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Topic: Community Rating: Riven

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10 JUL 2005 at 1:49am
Deleted UserSince the ice has been broken already with a poll on the original Myst, I thought I'd start a poll to see what people think about Riven, the best game in the history of the universe.  

No other game has incorporated the same level of detail and design brilliance that I saw in Riven. Every location is beautifully rendered, memorable, and full of details that surface on subsequent playthroughs. Plot information is scattered like nuggets throughout the gameworld, allowing you to slowly pick up a picture of the history of this beautiful world. The puzzles are some of the best ever created, requiring the player to observe every detail, connect disparate pieces of information, and use a considerable amount of brain power. With the exception of the slightly underclued animals puzzle, there is not a single valid complaint a Myst fan could make about this game.

Unfortunately, this idyllic mood was somewhat shattered in the endgame, in which you took on a series of Gehn's henchmen, followed by the villain himself, in first-person shooter mode. This sequence seemed entirely arbitrary and added little to the gameplay. Before dying, Gehn also initiated one of the most infamous timed sequences of all time by setting off a bomb to destroy all of Riven, forcing you to race against the clock to save a scantily clad Catherine and escape from Riven. As a result of these frustrating sequences, I cannot give Riven a grade higher than a 4.



Ha, ha, ha.  


A 10, shall we say? Yes, I think so.



10 JUL 2005 at 1:53am

bdecked

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I put "haven't played' since it's been SOOOO long since I have played it that I don't remember it!

Does anyone know if it works on XP?

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10 JUL 2005 at 2:30am
Deleted UserAnother 4 from me!  


Hehehe...

10 JUL 2005 at 2:39am

Andromus

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One of my favorite game worlds ever. A 10.  


 


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10 JUL 2005 at 9:13am

Chris.

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I've been generous and given it a 3.  Pure, distilled boredom.  You're dumped on an island with no story and no indication of what you're supposed to do.  Wander around for 30 hours through mind-numbing scenery, occasionally pull a lever or two (you'll never find out what they actually did), get hopelessly lost and irritated, throw the game out the window.
...not to be confused with Keira Knightley

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10 JUL 2005 at 11:33am

Gelert

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 A '9' from me. One my first graphic plays and quite jaw-dropper at the time, or even now, in fact.  

http://adventurepoint.co.uk/ ... Adventure Point UK - Games database

 

 


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10 JUL 2005 at 12:08pm

Terry Penrod

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.  

I gave Myst a 10 for special reasons that transcend mere criticism of a single title. I gave Riven a 10 for not only successfully carrying on what its predecessor started but for refining it.

Of course, you MUST like slow, solitary, first person, point and click 2D exploration and loads of puzzles (many with obscure solutions) in order to appreciate games like this. But if you do, then Riven is a gloriously beautiful and ingenious example that belongs in rare company.  

Cheers,  Terry  



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10 JUL 2005 at 1:07pm

colpet

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If I could give it an '11', I would, but '10' will just have to do. More than just a game, Riven was my first AG, and it is the epitomy of the gaming experience for me. I played most of it without having internet access, so I had no support, discussions, comments or criticisms to jade me. Just months of peaceful exploration and many 'gotcha' moments as the pieces fell into place.  I think that is the best way to play this game because the puzzles are so connected with the world, the clues are subtle and only become apparent when you lose yourself in the game. Rushing and looking for hotspots just won't work. This is a game to savor, and I envy anyone playing it for the first time.

Occasionally visiting  Uru Live (KI 0063722

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10 JUL 2005 at 5:23pm

SirDave

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Okay, I was conflicted here. Riven gave me what I have to say is the best overall experience of any AG I've ever played not only because of the originality of the design and puzzles, but also because it gave me a longer experience in Myst shangrila than the original Myst itself.

But- I had to give it a 9 (and would have gone for 9.5 if available) because I still can't forgive the Animal Puzzle. Everything was so perfect other than that. Was it too much to ask that the stupid drawing on the stone look like the animal it was supposed to represent? Was Rand et al smoking something when they let that get by? Or is this my problem, my weakness, my inability to accept the fact that I failed to solve one puzzle in my favorite game of all time........er, no!  

The future ain't what it used to be!


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11 JUL 2005 at 4:32am

Avaka

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A 10
I love-love-love this game and all is forgiven, even if I did have to call the company to buy a clue.  I have never met a game like Riven - and I probably never will, sorry to say.  I had the thrill of my life playing lthis game.  I've become a game snob.  Riven is my measuring stick for all other games.    
Myst IV - Never finished it.  Got frustrated with it.&&Myst V - Did not finish it either.  Very disappointing.&&ATTWN - BORING!!! Never finished it.  Kept falling asleep.&&Paradise - So far .... not so good&&Voyage - Not on my favorite list

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11 JUL 2005 at 4:14pm

anthony

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   I give it a 7.  I preferred Myst.  Too many amusement park rides here and I find the concept of solitude relaxing where you are truly alone, not where people run and hide from you like mice when they hear you approach.

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25 JUL 2005 at 3:45am

Gameman007

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I gave it a 3 just like I'd give every Myst and myst clone game.  They shouldn't be considered adventure games, they're puzzle games.  One puzzle on top of another on top of another on top of another with hardly any story line or character interaction.

Bill
Would the oceans be deeper if there weren't any sponges?&&If the world didn't suck would we all fall off&&&&Currently playing Secret files:Tunguska, Paradise, The DaVinci Code and Dreamfall

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28 JUL 2005 at 4:37am

Pastor Disaster

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I gave it a 7--it had everything I love about Myst games, but the exceptionally high "walkthrough factor" knocked some points off the top.
Dyslexics wonder why there isn't a word that means the same thing as "cinnamon."

