Riven - Original vs Remake (1997 vs 2024) in Comparison

[@renamon5658]

I like the live action scenes in the og

[@GameIntrosFinales]

Yeah, me too.

[@iamsomewhere]

1000%

[@ImmortalChaos]

💯

[@setmymindinmotion]

I much much prefer the live action, the 2.0 Riven looks better in almost every respect but using 3D models for the characters was a big mistake. Makes the OG look way better.

[@SuperKamiGuru-i3c]

There MIGHT be a way to restore them, and maybe give them something of a 3D depth look, but it would be hard to do.

[@SeraphsWitness]

I understand the need to upgrade, but the FMV sequences were a huge part of the charm of the originals. Wish they had just tried to remaster the footage instead.

[@SeraphsWitness]

@@juann268 then they'd have to lock the camera during that part.

[@thehuggz-i9k]

That comes with it's own challenges, though. The live recordings only worked with the original game because the player was GUARANTEED to be in a particular spot for a video sequence. That's not the case with the remake. There are a couple places where they tried to ensure the players position and, quite honestly, every time it was jarring and awkward. The unfortunate side effect of moving to a 3D engine is that your cut scenes also have to be migrated. The live action video will forever be something wholly unique to the original game and a reason why the original game will never die.

[@SeraphsWitness]

@@thehuggz-i9k yea I pointed that out. There's value in locking the camera down just for the sake of the cutscenes.

[@Tompie913]

I completely understand why the cutscenes in the environment needed to be real-time 3d, but I just wish they would have refilmed the intro cutscene, the 3d version of which looks bad. They obviously have none of the problems with not being able to get the original actor in that case, and they could have even filmed it stereoscopically for VR.

[@SeraphsWitness]

@@Tompie913 Maybe. I'd be fine with the simpler solution of just locking the camera down for those scenes. The acting just isn't as good either, even if the characters didn't look wooden. Still, I'll probably buy it because the actual gameplay looks so lovely and refreshing.

[@Caspersight]

I love the graphical update but I will miss the Original FMV. The CG characters remind you that your playing a game.

[@mleise8292]

I've been looking up the history of Riven to see if maybe there are some 16mm film rolls that could be scanned in 4K, but unfortunately it was all recorded in NTSC format - which already made the original Riven more pixelated than they had hoped for. 😅

[@jjtninja]

Same

[@squeaky_buddha]

1000% They take me out of game really. But, I didn't come to Riven for conversation!

[@age234]

@@mleise8292 I wonder if modern AI tools could be used to upscale the original video with decent quality

[@AdamAus85]

Good point, FMV is great for immersion. Have they remade Exile? I can’t imagine losing Brad Dourif’s performance in that game.

[@ErichIzdepski]

This shows how amazing the original was.

[@Novusod]

The original looks better in a lot of parts.

[@guilhermemb9213]

original looks like a piece of art, really cool

[@jabadabadu7089]

There is something special about these point and click games from the 90's.

[@steevelapointe1152]

these game (myst series) feels alive, ironic that myst is the most alone game that i know, in the same time you feel alone in a game whos alive

[@101wut2]

Riven is my favourite game of all time, so I obviously had high hopes for this remake. I think it's important to think of the remake as a separate experience to the original, rather than a replacement. My reaction to my first hour of play of the remake was shock at just how much they've changed. I know the original inside out, so at first it's quite jarring when entire areas and mechanics have been removed, added or relocated. Once I settled into it I really started to enjoy not knowing what was around the next corner - much like I felt playing Riven for the first time! The 3D characters were never going to be as immersive as the FMV performances, but I understand the technical requirements for using them. I do hope, however, that some patches are released to improve the character animations and lighting. They're not up to the standard of the rest of the game, and I must admit I cringed when Atrus flashed me a toothy grimace during the intro that I'm sure was meant to be more of a knowing smile. All in all, I think Cyan have done a phenonmenal job on this remake, and I can't wait to play more!

[@theomorrow3811]

That's awesome! I hope you enjoy the remake! I might enjoy it too once I finally get around to it (it's still a little early, to be honest). And I'm glad you're going into this with the right mindset as well: The remake is not a replacement for the original, but it's a nice companion piece. That's how it should be viewed anyways. Yeah, the original still wins overall (especially regarding the FMV vs 3D models), but so what? We have both versions now. Not that big of a deal. It's best to just enjoy what we have because life is short, ya know?

[@StealthyZombie]

⁠@@theomorrow3811 Yes I never understood when people complain about remakes or remasters. Your line says it perfectly. “We have both versions now.”

[@r10nx]

I am definitely excited about a new experience in Riven, also my favorite game of all time.

[@age234]

@@StealthyZombie I think it's partly because Starry Night was originally going to be a hyper-faithful exact remake of the original, but in modern realtime 3D. Cyan radically changed it after taking over the project. Oviously it's their right to do so, but I don't think this game was what a lot of people were expecting. It's kind of like the Star Wars Special Editions. Yes, we now have 2 versions, but many of us just wanted improvements on the originals. I was hoping for a modern high-quality high-resolution edition of what I remembered. That will never exist and it's sad.

[@universesixhit642]

I own the original Riven on Steam and I'm soon about to give it a full playthrough. Do you think it's still worth picking up the remake in the future? Thanks.

