Cyan Worlds is about to
release what it has announced to be the last game in
the Myst series – Myst V. Since an era is about to come to an end, a little
introspection is called for.

What made Myst the classic that it was?

Many people have voiced
many opinions, but one aspect can not be denied – it was
the first game of note written for mature adults. The graphics
were not bright and splashy eye catchers, but soft,
subdued and photo realistic. The animation did not throw things in
your face, but allowed butterflies to go past and seagulls to float
in and out of the mist. The music was not the harsh Mario Brothers
calliope, but the gentle strings and reeds of an orchestra. The puzzles
relied on logical reasoning rather than sophomoric humor.

The story. While other
games would slap a story on almost as an afterthought, Myst was
centered around its story. While other games
had plot holes large enough to put their own boxes through, Myst was entirely self consistent. There were no “red herrings.” While
many things about the game appeared strange – a giant gear,
Buck Roger’s spaceship, a secret passage paneled in exotic woods – they
all made sense as more of the story was revealed. Everything was
there because it was meant to be there, not because the creator didn’t
know any better.

The mystery. You quickly found two boys trapped in prisons. They
begged you to find the keys and release them. But as you searched
for the keys, you found evidence of destruction, plunder, even genocide.
Who was responsible? The boys blamed each other and claimed only
they, alone, could be trusted. Who and where was their jailer? By
the time you reached the end of the game you had seen and heard much.
Then you had to decide. Who did you trust?

And you were right. Everything was as it appeared to be. That which
appeared good was good. That which appeared bad was bad. There were
surprises, but none of them unfair.

The end result was pure satisfaction. You could immerse yourself
in the game and not be jarred out of it. You could read between the
lines and be correct. You could trust the game and it would not betray
you.

Cyan Worlds has written several sequels since then and has tried
many experiments. Some were magical. Others were… less than successful.
But for Myst V, the last of the Myst series and the closing of the
era, they have returned to their roots.

The stories of Myst have always had depth. The skills of Atrus did
not magically appear from nowhere, but were the product of an entire
civilization, the D’ni. What was that civilization like? Where did
they go? The previous Myst sequels have answered much of this, but
have left us with two nagging questions: What is the destiny of the
D’ni people? And just who were the servants who made their civilization
work? For nowhere is it recorded of a D’ni actually disposing of
the trash, processing the sewage, or making the machinery work.

These are the issues Myst
V will attempt to resolve.

Those who played Uru will remember Yeesha, the daughter of Atrus.
She taught us about the Bahro, the servants who were not quite human,
but who served the D’ni silently from the shadows. They were hidden
then, but we see them now. They are like giant spider monkeys the
size of humans. And they still serve and keep the Ages running even
though the D’ni have long since left. Will they ever be freed to
pursue their own destiny?

There is a Tablet of great power. It will take craft and cunning
to release it, but once released it will have the power to free peoples
and change destinies. If only you use it wisely.

Yeesha calls you. She had the tablet once, but made the wrong choice.
Now the tablet refuses to be touched by her, passing through her
hands as if a ghost. She is bitter about her failure, but desperate
for someone to succeed. She seems to almost worship the Bahro. Is
she a visionary who can free a people? Or just a tree hugging wacko
who values animals more than people? Will she show you the truth?
Or use you to recapture the power of the Tablet? Either way, she
sends you on the quest.

Then you meet Esher, a
true D’ni. Yeesha sent him on the quest, but he also failed. He
is also disappointed and a bit cynical. But
he despises the Bahro. He warns us that “they are not as we
are. Remember that.” Does he see a true threat from the Bahro?
Or is he a bigoted racist? He claims to want to help us. But why?

And then there are the Bahro themselves. Are they truly sentient?
Or are they just trained monkeys? And what would they do if they
were released from their duties? Would they be grateful? Or would
they turn on their former masters?

You must explore if you are to learn.

Cyan Worlds had two main goals in creating this game. One was to
tell a great story which would tie up all the loose ends and leave
you thinking for days after. The other was to create a totally immersive
gaming experience which would be accessible to all. They may have
succeeded.

Myst V is perhaps the most accessible adventure game ever written.

If you are a modern gamer
and used to first person action games, then you can explore the
worlds with full 3D freedom. But if you
prefer the classic point-and-click style, you can simply click from
location node to location node. In this way you can play the entire
game with just one mouse button and no keyboard. And you can switch
back and forth at any time.

The puzzles are unique and varied, but if you are the type who just
wants to explore and rubber neck, you can get just about anywhere
after solving only a couple of the simplest puzzles. While you need
to solve the puzzles to win the game, they are no longer roadblocks
to exploration.

And while it is likely that Myst Fans will make up a significant
percentage of the players, you will not need to have played any of
the previous games to enjoy Myst V. What little background information
you might need is provided up front. But you don’t have to read everything.
The games stands very well on its own. Read if you are curious or
move on if that would bore you.

The immersion potential is just amazing.

The graphics are advanced enough to take advantage of the latest
video card technology. Yet they can be throttled back to run on last
year’s technology and still look great.

Live actors were used for Yeesha and Esher. Their faces were then
mapped onto 3D models to create the most realistic expressions you
have ever seen in a computer generated model.

Special algorithms were used to model the cloth of the clothes they
are wearing.

All the work which was done on living creatures in Myst
IV has been
brought over and expanded.

The end result? This place
is REAL. It doesn’t take long to forget the “real” world
and get into this game.

The game itself is a new twist. There are still a few turn-the-machine-on
type of puzzles, but most of the play is centered around the tablets.

You see, to free The Tablet, you must collect four minor tablets.
Minor, that is, in power only. For they are quite heavy and you can’t
carry them just anywhere. A ladder, for example, would collapse under
your combined weight.

But they are also useful. The Bahro do understand a language of
symbols and if you can find the symbols, then you can draw them on
the tablets and leave them for the Bahro. If the Bahro can understand
what you drew, then they will attempt to follow your instructions.

That pretty much defines this game: everything which can help you
can also hinder you. And vice versa.

Yeesha, Esher, the Bahro. You will need the help of all three to
win the game. Yet all three will hinder you as well. In the end,
you will have to make a decision.

Who do you believe?

Who do you trust?