Myst is perhaps the most well-known puzzle adventure of all time, even amongst people who don’t usually consider themselves gamers. But if you somehow myst the boat, Myst is a beloved 1993 video game set on a magical island full of deep mysteries, superb puzzles, and the occasional portal to another world.
It was one of the first games to use realistic, fully-rendered 3D graphics – in the early 90s, that was an impressive feat. The game has been remastered and rereleased a few times over the years to keep up with modern technology, most notably in 2000 and 2014, but its developers have just released perhaps the best iteration yet to the App Store for iPhone and iPad users to enjoy.
Myst Mobile has been rebuilt from the ground up, and enhanced in almost every way possible. The setting, story, and puzzles remain the same, but an incredible graphical upgrade has the island looking stunning, with real-time lighting and weather effects shining down on realistic environments and textures. Add to that a beefy audio upgrade, and Myst feels more immersive than ever – especially on the latest M1/M2 iPads, which can run the game with “Epic” graphical settings.
It’s a real feat to get this running on a device that fits in your pocket, especially for players who remember loading up the original game and its static pre-rendered scenes via CD-ROM.
For those new to the world of Myst, this is a cracking entry point. It’s a free download, and you can play the first act of the game at no cost. Players who like what they see and want the full experience can unlock the remaining content with a one-off $10/£10 in-app purchase – a third of the cost of the (identical) Mac version.
It’s also nice to see a number of different control types, catering to pretty much everyone. A Bluetooth controller is perhaps the best way to take advantage of the full 3D exploration, or keyboard and mouse, but there are on-screen virtual controls available too. And those who miss the old style of gameplay – or are playing on a smaller screen – might want to switch on “legacy navigation mode” for a return to pre-rendered scenes you can navigate through with simple taps. There’s even an in-game camera to capture important notes and clues for reference, and believe us – you’ll need them.
We haven’t played through the entirety of this new iteration just yet, but Myst is an absolute classic and this looks to be the definitive version. Puzzle fans have hours of content to dig into here.