Riven is the sequel to Myst, the game that pioneered pre-rendered 3d adventure games, all the way back in 1993. Released four years after it's predecessor, Riven a jewel that shows how good point and click, slideshow adventure games can be.

The first thing that strikes you when playing Riven is the startling beauty and realism of the world. Despite being released in 1997, the color and artistry put into the environments make the world of this game entirely believable twelve years later. The rough, eroded textures of the island environment meet rich plants and exotic flowers, creatures, and da'vinci-esque technology, and blend together to delight the eyes in each of the tens of thousands of rendered frames. Cyan managed to create an atmosphere that has you right there, on an island, looking around and breathing the fresh air, and losing yourself in the mysterious environment.

The visuals are covered in environmental animations; small insects buzzing around, shimmering water, animated levers and doorways. There are also a few thrilling 'rollercoaster rides', notably the maglev system linking the islands together, and a rickety underground mining cart :) With all the 3d animation, its easy to forget you are looking at pre-rendered screens.

Complementing the visuals is the haunting, etheral soundtrack. Wonderfully executed, the soundtrack combines tribal sounds like marimbas and ethnic drums with eerie atmospherics, yet still hints at the best aspects of Myst and its very renaissance harpsichord music. There were many amazing moments when I walked through a cave hearing a haunting xylophone melody echoing through its walls and felt the hair rise on my neck, or looked out towards the 'ocean' (if there is an ocean in the strange interdimensional world Riven is set in) while a distant, melancholy ethnic wind melody played. The soundtrack has the same surreal aspect that the world itself has, and is a unique, masterful example of a perfect video game soundtrack.

The gameplay is very different to what you may be used to as a gamer. Simply, the entire game is one brilliant, intricate puzzle. As you walk around, mostly alone, there are clues integrated into the very world that explain why and how everything is the way it is. The only way to solve the game is to immerse yourself into the environment, understand the history of the primitive civilization there, and see how they were influenced by their natural world, and how they influenced it. This is such a total and complete integration of world, story, and gameplay, that it makes solving the world a very novel challenge. To finish the game, you must read books, study their culture, and understand how everything ticks. And that is something that few games have done as well as Riven.

Every aspect of this game - the gorgeous graphics, the haunting music, the ingenious puzzles, and the unique story just fit together so well that it's hard not to appreciate what a masterpiece this game is! From the moment you set foot inside Riven, you are a part of it, and the deeper you explore, the more meaning and purpose you uncover in the intricate details of your surroundings. Riven is a truly thought-provoking game that pulls at your curiosity and adventure as you piece together the details of a world that feels as real as the one you're in.