START SEEING THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY (Myst IV - Revelation (PC))

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	Myst IV - Revelation (PC)
Date:	26/09/05 (248 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful for enhancing your observation

Disadvantages: Very difficult but worthwhile

I am a bit of a technophobe but whilst on holiday, I was introduced to this game, and am addicted.

No ordinary game here and this has been designed and put together by an international team, who have since brought out other versions, one of which is to hit the shops very soon.

So what kind of game is it ? It can only be described as a cross between a dvd and a game, and one of the marvellous tricks of getting into what the game is about is to read one of the teams comments that this is not a game where winning is the goal. It is the road that takes you there that spells the enjoyment and this really is not an exaggeration.

This game needs a good graphics card and the many graphics cards which are suitable are listed in the instruction book that comes with the game, and a hefty 3Go of hard disc space and that is for the minimal installation ! What takes all this space is a wonderful package of graphics, three dimensional effects and true to life animation that is astounding.

For those who would prefer to check with the shop if the game will work on their computer, miss this section which has been put in the review for the technically minded.

System requirements as listed on Amazon :
Supported OS: Windows 98SE/2000/Me/XP (only)
Processor: 800 MHz Pentium III or AMD Athlon or better
RAM: 128 MB RAM (256 MB required for XP)
Video Card: 32 MB DirectX 9-compliant video card (see supported list below)
Sound Card: DirectX 9-compliant sound card
DirectX: DirectX 9.0 (included on disc)
DVD: 4x DVD or faster
Hard Drive Space: 1.4 GB free
Peripherals Supported: Mouse, keyboard
Display: 800 x 600
Supported Video Cards at time of release: ATI Radeon 7500 to 9800 or better; NVIDIA GeForce 1/2/3/4/FX families; Matrox Parhelia and Matrox 6400, 6450, 6550 (PC only). Laptop models of these cards not supported. These chipsets are the only ones that will run this game. Additional chipsets may be supported after release. For an up-to-date list of supported chipsets, please visit the FAQ for this game on our support website at support.ubi.com.
--Macintosh System Requirements
Supported OS: OSX 10.2, 10.3 (only)
Processor: eMac G4 or eBook G4
RAM: 128 MB RAM
Video Card: 32 MB video card (3D acceleration optional)
Sound Card: Standard
QuickTime: Version 5 or higher
DVD: 4x DVD or faster
Hard Drive Space: 200 MB free
QuickTime: Version 5 or higher
Display: 640 x 480

Supported video cards at time of release: ATI Radeon 7500 to 9800 or better; NVIDIA GeForce 1/2/3/4/FX families

NOTICE: This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some DVD-RW and virtual drives.

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The game revolves around a story but giving the story away would be a spoiler. It is a quest, and the player is encouraged from level to level with clever special effects, like being able to open drawers and discover their contents, read amazingly realistic books page by page that help to make up the clues to go forward. There are many clues which are amusing, though not very useful to going forward but the discovery of them is wonderful, and the way in which the game opens itself up to the player as discoveries of valid clues are found is really mind boggling.

This is not a game for the impatient, as it takes literally hours to go from scenario to scenario, with help along the way from the characters that invite you into the mystery and give you clues as you travel through a journey of discovery: The graphics are amazing, and players are encouraged to take photographs as they travel to put into a journal that helps them remember the voyage that took them to the place they are now.

The scenery and the way in which you can circle the whole scene is stunning and the illustration a real work of art. As for action, a hand guides you through the levels which is able to show a player the secrets that lurk in every room, just by the motions of the hand itself, and although some are trickery and deception and merely amusement rather than real clues, the game pulls you into a well woven story that you feel you cannot leave.

What I like about the graphics is that the drawings are surreal, but very realistic at the same time and draw you into wanting more. There is a kind of celtic connection as well as many celtic type illustrations keep appearing in the game, as well as buildings and architecture which is futuristic, whilst having Gaudi type features that make the building fastinating to me. Inside and outside, the stage set for the game is superb and draws you into the search to such an extent that I found that even when I was not playing the game, my observation of the world around me was deeper, and it was almost as if the game had drawn me into a new way of looking at what was around me.

Thankfully, games can be stored. Otherwise starting the whole adventure again would be tiresome as it takes ages to go from one level to the next, testing the players intelligence to the core as you are drawn into listening, observing and discovering new things. You are told the direction in which to go, although the game is so well designed that the way you are shown is not always the right one. The player has to make decisions and draw conclusions from clues that are hidden in the most surprising of places, like lamps that light up, and maps that need studying and information gathered in order to take you from one level to the next.

The game comes in two discs and is lengthy to install though when you see the graphics and presentation almost like being inside the movie. You begin to understand why so much space is required. I would not advise people that are low on memory to install this game, although I would strongly urge that if you are in this situation, you sort out that lacking memory because you are missing out on the journey of a lifetime that costs no more than a decent graphics card, Pentium III plus processor, and a good soundcard plus an amzing price of ten pounds at this moment in time, as the new version of Myst is about to be released, making this one cheaper than those about to hit the market.

What is important to non technical people is to take the specs of your machine with you to the shop to ask if the game is compatible with the space that you have and your graphics card, but I have used the game on two computers so far without problem and find it amazing that you are so involved in observation and the game appeals to people that enjoy film as much as those who like computer because it forms a treasure hunt of sorts, with characters and scenarios that are amazing, a lot of which test the common sense of the player.

Is it addictive ? This is not a game that you can play for five minutes at a time. It is a game to play when you know that you have time on your hands and want to relax, a little like sitting down to watch a movie. Unlike other games that I have played, the stress factor is very small, and the buzz is progressing through the discovery of the pieces that make the puzzle whole.

There is a demonstration of the game on the internet and if you type the words "Myst Revelation Free Download" into your computer, the download will convince you that the money you spend on the game (which incidentally is available at a buy it now price on Ebay at $2.99), is well worth the small investment, and will give months of enjoyment, not just days.

The musical score that goes with the game involves Peter Gabriel and is in itself a worthy score and a memorable one. The music was made specifically for the game with Jack Wall, and has a haunting beauty that enhances the game.The sound is realistic, and I was amazed that the characters were so real, and not stiff like those in the Lara Croft games. As for difficulty and complexity, this really is a complex game and tests the players common sense to the limit. It´s a well worthwhile game to buy, and one that the whole family can play together, rather than in competition with each other, and the complexity of the scenery and sound, and wonderful combination of clues and guises is amazing.

As for longevity, I would say that this is one of the best games I have ever played, and that it will last a very long time, because each time you start to play from where you left off, you are faced with more challenge, more scenery, more music, and so many facets that all join together to give this game the edge against the competition.

There are cheats available on the net, but I would strongly advise players to take their time, work out the clues themselves and play the game in the spirit in which is was produced without cheating, since it is indeed the journey that gives so much pleasure rather than fast results.

It is truly a wonderful game.

Enjoy.

Rachel

Summary: well worth the money