Myst V: End of Ages Review

I got into the PC gaming scene a bit late. Myst was one of the games that came with my first computer and it was one of the first, if not the first, computer game I ever played and completed. I was fascinated by the strange worlds and the in-depth storyline that always seemed intriguing. While not every game in the series made it into my collection (Myst III: Exile, Myst IV: Revelation) I have now completed every title that Cyan Worlds did themselves with the exception of the Path of the Shell expansion -- my hard drive died and I lost the save point --: Myst, Riven, UrU, and now finally End of Ages. For those that don’t know, Cyan Worlds did not develop the two that I don’t have. Exile was developed by Presto Studios and Revelation was developed by Ubisoft.  I didn’t plan it that way, it’s just what happened; must just be a big Cyan Worlds fan.

Because Ubisoft seems very picky when it comes to choosing what content publishers it sends free games to (Ubi and EA are pretty much the only game publishers we don’t have regular relations with) I just decided to go all out and purchase the Limited Edition of End of Ages. I wanted my final Myst experience to be complete and gratifying, something that has always been true with the past games, so I was willing to put out the cash. Along with the game you get the soundtrack, a making-of video which was fairly interesting, some artwork, and the mini Prima Strategy Guide. It might not be worthwhile for others but it’s just what I wanted to do, especially after I heard that Cyan was shutting down (which didn’t happen after all if you missed the news). Myst was one of the driving factors that got me interested in PC gaming and is what sparked my interest in the adventure genre.

Sure, the stories get a little bizarre sometimes but I have honestly enjoyed each of the titles I have played. You know they must be doing something right after keeping the series alive as long as they have. Rand Miller, co-founder and CEO of Cyan, has written a few books dealing with the Myst story which says a lot to a gamer like me. Too many game developers these days seem to leave the story as something of an afterthought. Sure, graphics and gameplay will go a long way but give it no story and a game won’t be nearly as enjoyable. The Myst games have always done it well and it’s one of the few series I could see being successfully converted to the silver screen; something that has never been done well in the past – and don’t get any ideas Uwe Boll! Can someone please just ban him from making movies? Anyway, I would love to hear from the team what their sources of inspiration are. I figured out that the “journey cloths” seen in Uru might come from an episode of the X-Files, season four eposide Unrequited, but that’s just one small thing (update: it turns out that there isn't very much evidence that this is true but I thought I'd mention it).

You begin End of Ages in a dark room which includes the locked Myst book. Immediately in view are “the Bahro,” strange creatures with human-like characteristics that scurry off into the shadows once you arrive. After venturing around a bit you run into Yeesha who seems distressed and is a bit older since Uru. She makes it clear that there is some sort of tablet that is very powerful and accessing it is your objective. After linking to another world you meet Esher, the only other main character you will talk with throughout your journey. He comes off as being quite friendly and gives you many hints on what you are to do next. Both Yeesha and Esher make it very clear that there is going to be a decision at the end of the game; a decision that will ultimately decide the fate of the D’ni culture. The history of the D’ni people is explained to you throughout the game series so I’m not going to get into that.

When I started the game up I was expecting the control scheme and gameplay to be similar to that of Uru, but was startled and glad to find it a bit different. It’s back to the first-person viewpoint which had been the standard in the past. Uru introduced a new third-person viewpoint and controls that got frustrating once and a while. You could actually switch from third to first-person but it seemed to be developed for third because of the puzzles that required it. The new controls are easy to get the hang of and seem much more normal compared with the games in the past. You can move around with the WASD keys, arrow keys, or the mouse.

The biggest difference in this game is your ability to draw on the different tablets you come by throughout the game. They are actually used in every age and are essential in progressing through them. Be sure you understand how to use the tablets; I wasn’t quite sure at first and was confused when I was told to draw on them. Also take note that you are able to drop any tablet anywhere on the ground, another important factor that wasn’t quite clear at first.

