Can we all take a sec to appreciate the fact that this game was released in 1997, and it still looks photorealistic today? It honestly looks and feels more immersive than plenty of games released even today.

70 years old and still have my original CDs of Myst and Riven. My children bought it for me when it first came out, it was my first PC game. Played for hours and hours, and it gave me so much pleasure and fun.

This game brought me and my father together at a time when we weren’t that close. That is game design.

The atmosphere in riven still gives me goosebumps.. even 20 years later.

One of the greatest video games of all time.

Look at them beautiful 90s nerds. Those where the real nerds! God bless them!

9:50 See, this is exactly why I respect Cyan so much. Lesser developers might have cut the gate room puzzle, but they didn't and it ended up being one of the most memorable areas in any game I've played. Knowing how incredibly difficult it was to create, and how uncompromising they were in their determination to create it, only makes me respect them more.

Update: I played this game last year for the first time since I was a kid when it got released almost 25 years ago. When I finished it, I really broke down into tears and cried for like 15min straight. The emotions that were attached to the game were just overwhelming. It felt like a real place that I suddenly could visit again. Memories with my late dad and friends. Unbelievable - thanks Cyan for making magic real!

"It wouldn't have been as cool, had he not been around" (referring to Richard Vander Wende). You gotta love the honesty of these Miller brothers. Giving credit where credit is due. Add their genius and it is why they and their creations are legendary. Game-changing (pun intended...lol). Just admire this organic life story. A story that continues, and one we want to continue. So glad they are still in the game [pun intended again... :-)]. Much respect.

This game is legendary. Really unmatched by anything I've ever seen or played since.

"We were determined to do something better than what Myst was" Me: "Oh you did! You most certainly did"

they certainly succeeded in their vision of realism and immersiveness, which was unparalleled at the time. when i think back, i remember it like i place i actually visited, rather than a game i played.

I just played Riven again for the first time since the 2000s and the graphics and immersion are still phenomenal. I can really appreciate the level of artistry and detail now that I'm an adult and a designer. Also amazed at how much I remember regarding the puzzles, yet still have the satisfaction of figuring things out again. This game is one of the GOATs!

I really thought back in 1998 Riven would inspire the gaming industry to make similarly unique worlds and storylines, but it turns out, all these years later there is very little advancement in the industry in terms of pushing boundaries.

Robyn Miller and Richard Vander Wende are really a perfect storm of artistic talent that really make Riven stand out from the other Myst games, and every other game in existence as well. I don't know if we'll ever see a game like this again. Outer Wilds is maybe the closest

I was at a walmart one day and seen this game for the playstation. It was 5 discs and the cover stated "Pack your bags, you're going to be away for along time" It was the most immersive year of gaming in my long history of gaming. 11/10

Greatest game ever created, hands down. OMG that little girl in the village scared me to death when I was a kid. First time I saw her, epic jumpscare!

The best game of the series with the most demanding puzzles! My personal favorite game!

Can you believe this was made about 22 years ago!? Or even longer, it was released in 1997 I remember. I was 17 years old and my father bought this game... the whole family was sitting behind the computer playing this. These guys are artists! That whole game is a piece of art... the graphics, music, atmosphere, everything! Still is my all time favourite game 😍👌

This game STILL holds up today, one of the greatest games ever made! I remember the countless hours of playing this as a kid with my dad, so many good memories :)

Man that garage office looked like a significant fire hazard with all those machines and people crammed together (lots of power draw and risk of creating a fire), or at least power outages due to blowing a fuse

Fantastic game :D I love the sinister edge to this game. Myst is like a dream, Riven a bit like a nightmare.

Will we ever see ANYTHING as magestic as Riven ever again? I hope so. This game was fantastic. I don't think even the sequels can match it. J'nanin, Edanna, Tomahna, are gorgeous, but Riven... It's on a whole other level. And the music... oh, my god, I could go on about this thing all day!

My dad bought this for me after I completed Myst... multiple disks I met the requirements...system crashes and freezing issues on the train rides..which always demanded a disk change especially the cart heat ring mine ride..would crash more than 75% of the time..I had to give up on it in my childhood...it wouldn't be till many years later I could play this with out a disk change..Riven is the most challenging out of the whole series..answers that have to be discovered out through inginuaty.. continuing a unwritten pattern..not everyone can play these games..it takes a certain mind

This video really brings me back. I loved this game and the tone along with this documentary which I used to watch ALL THE TIME back then.

