RIVEN (1997), the sequel to iconic point-and-click puzzle-adventure MYST (1993), simply bought the VR therapy in its new remake. In contrast to Myst, which felt slightly too game-y and obtuse at instances, Riven performs much more like a contemporary title, which because of Quest and SteamVR assist, is true in each sense of the phrase now. Granted, you’ll have to look previous some VR implementation points which preserve it from feeling like a ground-up VR native, though nevertheless you play, you’ll be exploring an interesting world that’s each puzzle-dense and undeniably stunning at each flip.
RIVEN Particulars:
Accessible On: Quest 2/3, SteamVR
Reviewed On: Quest 3, Quest 3 through Hyperlink
Launch Date: June twenty fifth, 2024
Worth: $35
Developer: Cyan Worlds
Gameplay
I do know Riven fairly properly by now, having shuffled my method round its 5 PlayStation 1 discs quite a lot of instances as a child. That is the primary time popping again in as an grownup although, so I form of get the possibility to not solely relive a little bit of the previous, however rediscover puzzles lengthy forgotten, this time within the immersive first-person view of a VR headset.
Whereas I actually can’t cease nostalgia coloring a few of my expertise with the brand new 3D-rendered Riven, I’ve spent sufficient time in VR to know the place issues match on the VR-port-continuum. Some video games really feel unnecessarily pressured into working with VR, some are indistinguishable from VR-natives, and someplace within the center are nice video games that also really feel like ports, however that’s okay as a result of they create sufficient to the desk on their very own. That’s the place Riven sits—nice recreation that works fairly okay in VR.
When you’re enjoying it for the primary time, you’re in for a patently Cyan expertise of deciphering codes, shuffling puzzle items round, and visiting (and presumably re-re-revisiting) locations, doorways, and enigmatic set items to determine the world round you. That’s purpose sufficient to play in case you’ve by no means had the possibility. Riven’s puzzle will be robust for the uninitiated, however finally extra rewarding than Myst because of its heaps of environmental storytelling that feels much less formulaic, and much more natural. Extra on that within the Immersion part.
When you’ve got performed earlier than although, most of the recreation’s puzzles and devices are barely modified from the originals, doubtless because of the spatial nature of real-time 3D graphics versus the single-frame point-and-click unique, which was far more static in how its introduced interactive parts. A 27-year-old walkthrough information that works with the unique should be helpful to assist with the broad strokes, however you’ll positively discover variations right here and there, with some puzzle parts simplified, or difficult in new methods separate from the unique.
One factor that hasn’t modified is there’s nonetheless a ton of strolling and looping round to do, which is only a characteristic of the sport resulting from its extensive and assorted puzzles. You’ll spend a superb period of time circumnavigating one of many recreation’s 5 islands for the umpteenth time activate a factor, to return to a puzzle throughout the map to see what it did. Then once more, that’s simply the old-fashioned allure and hands-off strategy Riven brings to the desk.
Not solely that, however the old-fashioned strategy to recreation design makes you rely on your individual spatial reminiscence. There are not any map markers, indicators, or ‘useful’ NPCs to information your method—a side of the sport that also makes it considered one of my favourite experiences.
And in contrast to Myst, you may go a reasonably spectacular distance by means of the sport with only some laborious roadblocks to cease you, making development really feel very pure. Then once more, Riven is beloved for being extra natural in stage design, and fewer formulaic than Myst total, feeling a lot much less like of a jumble of toys, and extra like Cyan’s fashionable titles Obduction (2016) and Firmament (2023).
Realizing Riven’s previous, I shouldn’t actually complain about loading instances—they’re definitely quicker than shuffling by means of a damaged jewel case stuffed with PS1 discs—nevertheless on Quest you’ll be sitting there for some time ready for ranges to load, the longest of which is the preliminary startup display which the sport warns “may take a couple of minutes” to do (it does). From there, whether or not on Quest or SteamVR, car transitions will continuously toss out 10-second loading screens, which doesn’t sound like a lot, however occur on each side of transfers between islands.
