Grabthars-Hammer

How many of the later Myst games have you played/tried to play?

The non-Cyan: Myst III Exile and Myst IV Revelation.

The Cyan: realMyst, Uru, Myst V End of Ages

Are you excited to work with Rand again on your role in Obduction?

Have you secretly been living as a recluse in that Cabin in the Woods since 1997, only coming out at night as Augustus to roam the streets of Portland?

Agreed that 3's puzzles were fun and its environments beautiful, but they really stretched the concept of the Art for me because they seemed to exist solely for their own sakes.

I know that the whole premise was that Atrus designed these ages as puzzle-filled tutorials for his sons, but to me, that's a lazy way to approach world design, as a game creator. It removes the need for internal logic. Why would there be a nonsensical Japanese temple/pinball machine in the middle of the ocean? Why would there be a desert canyon with a dam and an airship that were made to power...themselves? The ages of 3 had no narrative or history embedded within them, which is what made them feel empty to me, regardless of how pretty they were. That, and I hated Edanna. Because Edanna.

Like that open gear in the linking book's viewing panel at the beginning of Myst? ;)

I found 3 entertaining in its own right, but so far removed from the spirit and aesthetic of Rand and Robyn that it will always feel like an imitation for me.

Something that 3 and 4 forgot was what made Riven perfect: puzzles must be organically tied to the world we're exploring, a by-product of the civilization who lives (or lived) there. As a result, Myst 3's ages felt empty and pointless. I couldn't even finish Myst 4...after Tomahna, the ages were very poorly designed.