As a kid, i absolutely loved the "rollercoaster" rides between the different DVD's. Now as a teenager, i am just absolutely fascinated by the graphics, the audio, the finesse, the whole idea of myst. It was one of the first games but even now in 2019, its still the greatest masterpiece that i have ever seen. I am absolutely amazed by this whole utopia (or dystopia) of riven.

Had the collector's edition game, on CD's. It came with "The Making Of" video. I sold off the main game, but kept all the extras, including a paper notebook that they've included in the package. They would cover it in talcum powder, so when opening it for the first time, you could blow the dust off the pages, as if they were ancient. I miss the days, when game boxes had unique extras. Ultima had a figurine and a cloth map. Games nowdays are all virtual and leave no tactile memorabilia.

I started re-playing it again after so many years... i forgot about the most solutions and puzzles and im stuck already. But i love the game and the soundtrack is AWESOME!

the vibe you get from the rebel base is just incredible... it couldn't have been created more perfectly.

One of the most mindblowing games ever created. What an experience to play it.

Played it as a child when it came out, playing it now on my iPad. This is the greatest game ever created.

Recently finished this game. It is definitely one of the best game worlds ever crafted! However, I was very disappointed that did not get to explore any of the hive world.

I'm envious of these fellas--they got to make of the best things ever created by humans!

Riven is, hands-down, the greatest game ever made. Can't wait for Obduction.

always ahead of their time! biggest fan! playing this till the cracking hours of the morning with my dad in the 90s was just the best! watched all walkthroughs of myst, riven and III this week! ahhha feeling Nostaglic!

Riven and Exile are still my absolute favorites. The puzzles and the magical worlds were just amazing experiences. Incredible and beautiful. I still play those games on my old machines just to be immersed again. Thank you so much for that.

Making of a timeless masterpiece

Riven is a very unique place, like no other, and will always have a special place in my heart♥️ Thank you Cyan.

I love these games, but the dark, slightly off nature of Riven makes it my favorite. I have been introducing my kids to the Myst games and they are loving watching me play Riven.

11:45 This guy also worked on Myst III, Exile, I think he's been a vital part of both games and what made them both such incredible pieces of art.

Richard van der Wende also designed the two-headed Eborsisk in Willow. Such a behemoth talent but the humblest dude. He replied to some fan mail I wrote him once.

This is one of the best game ever made, 1998 but still is one of the hardes and best game ever made! thank you so mutch for this!

Thank you, such great memories of exploring the whole series, so long ago! It was clear how much thought and imagination went into its extraordinary continuity. Bravi!!!

It has been 15 years since I last played this game. Now I'm reminded how obsessed I was by the world's art and how it sent my imagination alive. Good times

Robyn's music was so integral to the game's design, created such a strong mood of emotion and mystery. When i heard he had rejoined Rand for Obduction and would be doing the music for it I was delighted but to my dismay the music had none of the quality of Riven and was not memorable.

This little documentary is seared into my brain after watching it over and over as a kid. Something about listening to these guys discuss something they are so passionate about never gets old. Their insight that in order to make a world feel realistic, you had to show it as used and worn-down was REVOLUTIONARY. It seems obvious now, but CGI in the 90s had not taken that step yet. At the time, there was nothing that even came close to that level of realism; even today the graphics hold up because of that attention to detail even though by technical standards game engines have far surpassed even what pre-rendered games were capable of back then. Goes to show that great design and attention to detail is more important than impressive technical specs. So much of what these guys talk about still holds up today and could teach game designers a thing or two. What a well-made featurette. My dad always thought it was funny that the segment at 2:06 was edited like you were exploring the office as if it was in the game.

For those looking to play this great game again, it was added recently to SCUMMVM. Go download SCUMMVM v2.0 (or later), copy the files off the CDs/DVD to a folder, and return to Riven.

Love the point and click style @ 2:07. Legendary! Like the game!

Just played through this game with my son. I had played as a kid and never finished the game. We sank 30 hours into this thing and finally finished. It's a masterpiece.

Seriously I would like so much to go back and try to get into the development of this game. Its like..game back then was somewhat of an uncharted territory. No templates, it was just creativity. You were not doing this only for money or as a business decision. You were doing it because you wanted to do it, for the love of the art. I miss that so much

Haven't played since forever but it's still my favorite. Immersion experience with graphics way ahead of the time

Riven and the "Riddle of Master Lu"... among the best games ever ...

I completed Riven years ago and am now playing on my phone. Nostalgic journey,though it is like i never played it as i have forgotten all the puzzles😁

5:22 "''cause you see a lot of computer generated art that looks plasticy, or new, or somehow strange; it doesn't look real" Exactly, this is what bothers me in a lot of new games. The graphics are great but they have that plasticy feel. So whenever I hear that this or that game has great graphics invariably I am less than impressed. Because it is as if the creators forgot how things look in real life. That they are imperfect, weathered, old etc.