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5 NOV 2005 at 11:39pm

Jeroen Stout

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Great graphics, great.... well, the graphics are great. The story is supposed to be nice too, but the information you get you get way too late for comfort. The environments are well designed, though.

The gameplay... well, I'm sure there is some.

No, if you'd distill boredom and put it in a game, Riven is what you'd get after adding great images. A 6.

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8 NOV 2005 at 3:30am

MoodyBlues

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Ooo, I played this years ago when it first came out.  Let's see - I really loved its visuals and otherworldy aura, and I preferred having people around sometimes.  
Myst was a bit cold and lonely for me.)  The wharks were pretty awesome, too.

I have to give it an eight, however, because some of the puzzles were too difficult or obscure.  And while the storyline was very good, I sometimes felt like I had little to do with the events in the story (until the very end, of course.)

Other than that, it's well worth checking out.


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8 NOV 2005 at 5:29am

Caroline

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I gave it 10.  I'd love to go on holiday there and have whark kebabs in a little platform cafe (you mean you didn't see that?) and then I'd go swimming in the lagoon and then I'd find the library and make myself dizzy on the rides.

Awesome.  Totally satisfying game on all points.  Yes the animal puzzle beat me but oh, the satisfaction when I'd solve another one.  Took me months this game.  Gave me so much pleasure and entertainment.

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9 NOV 2005 at 6:40pm

jamarchand

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The most ambicious adventure project of all times.
Graphics? 10+
Sounds and music? 10+
puzzles? 9
longevity? 10
story? 10

RIVEN belongs to a different step.

&&&&[move]Actually playing SHIVERS and Rhem 2[/move]&&


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10 NOV 2005 at 8:34am
Deleted User
Originally Posted By chris156 (10 JUL 2005 9:12am)
I've been generous and given it a 3.  Pure, distilled boredom.  You're dumped on an island with no story and no indication of what you're supposed to do.  Wander around for 30 hours through mind-numbing scenery, occasionally pull a lever or two (you'll never find out what they actually did), get hopelessly lost and irritated, throw the game out the window.



I threw my first copy away too, out of sheer boredom over those wooden painted balls. who cares?? Boring.

I played it a couple of years later, buying a new copy. without a walkthrough it is unbearably obscure.

Schizm is better, and just as obscure.

30 NOV 2005 at 6:23am

Skye

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Originally Posted By MoodyBlues (8 NOV 2005 3:29am)
I have to give it an eight, however, because some of the puzzles were too difficult or obscure.  

I also gave it an 8 and for the same reasons.  It was a delightful game to look at but some of those puzzles really got to me.  I had a hard time seeing the logic in them

My favourite part was the beach where the 'dinosaurs' were sunning themselves.  I used to try and see how close I could get before they noticed me and headed for the water  


Skye
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10 DEC 2005 at 10:09pm

RobD

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This is very hard for me because this was my 2nd game (after Myst).  Back then I refused to consider
playing anything other than games like this.  If you rate the game on puzzles alone, it's superb.  But it's
also hard, very hard.  To do justice to it you will probably be spending many months playing it as others
have already said.  I too spent a long time on it.  I missed the animal puzzle and a few others (I can't
remember).  Frankly, I don't know if I would have the patience to play Riven again.

Since that time, I've discovered adventure games sometimes actually have stories, characters, dialog,
and so forth.  I believe an adventure game should be reasonably balanced and completable in a
reasonable length of time.  I would love to give this game a 10 for its beauty, puzzle design , and yeah,
for nostalgia.  But I can't.  I give it a 9.

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31 DEC 2005 at 2:06pm

Elfstone

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Seems like the option to remove your vote is no longer present...that's bad.  :-/
Now that I have played it I want to give Riven an 8.
No no no...it gets a 9, just like Exile. When I first started it I was totally sucked up by Riven, and it's certainly more than one grade better than Myst. Frankly, I'd have to demote Myst to a 6 for the tedious parts, but it still has that when-it-all-started bonus, I guess.
[b]playing[/b]: Destination Treasure Island (done in two sittings, but it's nice), Syberia (ho-hum), Dracula: Last Sanctuary (on hold)&&[b]reading[/b]: even more study papers&&[b]listening to[/b]: [url=http://www.last.fm/user/Brax82/]this and that[/url], plus [url=http://www.musicovery.com/]Musicovery[/url]&&[b]TV favorites[/b]: (currently) Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Journeyman (cancelled! grrr...), Heroes&&
all-time) 24, Stargate SG1, X-Files, Lost, House

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24 JUL 2006 at 7:49pm

percy

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gave it a 10. i couldn't figure out the animal puzzle on my, neither could my friend, but when i told him what i knew, and he told me what he knew, suddenly we could.

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28 JUL 2006 at 9:30pm

Ksandra

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Ah, Riven. How could it be anything other than a 10? We shall not see its like again.

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13 AUG 2006 at 3:34pm

Ghost

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What a great game - I remember the rides from island to island.  It was so innovative at the time and the puzzles were great, too!  Seeing that big fish in the lens for the first time was shocking!


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20 AUG 2006 at 1:37am

Mordalles

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awesome game. awesome puzzle. great story. awesome atmosphere and visuals. 10 from me. the drawing on the stone seemed clear to me.  

[url=http://www.bigbluecup.com/games.php?action=detail&id=747]Duty and Beyond - Now with cover art![/url]&&[url=http://www.bigbluecup.com/games.php?action=detail&id=729]Hallway of Adventures[/url]&&[url=http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/12900.htm]Cool pixelart by Buloght![/url]

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