Riven: The Sequel to Myst Member Review for the Mac

The ultimate puzzle game challenge

Riven, much like its predecessor, Myst, runs through a very simple interface that nevertheless makes the world seem completely real.  And what a world it is! Riven is made up of six different massive and unique islands that all seem unbelievably real.  One of my favorite aspects of the game is just how large Riven is an how you will have to cover an unbelievable amount of ground in order to finish the game.  However, if you do not have a genius IQ or the patience of a guru, finishing the game will take an act of god. If you plan on finishing in a single lifetime, playing through Riven requires careful and patient observation and notetaking.  Many of the extremely difficult puzzles require that you have obtained information from all across the Riven world.  For me, this meant an incredible amount of backtracking and trial and error before I was able to determine when, what, and how I was supposed to do something.  I can't even describe how vast a game this is. I have literally played this game off and on, for ten years and am just now finishing it. A great game, although extremely difficult. It is an unbelievable accomplishment that no other game has yet to match.