Preview Myst V: End of Ages Developer: Cyanworlds Publisher: Ubisoft Release Date: Q3 2005 Platform: Preview by Jennifer Miller June 21, 2005

My friends, it is the end of an era - at least for me. When I first heard the news that the next release by Cyan would be the last in the highly successful Myst series, I was speechless. How could a developer just turn their back on the series that put them on the map? How could Rand Miller decide to close the book, write the last chapter on Atrus, Catherine, and Yeesha?

It was with these questions buzzing in my head that I greeted Rand Miller nearly a month ago at E3. He gave me a tour of one of Myst V’s beautiful new Ages and explained to me why this would be the last in the story of Myst. We also talked about the future of Cyanworlds and I may have pulled a little bit of information out about a much-fabled Myst novel that may just yet see the light of day.

But let’s talk gaming first.

“We didn’t add explosions or furry, little singing creatures in trees. Myst is about quiet, subtle, interesting situations. But there are dramatic consequences, its that same Myst feeling, that subtle exploration that has some dire consequences in the choices you make at the end and its very reminiscent of the first Myst on a lot of levels which was wonderful for us.” - Rand Miller

And yet, while yes, certain things about Myst V will feel (and look) familiar to long time fans of the series, most of what we’ll encounter will be completely new.

Had it not been for the sharp eye of Ray Ivey, I might have missed the Myst V demo altogether. It was set up in a little corner of the Games for Windows exhibit in the back of E3’s South Hall. A wonderful gentleman (who I later found out was Randomos of Myst/Uru fame, hi!) gave me a tour of a vast grassland/beach Age inhabited by the Bahro and a D’ni named Esher. Now, for all of you that played Uru Prime to its end, you will remember these troll looking creatures and the endless monologuing that Yeesha spent on them. Yet at the end of the Uru trilogy, we still didn’t have a clear idea how important the Bahro have been in the entirety of the Myst/Uru universe. By the end of Myst V, I believe we will have all our questions answered pertaining to that matter.

Now, to rest the worries of many who turned away from Uru’s keyboard driven controls, End of Ages is entirely mouse drive, point and clicking to your heart’s content. One detail with the controls made me smile: they can be tailored to your preference, whether you like to click from node to node or if you’re more into the FPS complete control of motion setup. I was able to see both of these controls demonstrated and I have to say either one of these would be comfortable. If you remember the controls from realMyst, the FPS setup will seem right at home with you.

The age I saw was beautiful . . . in fact, the word beautiful may not seem to be the right word at all. This age was alive, in that each blade of grass moved with the wind, the waves rolled in and out, and I could watch a flock of pelican-like birds on a nearby island as they squawked and sunned themselves on the rocks. I was able to meet Esher, the new D’ni character that Rand explained will take on a huge role in this final chapter of Myst. Now, I was as skeptical as most when I heard that the in game characters were going to be animated. I’ve always loved how the Myst games have been able to integrate actors into the scenery, adding that extra sense if immersion. Saying that, I was beyond impressed with Esher’s animation. The movement of his robe as he paced seemed completely natural. His facial expressions were completely life-like. I’m anxious to see more of these physics in action when I get my hands on the complete game.

I saw one complete puzzle, involving the use of a tablet that I’m sure many of you have already heard about. This tablet becomes the player’s “burden” and will become a factor in how you will go about solving puzzles and accessing different areas of the game. The tablet can hinder your progress in places, such as being too heavy when climbing up a ladder, etc. The tablet itself is used as a communication tool with other characters in the game. Like Riven where we had to master the complexities of the D’ni numeric system, your mastery of this new “tablet language” will come in handy in the completion of certain puzzles.

There are six Ages we will get to see in this game, some new, and others not so new. If you don’t understand what I mean, please go watch the Myst V E3 trailer, especially the last few seconds.

“It won’t be everybody’s favorite Myst Game, but it will be some people’s favorite Myst game.” – Rand Miller

I had to restate that quote in my preview here, because it was one of the things that stuck with me after meeting Rand. Like Uru, Myst V has the potential to be one of the best adventure games of all time. But it also can be like me with brussel sprouts – it took me a long time to warm up to the fact that I really liked eating brussel sprouts. It’s clear that Cyanworlds took great pains to make Myst V as palatable to casual adventure gamers as the original Myst. The interface is clean, simple, and intuitive. The puzzles (at least the two and half that I saw) seem very clear and organic in their purpose.

“Myst was successful out of the blue and we may never have anything like that again and you know what, I’m satisfied with that, I’m happy with that. But it’s also very satisfying for me to look at things in a different light and try again with a unique perspective.” – Rand Miller

Rand even said to me, “Endings are truly just another form of beginning.” (Deja vu?) And here I am, perhaps typing out the last phrases for JustAdventure about the Myst series that I will ever write. Like I said, this is a bittersweet experience for me. I’m sad to be losing my beloved series, but I also suppose that the time is right. I really get the feeling from Rand that Cyanworlds has something quite exciting cooking on the stove. And we don’t really know if Uru will stay quietly away. When I asked him about the novel tie-ins from the Myst series, most importantly, the fabled Book of Marrim, Rand smiled. He conceded that it’s his favorite story from the series and he hopes that it will be finished one day soon. I will be looking forward to that day.

Look for Myst V: End of Ages later on this year. You know I’ll be the first in line, no matter what.