we are always surrounded by a soundscape which fits the current location and helps in literally drawing us into the game.

In spite of all my enthusiasm there is still 1% that could have been done better. During one of the video sequences I had severe difficulties in understanding my counterpart as the noise of a nearby water pump was simply too loud. Separate setting controls for voices and sound effects would have been very much appreciated here.

Puzzles

Yes, I think that is exactly what they are as opposed to the riddles we usually encounter in adventure games. But I will get to that in a minute.

Our main occupation will be the exploration of the worlds, so keep your eyes open as there is a lot to see and hints that help you on within the story are hidden almost everywhere. This is especially true for the books we discover as they not only contain information but are our means of transport to the other worlds. Myst veterans among you will certainly know that already. Just as with the other hotspots we’ll know that we can open and read a book when our cursor hand appears holding a magnifying glass. In addition our amulet will glow and after clicking on it the texts will be read to us by their author. The amulet will also alert us if further information is available for other objects, sometimes we’ll even experience visions. Only never forget to take photos and write down notes.

A remarkable effort has been put into the task of weaving the puzzles well into the story. In "Revelation" we mostly find the notorious mechanical puzzles the series is famous for. Again we have oodles of switches to operate but also logic-, colour- and slider-puzzles as well as those where we have to figure out the correct order of – let me say – things. Some of the challenges afford a certain degree of skilfulness. To give an example of this skilfulness: have you ever tried to carry a blowball around in your palm? Even if the answer is no, you can probably guess that this is no easy task. Furthermore there are some sound puzzles two of which are time-dependent and gave my patience a hardcore test.

The majority of puzzles is solvable if we paid attention earlier, and I have to admit that most of them are also logical. Nevertheless a great number was fairly difficult in my opinion. Fortunately the developers accounted for hopeless cases like me, who tend to think of everything but what is close at hand. The game is equipped with a three-level help system accessible via the options in the main menu. The first level only provides a gentle but cryptic push in the right direction, the second level hints a little clearer as to where we have to search and the third level finally reveals the solution exactly. I ruefully confess that at three points I couldn’t proceed without the second level and also had to consult the third level twice. By using the help system I still counted 26 hours of gameplay but I am positive that without it’d have taken me at least 30 – 35 hours. Anyway I like such a help system much more than any walkthrough as you don’t get ripped out of the gameworld. I would welcome such a feature in every adventure game if only to keep potential frustration as low as possible.

Summary

"Myst" always divided the adventure community like Moses did the waters of the Red Sea. That’s a fact. And the question, whether "Myst" is an adventure game at all, regularly ignites one of the most popular and heated discussions among genre fans. Well, I for one had dropped the series until I was confronted with the task of writing this review. Now I am glad that I met the challenge because "Myst IV – Revelation" is not only a special game, it’s a work of art comprised of lush, dynamic graphics and a first class soundtrack. The story, which to me usually is the most important aspect of an adventure, though touching in a way it couldn’t really inspire me. Maybe because of that exploration all the more turned into some kind of meditation for me and as a result I felt disturbed by some of the puzzles. But for all that, my feeling of success intensified vastly after having worked out a solution on my own. Although I cannot say that I was converted I would still like to recommend this game not only to the fans of the series but to those in particular, who have resisted the "temptation" up to now. Try it! You don’t need to have played the prequels to be able to immerse yourself in "Revelation". Even though, I wasn’t able to acquire a taste for every aspect of the game, the proverbial revelation for me refers to one of the most beautiful gameworlds I have ever had the pleasure to roam.

Rating: 84 %

Adventure-Archiv rating system:

80% - 100% excellent game, very recommendable

70% - 79% good game, recommendable

60% - 69% satisfactory, restricted recommendable

50% - 59% sufficient (not very recommendable)

40% - 49% rather deficient (not to be recommended - for hardcore-adventure-freaks and collectors only)