"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" -Mark Twain

According to many developers, the age of adventure games have passed on into oblivion. Everything has to be rendered in full 3d, and every item has to be interacted with on some level, the age of static and pre-rendered screens long since gone. Myst IV, the latest installment of perhaps the most popular adventure series ever created, stands in stark contrast to these ideas. Myst is a completely different type of game than what normally passes for entertainment. Myst players should expect to spend hours on end on just simple puzzles, and the point of the game is to explore the story, rather than just reach the ending. With such a different mindset compared to other titles, Myst is a unique title that deserves much attention.

For those who have never played an adventure title, the level design of Myst needs to be explained first. Each part of Myst is divided into Ages, and through the use of linking books, the player travels between the Ages. Each Age is a world unto itself, either fanciful, or modern. Throughout these Ages, the player roams, solving various puzzles in order to proceed further. Each Age is separated into different sections, which contain movable objects or puzzles that need to be solved.

Each of these sections is a collection of pre-rendered and real time rendered objects and FMV displays through which the player has a 360-degree view. The player does not actually move through the sections; instead a point and move system is in place. The player uses the mouse to indicate which section they wish to move to, and the view shifts to the new section. The lack of a fully interactive environment takes some getting used to, as the movement throughout Myst is pure point and click.

Most of Myst IV follows the paths of the scientist Atrus and his family. In the previous games, the two sons of Atrus, Sirrus and Achenar, were exiled and imprisoned alone in broken Ages. Atrus subsequently burned the linking books to the prison Ages, thus sealing away his sons for all time.

However, at the behest of his wife, Catherine, and his daughter, Yeesha, Atrus decides to explore options to reopen the prison Ages. While the player works with Atrus to contact the sons by means of the "Crystal Viewer", something goes terribly wrong, and the imprisoned sons escape. The player is thus left, alone, charged with protecting Yeesha, and must figure out how the sons have managed to escape their prisons.

The player must additionally recreate the steps that Sirrus and Achenar took to free themselves from the prison Ages. Hints and possible solutions are everywhere in the game. Some are derived from many items and the locations the items are in. The journals and notes typical to Myst are joined by two new items: the first is the camera, which allows the player to take snap shots of potentially useful notes or items that may be needed to solve the puzzles.

The player also obtains the amulet dropped by Yeesha, which has the unique property of allowing the holder to look back in time. Looking back into time reveals FMV conversations that Atrus and his family had with each other. Sometimes the flashbacks are just monologues of Sirrus or Achenar thinking about their problems aloud. These conversations and monologues hold keys to the solution of various puzzles, so it is important to listen to these conversations in their entirety.

As Myst is an adventure game, real time graphics are not a general priority. Even so, Myst IV is one of the most beautiful titles of the last 12 months. The shadow and FMV work is absolutely incredible, as there is very little difference between the render and FMV sections of the game in the highest shader mode. Like other games, Myst IV has different rendering level options for different class of shader supporting graphic cards. Unfortunately, Myst IV doesn't scale very well between different rendering paths. The game still looks good, but players will want to be packing either Radeon cards above 9500, or Geforce cards above Geforce6.

For games like Myst, the graphics often take a back to seat to the game’s audio, and Myst IV is no exception. The voice work is outstanding, although a couple of the characters are a little creepy. As mentioned, many clues about puzzles are passed along in the dialogs and monologues had by Atrus, Sirrus, Achenar, and Yeesha. Many of these clues are subtle, so listening to the conversations more than once is a common occurrence. An enduring and moving musical score complements the voice work. As there is no combat within Myst, much of the mood is driven by the music. It is not uncommon for simple puzzles to be given haunting, echoing, pulsating scores that give the feeling of a time limit, even if there is none.

The combination of graphic and audio work in Myst IV make it difficult to keep in mind while playing that nothing really can happen to the player to prematurely end the game. Myst IV manages to tread a fine line between tension and exploration throughout. While there is no real hurry, the scripted events impart a sense and a desire to hurry onwards. It is important to keep in mind that Myst IV is an adventure, and should be taken at the player’s own pace.

If Myst IV has a fault, it is the lack of replay value. While there are some segments of the game that can change the outcome of the story, the puzzles remain relatively static and unchanging. Aside from seeing perhaps a different ending to the game, there is little reason to play through Myst IV multiple times. However, as an additional bonus, Myst III: Exile is included with Myst IV. While additional games are normally good, perhaps one of the Uru games would have been a better choice for a promotion.

Overall Myst IV is one of the strongest titles to be released in 2004. The gripping story, maddening puzzles, and style of the game remains a stark contrast to the Half-Life's and Doom's typically residing on store shelfs. For those who never have given adventure games a try, Myst IV might be the entry point people are looking for. In any case, Myst IV is a must have title.