Cyan Worlds is following up its outstanding VR-first Myst remake with Riven for release in 2024.
Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, Riven is 1997’s sequel to the atmospheric puzzle game Myst. Regarded as one of the 20th century’s most iconic and highest selling video games, the 1993 title helped herald the CD-ROM format in that decade. Confirmation of the sequel’s imminent arrival this year for VR and flatscreen platforms is sure to make some long-time fans of the series consider making a leap to trying out some of their earliest memories in video games in a modern VR headset.
Myst’s 2020 re-release hit Quest headsets first and then Steam the following year. The new version of the game saw the inclusion of an option for puzzle randomization, so players could choose to see the game’s puzzles through fresh eyes, and Cyan’s developers even added hand tracking to the experience on Quest headsets.
Here’s the official reveal trailer for Riven:
According to Cyan, the updated version of Riven will allow “players to truly feel part of the enigmatic D’ni Empire while exploring the decaying age of Riven. With new puzzles, expanded storylines, and breathtaking visuals, even those who know the original by heart will find themselves lost again in its depths.”
Cyan confirmed the “flatscreen” and VR versions of the game were developed simultaneously with intent to “ensure a high-quality experience regardless of players’ platform of choice.”
Notably, Cyan partnered with Walkabout Mini Golf’s developers to license Myst island as a mini golf course in VR as well. You can play 18 holes across Myst island during the day or at night in Walkabout with gameplay adapted to the game’s puzzles. We played through the course with Cyan’s developers in late 2022 and they vaguely teased a Riven adaptation at the time. Of course, we’ll be curious to see if Mighty Coconut and Cyan can work out how to bring a Riven DLC to Walkabout sometime down the line as well.
According to Cyan Worlds, Myst and Riven have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. The studio also created Firmament and Obduction and the flat version of Myst plays great with a gamepad on Apple Vision Pro.
With hand tracking supported in Myst on Quest, and the Steam version of Myst playable from the same save file both inside and outside VR, we’ll be curious to see Cyan share its path to supporting its games in full VR via Apple’s headset.