World-building at its finest.

This game is genius on every level and you can see its influence in games like the Half-Life, Bioshock, and Subnautica series.

eventhough my statement has been written here many times ... I simply have to (!) say by myself that Riven still is the most beautiful / aesthetic game I ever played and that I know of ...

I've never played but I just bought this on ebay for $8. I think it was a good purchase.

Thanks for uploading this! Very cool video.

It didn't occur to me at all how much effort was required to make the scribe's rotation match with the maglev, it just looked so natural. Cyan is pretty great, I wish my PC had more than a thirtieth of the minimum VRAM to run Obduction

And now we can look forward to seeing, within another year or two (hopefully), a complete rebuild of Riven in the Unreal Engine. The development work was already started more than a decade ago, by an outside group, and I understand that Cyan has picked it up, in addition to their current project of Firmament. It's gonna looks more epic than Myst when it's done.

Riven ist bis heute eines der schönsten und packendsten Games überhaupt. Wunderschöne Bilder..wunderschöne Musik...absolut realistische Geräusche...Für mich bis heute unerreicht!

Simply amazing this is! Thank you!

*This is what happens when you lock a bunch of geniuses who love games in one room, Playing this & Myst now is kind of like reading a book with pictures, in that your imagination can compensate for what the graphics will not do for you visually, I wonder if the developers veiled that intention, being a game about Books.*

the riven game is by far the most beautiful and extraordinary of all the games you have made. I recommend (and I would be happy to buy it) to make a Riven remasterd according to the latest video technologies. You would sell very much, because riven lovers are so many.

The best in the series. PLEEEASEE don’t ruin it in the remake!

Soooo glad I found this ❤

Cyan is a religion and Riven is our temple. Can't wait for the refreshed version. Peace.

Back in the day when people with passion created a place where they'd like to go to rather than a "product".

There were 4 games I played the hell out of and were stunning. Riven, wing commander 4, full throttle and the journeyman project. ❤️

2:06 OK the very Riven-like way the camera moves towards the building is awesome. Nice video production.

I love this game! spend so many hours beeing amazed...

They really should remaster this game.

This should be remade for VR

omg that little girl suddenly appearing in the woods just standing there, got us incredible scared. We had to cheat when we got to the ”dome” part...That felt unsolvable....

I never saw that old man in the magnetic cart

Ooh, I have your game and like it! Though I got stuck and never finished it. I should try again :) Thanks for this video!

Riven, the best game, everything after this was just so friggin odd and weird and Hollywoody. Just make one like this again. Dark, gritty, scary, and the music... o boy the music..

Awesome video! Best game in the world !

They built a world where I dwell.

I cannot wait for the remaster/remake

If I could imagine what the creators of this game were like in real life, this is pretty much what I imagined, lol.

If only they would do a remake of this game but with free open world movement instead of pre rendered movies.

realRiven in 3D like realMyst would be awesome!

It's kind of funny - until seeing this video, I never really saw the brotherly resemblance between Rand and Robyn, even while playing Achenar and Sirrus in the first game. I think it's the glasses (and the fact they don't have their "game voices" on).

legend game

It's kind of crazy in a way how small the internet has made the world. In 1998? Riven was *real*. What do you mean 'game'? Everything back then was so larger than life

What I liked most about the game was how much more unified than MYST it felt. It was not just a jumble of CG elements but rather it felt like it was all of one mind... this video sort of shows why. There was a team, but really one person with a strong initial design aesthetic that permeated the entire project and lifted it to a better level - I love that it came from "some kid" not from Cyan. Also, I believe there are still a few "image state" errors you can find in the original game. There are also a few never used scenes that one can not get to but are still in the code. But, this is still a great game. The end still feels a bit rushed to me.

wish this video was as HD as the game

Riven is the place, I wanna lonely live and die.....so much details of an old factory aera, where we played in my childhood....!!! It's so sad, that it doesn't run on my win 7 / 64bit :...( HELP!!!!

I always ate while playing this game reminds me of Burger King.. now I want Burger King

Modest mouse uses footage from riven for one of their music videos

That music.

I’m still waiting for a movie!🥴

There's nothing like it!

8:17 Looking like Oliver Reed there for a brief moment!

2:51 -- There is a stump of a tree that Gehn may have cribbed from Kadish Tolesa...

Poor audio :( Nice video :)

***** The game runs at 640*480 and the video was probably shot at DVD's standard 576 resolution, so technically the video is "more" of an "HD" than the game. Although, neither is.

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