Bust out those physical walkthrough books and log on to forums that haven’t been updated in 25 years because Riven is back. Game developer Cyan announced today that it is working on a from-the-ground-up remake of Riven, which was a sequel to its generation-defining Myst.
Riven.
Officially in development at Cyan.
FAQ: https://t.co/6YeeamoJaq pic.twitter.com/OmxxmatrXk
— Cyan Inc. (@cyanworlds) October 31, 2022
Though details are scant at the moment, the Riven remake appears to be much in line with what Cyan did with realMyst: Masterpiece Edition and the VR release of Myst. That means an entire rebuild of the game that isn’t just a point-and-click adventure that takes you through stationary images with each click, but a fully navigable 3D world that players can explore. Given Riven‘s larger size and scope, this should be an even fuller experience than realMyst and quite the lift for the studio. At the moment Cyan has not announced any platforms or if the game will be VR-compatible, but considering the team did it with Myst and their latest game, Obduction, it’s a pretty safe bet.
Originally released in 1997 and subtitled The Sequel to Myst on the box, the game never reached the popularity or recognition of its predecessor, though few games ever have. That, however, doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a smashing success and helped launch Myst into a franchise that included books, three more sequels, and an MMO of sorts. Some would even argue that Riven is a better game overall than Myst, as Cyan was able to go bigger and bolder all around. While Myst has received updates and re-releases through the years, this is the first full-blown update of Riven, something fans have been clamoring for for years.
The Riven remake does not have a release date yet.