The use of the tablets may or may not be welcomed by Myst fans. I thought it was an interesting touch that made for a somewhat more interactive adventure game but because it is needed so often it might seem too different to fans. In place of the journey cloths we have pedestals in End of Ages. Each time you reach or are in view of the next pedestal you have to draw its symbol on your tablet and drop it. It will start to sparkle, for lack of a better term, and a Bahro will link in, take the tablet, bring it to the previous pedestal and will inscribe the new symbol on it allowing you to link to the new one. Once you reach the last pedestal you touch the slate which unlocks a fourth of the final tablet and that age is complete. The home base in End of Ages is called Direbo, which is definitely not as homey as Relto is in Uru, but provides a fascinating environment on its own. Still, I think I favor the Relto style middle ground compared with Direbo.

As I stated earlier, I have always been in a state of awe when visiting the worlds of Myst. If for some reason I were to live in another world that had to be designed by humans, I wouldn’t have a problem if Cyan created it. The graphics in End of Ages are no different from the rest of the series. Each age is truly beautiful with the exception of Laki’ahn, which seemed rather plain compared to the others. The age that impressed me the most was Todelmer, which places you on a different planet used by the D’ni people for studying the heavens. When you first link into the age you find yourself on a plateau-like structure facing a massive ringed planet on backdrop of the night sky, complete with shooting stars and a galaxy that resembles the “Milky Way.” The water in multiple ages, the floating clouds in Noloben, and the snow in Tahgira were other things that really added to the realism of the game and looked stunning.  You’ll also find some other creatures besides the Bahro in the game – birds, large fish creatures in the distance of Laki’ahn, and an annoying chicken-like creature on Laki’ahn which just runs around, lightening bugs similar to the those that were seen in Uru, and butterflies; all the creatures were well done and added to the realism of the game.

The two main characters, Yeesha and Esher also look very lifelike. Right away you’ll notice that their lips perfectly match what they are saying but the entire face looks somewhat strange in a sense. After viewing the “making of” DVD I found out that the team actually hooked cameras up to the actors’ faces and synced them in with the virtual characters. They did a great job with it and it looks good most of the time. Esher’s face looks much better than Yeesha’s but there are times when the faces have a much different coloring than the rest of the head. Besides the heads of the characters, I loved the way Esher’s cloths swayed when he moved around. It made for a very believable person and for the most part I was pleased with the graphics of the characters.

There are all sorts of sounds and music that play throughout the game which adds to an environment that could be comparable to Half-Life 2; they are excellent. The other great thing in this game is the voice acting, which is top notch compared with other games. The actors that played Yeesha and Esher did a phenomenal job that make for very convincing characters. They definitely deserved to be recognized and I hope the rest of Cyan is as happy as I am with their talent.

When it comes to the replay value for End of Ages, points have to be docked. I enjoyed the game quite a bit, even though it seemed a bit short, but there really is no point in returning to it. I would absolutely recommend that Myst fans pick up the game so that they complete the journey that started over ten years ago. It seems as if this series has had a much further reach than other adventure titles creating an audience made of all sorts of different people. Adventure fans should also appreciate this game as well as the ones in the past – and I recommend starting in the beginning.

Once you reach the end of the game and access the final tablet you will need to make an important decision. You can obviously save the game and try it different ways but I would think that making the correct decision the first time would be very satisfying. I loved the fact that you have the opportunity in your choice to visit the place where it all started. Even though Myst Island is beaten up and for the most part destroyed, I was absolutely thrilled when I linked in. Your decision will be a difficult one but you will know when you have made the correct one. The deep Myst story is still somewhat of a mystery and the closure that is given in this game might not be satisfying to fans. I think it might be best if another book was written that gives the entire picture of the D’ni civilization along with a better end than this game provides.

The Myst series is one of the longest running game series ever, that has both helped to define the adventure genre, shape the gaming world, and satisfy an audience that is made up of all sorts of different people. I would also like to congratulate Cyan if this is truly the last game in the series. They have taken gamers to fascinating places with an in-depth storyline that many people can appreciate. They are a talented bunch of people that deserve the recognition they have earned.