Riven (Remake) Review - A Classic Puzzle Adventure Game REBORN!?

Riven is back with a 3D makeover in 2024—Missed fans, get ready to explore like never before!

My history with the Miss series is, well, if it was a Facebook status, it would say "it's complicated." I didn't play the game when it originally released back in 1993. I would discover it years later; yeah, I was late to the home computer game. Still, there's no denying the impact that this title has had, and a lot of folks still consider it one of the great puzzle games of all time. Mist ended up being a huge hit. It's been remade and ported over the years, and of course, naturally, being a success, it got a sequel called Riven.

Riven launched in 1997 across a whopping five discs. Eventually, it was ported to a single DVD, but holy cow, that was a lot of discs at the time. Riven was really everything that a sequel should be: better graphics, it added live-action video to the mix, and stronger puzzle design. All told, fans love this one. As you may or may not know, Mist did get the 3D treatment and was completely remade from the ground up. Just like that, Riven is now up to the plate; it's getting the 3D remodel treatment here in 2024.

What is Riven in 2024? Is it still an engrossing, intriguing puzzle game all these years later? And now that you're on foot and you can actually move around these worlds in a new way, how does that change the gameplay? Well, let's find out in our full review.

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Alright, Riven has returned. Mist fans, rejoice! Here we go. It's a game that sold 1.5 million copies; it was the bestselling PC game of 1997. But 1997 was a very long time ago. How has this game been brought up to modern times? Well, I would say the biggest change here, believe it or not, is simply in the movement—the way that it's now 3D and you're on foot, and you're not just clicking through static images like in the past. Other changes include some enhancements to the original story and, of course, a facelift on the visuals.

Speaking of a facelift, you can explore the world of Riven like never before if you happen to have a VR headset. Unfortunately, I had to play on a flat screen; I just don't have a VR headset on my PC yet. It's something I want to get. Talking about the story of Riven is a bit complex because a big part of this game is unraveling that story for yourself. I'll be cryptic here, just as the game is, but you are tasked with rescuing a young woman named Catherine from the evil Gen.

Riven is heavily connected to the original game—a direct sequel—so it's worth noting that you'll probably want to play through the original Mist before you go near Riven. Oh, I'm sure that was obvious, and if you're watching a review of Riven, there's a good chance you've played Mist or at least heard of it. As cagey as I am being about the details, I actually really like the storytelling methods that are used in Riven. You unlock more and more about this world by discovering journals, and they're not like today's journals in video games where the text is all displayed on the screen. You actually have to sit there and read real notes and decipher someone's handwriting. It's really cool; it feeds into this.

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Riven's storytelling and puzzle-solving immerse you in a world where patience and attention to detail are key.

Before you go near Riven, it's important to note that it builds on the legacy of Myst. If you're watching a review of Riven, there's a good chance you've played Myst or at least heard of it. As cautious as I am about the details, I actually really like the storytelling methods used in Riven. You unlock more and more about this world by discovering journals. Unlike today's video game journals where the text is displayed on the screen, you actually have to sit and read real notes, deciphering someone's handwriting. It's really cool and feeds into this universe, giving you a pretty good idea of what Riven is all about. The game does not hold your hand, making the player discover things for themselves. This approach is absolutely not for everyone; it's for players who enjoy taking their time unraveling things slowly and definitely for those who don't get easily frustrated. I admit, I sometimes get frustrated.

With Riven originally being a point-and-click adventure, you might wonder how it works now that you can walk around and interact. It still kind of has a point-and-click feel to it, even in this 2024 version. For better or worse, your goal remains the same: explore a variety of different islands, solve puzzles, and try to reach your ultimate destination. You'll walk or run on foot through gorgeous locations, interacting with various items and environmental objects. The game is playable with a controller, but I would personally recommend using a mouse and keyboard if you can, as the pointer on the screen can be a bit fidgety with a controller.

Riven does not hold your hand at all. It does not light up the screen with indicators, waypoints, or checkpoints. You are truly on your own in this adventure, though it does save from time to time, so don't worry too much about losing progress. Usually, the objects you need to interact with are huge and fairly obvious, and your finger pointer on the screen will give you a little indication of whether you can interact with an object or not. Sometimes you'll need to turn a wheel, but that's really about the extent of things gameplay-wise. Riven is going to challenge your brain rather than throw a lot of button commands at you.