One other niggle: there’s no sensible method to write down notes so you may bear in mind clues or sketch out options, which is exactly what you’ll have to do to decode stuff. You possibly can take a screenshot with the sport’s built-in digital camera system, and that’s about it. I simply want there was a spatial pencil so I may annotate discovered letters, or one way or the other preserve myself from taking off the headset to write down stuff down.
Immersion
I had an opportunity to play each on Quest 3 natively and PC VR variations. Right here’s the breakdown between the 2, which most anybody can guess.
On the Quest model you’ll discover a ton of low-res textures and geometry that dynamically chunk-loads into place the nearer you get to it. As soon as issues are in place although, at instances Riven will be one of many prettiest video games on the Quest platform. That’s if there aren’t any NPCs round, that are bloated and slightly too cartoony for the sport’s lush, pure atmosphere.
It additionally appears Cyan is throwing your complete toolbox of Quest efficiency methods at you always, together with what looks like always-on asynchronous spacewarp and manifestly apparent mounted foveated rendering.
Because it was primarily developed for the flatscreen PC crowd, the PC VR model is a good bit forward of the Quest 3 native when it comes to visuals. Even on ‘Epic’ settings although, you’re sure to note some oddly utilized shaders that make shadows dance about and transfer after they shouldn’t, and in addition discrepancies in how shaders work in each eyes, resulting in some fairly seen mismatches in shadows and lighting. Nonetheless. chunk-loading of areas is usually minimal and textures are pretty excessive, making it rightfully a extra graphically intense model of the sport.
Like Myst, Riven suffers from middling object interplay, which is a disgrace contemplating what number of objects are strewn about within the recreation. Oftentimes I’d discover myself attempting to work together with one thing, solely to search out out I wasn’t urgent it accurately, or it wasn’t interactive in any respect within the first place, making it extra of a guessing recreation than it needs to be. Right here’s me fruitlessly greedy at a bizarre banana-kiwi factor, then attempting to seize a surprisingly unusable pencil on the identical desk. Once more, I want I may use that rattling pencil.
There’s a bodily stock although the place you may preserve the varied books you accumulate all through the sport, though you may’t use it for the rest.
Whether or not you’re on Quest or SteamVR, one thing that by no means fails to impress is coming to a precipice or turning a bend to discover a new, breathtaking scene in entrance of you. Riven is all about pure magnificence, punctuated with megalithic buildings that don’t really feel practically as deserted and lonely as Myst did.
There’s wildlife, sprawling villages, shrines, and loads of environmental storytelling right here to dig into, placing exploration on the forefront. There’s even inhabitants on this planet, albeit too skittish to work together with such an apparent outsider.
Consolation
Riven options the complete gamut of consolation choices along with some high quality of life choices that make issues slightly simpler, however doubtless much less immersive in consequence. Touring between islands is all the time completed on some type of car, which could be a little jarring for some because it’s quick and a bit jerky.
You possibly can flip autos transitions off solely although, primarily letting you leap proper to the following island’s rail station, or put within the choice to make home windows soiled, which helps floor you slightly extra within the car’s cockpit. The sport additionally provides comparable choices for fast traversal of stairs and ladders, which in any other case a manually climbable.
Take a look at the complete consolation guidelines beneath:
‘RIVEN’ Consolation Settings – June twenty fifth, 2024 |
|
Turning |
|
| Synthetic turning | |
| Snap-turn | ✔ |
| Fast-turn | ✖ |
| Easy-turn | ✔ |
Motion |
|
| Synthetic motion | |
| Teleport-move | ✔ |
| Sprint-move | ✖ |
| Easy-move | ✔ |
| Blinders | ✔ |
| Head-based | ✔ |
| Controller-based | ✔ |
| Swappable motion hand | ✔ |
Posture |
|
| Standing mode | ✔ |
| Seated mode | ✔ |
| Synthetic crouch | ✖ |
| Actual crouch | ✔ |
Accessibility |
|
| Subtitles | |
| Languages |
English, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese language, Spanish |
| Dialogue audio | |
| Languages | English |
| Adjustable problem | ✖ |
| Two palms required | ✖ |
| Actual crouch required | ✖ |
| Listening to required | ✖ |
| Adjustable participant top | ✔ |
