Riven
Preview by Al Giovetti
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Genre: Myst-clone
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Producer: Rand Miller
Developer: Cryo
Publisher: Broderbund
Phone: 415-382-4400
Web site: http://www.broderbund.com/riven/
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History: Myst is the game that blind sided everyone, the exception that proved the rule. Myst is universally loved by the public but not be long time game players and reviewers. Many of the sequences, while beautiful and picturesque, had little or no plot or interactivity. The maze sequences were trite and did not contain automapping. There was little or no communication with others, and while the land was beutiful, it was empty of people to talk with and things to do.
The producers of Myst are faced with a sequel dilemma. Should they go with the formula that made Myst a best seller, and prehaps made all Myst clones loosers. Or will the designers produce a game that goes beyond Myst and makes some sort of leap to surpass the problems of the previous game while still retaining those characteristics that made the game great. It appears that the design team has yielded to the wisdom of the later path.
Company line: A Surrealistic and Mysterious Adventure. RIVEN, THE SEQUEL TO CD-ROM BEST-SELLER MYST®, TO SHIP IN SUMMER 1997 FROM BRØDERBUND SOFTWARE AND CYAN
"Riven is actually much more than a sequel to Myst," said Rand Miller, co-designer of Myst and Riven. "We are very concerned about driving the potential of interactive games and story telling much further. The lessons we learned from making Myst, listening to Myst players, and writing two novels based on the ages of Myst helped us craft a world which extends and deepens the Myst story. And this time, with a larger team of talented people and using more powerful tools, we're creating a much richer, more detailed, immersive experience."
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