The transition to full 3D is not perfect. The game does feel a bit clunky in spots, and it's really easy and extremely frustrating to miss something small, like a ladder you might walk by a million times or a little button that you missed. This can be very aggravating. As long as you go into Riven with the understanding that it is going to piss you off at one point or another, you'll probably be okay. Riven's puzzles are the star of the show. They are complex but not like what you see in most video games these days. It's a little hard to explain; it's like the answers are right in front of you, and yet they're not. Hopefully, you have a good memory if you're planning to play this one, but there is a screenshot feature in the game which will help you remember certain clues shown to you across the journey. It's not really a game that gives you those "aha" moments; it's more like "Oh man, I just survived another puzzle, and now I get to continue on.

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Riven 2024: Stunning visuals and challenging puzzles, but be prepared for some frustrating performance issues.

Puzzles are the star of the show in Riven. They are complex, but they're not what you typically see in most video games these days. It's a little hard to explain; it's like the answers are right in front of you, yet they're not. Hopefully, you have a good memory if you're planning to play this one, but there is a screenshot feature in the game which will help you remember certain clues shown to you across the journey. It's not really a game that gives you those "aha" moments; it's more like, "Oh man, I just survived another puzzle, and now I get to continue on." I wasn't filled with joy when I solved something in this game; I just felt like I was doing my job. It's a really unusual feeling.

The puzzles in Riven require such a level of focus and patience that I really don't recommend it to typical puzzle game fans in the traditional sense. Let me give you an example of what you can expect here: at one point, you're in a school area, and you find some writing. You have to decipher and learn this language through a toy, which will actually teach you how to count correctly. Without giving too much away, the way you end up learning numbers was truly fascinating. There are times where Riven opens up a part of your brain that you didn't know you wanted opened, but you're kind of glad that it did.

I think one thing that has changed for the better, as much as I do love that old-school 1997 look of the original game, are the 3D visuals now. Riven in 2024 looks jaw-dropping. Seriously, this game has a lot of water and big areas to explore, and that has really benefited with time. I would say the water effects in Riven are some of the best I've ever seen in a video game. Truly some jaw-dropping set pieces that are spoiled a bit by some performance issues, unfortunately. My game would hit quite a few stutters from time to time, and that really pulled me out of the experience. I tried lowering my settings, I tried a bunch of things on a 4070 no less, and still, I did have those stuttering issues. I remember having this problem with other games from this developer as well, so unfortunately, it just seems like something they haven't quite yet figured out. But hopefully, some patches will address that. When it's running properly, though, these islands are just incredible to look at. So, beautiful job by the art team here.

Riven also kicks up some lovely ambient sound at just the right moments. I think the game sounds really great. There are some wonderful musical compositions here that set the mood very well. There are also a lot of times in Riven where it's just you and the nature sound effects—maybe the water running, maybe the wind blowing—and that's really satisfying as well. Normally, I love musical tracks in my games, but the developers here have done a good job of implementing sound and playing music at the right times and not having music during other sections of the game.

So, do I recommend this version of Riven in 2024? That is a complicated question. If you were a fan of the 1997 original, I say definitely go check this one out. It's a new way to play the game, but it feels familiar. They have done a really good job of staying true to what the original game was but giving it a gorgeous facelift. If you didn't like Myst and you never played the sequels, this is not going to change your mind. In fact, it might just make you dislike it more. It is not a game for the impatient player. The puzzles will frustrate you, and the environments will frustrate you at times. The translation to 3D is a little clunky in spots, but for the most part, it's welcome because you really get to explore these islands now and see just how beautiful they look and how much there is to learn in this world.

Riven 2024 is not perfect. The performance was a bit janky in spots, as I mentioned, and I did even have one hard crash. But hopefully, patches will be on the way, and maybe a few of the issues that I encountered won't be a problem for you. Intriguing, thought-provoking, frustrating, annoying—these are just some of the words that describe Riven. But I'm ultimately awarding it the bronze Genie lamp of approval. There's a great deal of history that you should know, but I'm afraid there's no time to explain.