[@Yoctopory]

Huge Riven fan here since the day it originally came out. I honestly had a lot of confidence that Cyan would find a way to create nice looking cutscenes in the remake. I'm quite disappointed with the puppet-like figures that are way too deep down in the uncanny valley. The original life action recordings just added so much to the level of immersion. It's one of the reasons why in the original I didn't feel like playing a game, I felt like I was there.

[@AtrusDesign]

Like other people wrote, original static images are gorgeous even today and with a giant atmosphere, fmv actors are WAY better than 3D ones, but at Cyan they were really faithful to the original mood in this remake, free motion and VR can give an extra level of immersion. So from what I have seen until now I love both.

[@brianwolters7560]

I believe I echo many in here...I wish the FMV characters were remastered and kept. That is what set the tone for me in all of the Myst games.

[@theendofit]

that ia imposible. you cant have fmv and be able to free rom you also cant have fmv and vr.

[@MichaelN2]

@@theendofitno free roam during cutscenes. Everyone has been saying this

[@pferreira1983]

@@MichaelN2 People on Steam are actually defending the remake which is crazy. 😆

[@Mark-ph7cy]

@@pferreira1983 Because it's a good remake? And to simply ditch it completely because of the character models which are in the game for about 1% of game time is ludicrous

[@rrael]

This game is fixated in my childhood. My dad and I both played it, both struggled at it. I think it made me smarter, because the lateral thinking involved was truly magical. That was an era where you didn't (or couldn't) look up solutions to everything. You played the game, solved the puzzles. Slowly, over time, and with great effort. It was like the Dark Souls of puzzle games at the time lol. My dad had a heart attack and then a stroke many years later. He could never play something like Riven with me again, so I'll have to cherish those memories forever.

[@matthewwilliams3827]

I must admit I still kinda prefer the originals pre-renders and the lighting situation and colours more, then I’ve always thought that even low res pre-renders can’t be surpassed anyways. but both look beautiful 🤩

[@thehuggz-i9k]

Just finished playing the new game yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't expect quite so much to be different. Obviously with the port to a 3D engine we necessarily lose the live acting, which is probably the biggest bummer. The modeling and mocap wasn't horrible, but it did break suspension of disbelief. As far as the world and puzzle changes, it honestly felt like Ghen had been left to his own devices on Riven for another 20-30 years. A lot of the changes that were made felt like natural progressions and enhancements from the way things were previously. I think the over all changes to the the 2 big puzzle arcs (tay gateway and golden dome), were good and necessary changes. Many of the bits that I nostalgically missed I realized I didn't ACTUALLY miss them. The extra clarity and simplification of some of the elements were largely improvements that made exploration and discovery less obscure. Retroactively fitting lore clarifications into the journal texts was nice. As a teenager I played Riven into the ground, so I was glad they took the time to put new twists on puzzles while not completely invalidating a significant chunk my childhood 😂 Ultimately, I was able to be taken back and engage in rediscovery of a world I thought I knew well.

[@micahbush5397]

The graphics of the new version are nice, but 3D character models aren't really Cyan's strong point. I also feel like the original intro was better at establishing a sense of secrecy and desperation.

[@myel8531]

The material work in the remake is really impressive. The way light plays off of small details on surfaces is incredibly convincing. That gold paint on the building exterior really stands out, certainly the best of its sort I've seen in any videogame. But yeah, the NPCs definitely feel a little out of place. On the one hand, you can't just throw 2D FMV capture into a 3D scene, but it's also clear they don't have the resources to really match it in terms of animation. It's serviceable, in my opinion, but it certainly dates what is otherwise a near flawless presentation. Appreciate the video! Looking forward to trying the remake out myself in the future.

[@franzrogar]

Quote: "you can't just throw 2D FMV capture into a 3D scene". Erm... yes, you can. Just fix (with a light degree of freedom) the camera angle for a brief moment and done, just like they did for the 3rd? 4th? game. Also, in many others they do that (for example: Under a Killing Moon).

[@michaelsteffen5071]

Yeah, the fact that the original game places the characters in locations that the player can’t walk around in 360 means they could have used 2D FMV. But nobody thinks of it nowadays.

[@BooshyBrows]

I think this sums up the issue with a lot of modern media.. we used to achieve so much more with so much less

[@TheKrensada]

I gotta say I prefer the oriignal for cutscenes. The new 3D model characters look jerky, and glitchy. hopefully with some patches they'll iron that out. other than that. The remake looks very beautiful, and surreal. As it should.

[@RichardDuryea]

Cyan is great at a lot of things, but character models are not among them. It’s a very small studio but this has to be intentional.

[@laurilehtiaho9618]

I do hope that some more work can be done on those afterwards. Despite that, after playing through the demo I can completely see myself living with these, the remake is just so well done.

[@TheKrensada]

@laurilehtiaho9618 oh I'm totally buying this when it becomes available.

[@moiseslozano6906]

Im glad im not the only who noticed!! yeah they look very unnerving as i think they push so hard to make feel real yet they give uncanny valley in the bad way, i wish they had compromised and make them models a bit more stylized and animated them a bit more conventionally so its not as freaky that takes me out of the experience

[@scorecount5320]

Based on how they look, they're probably using the MetaHuman toolkit, which is still being developed by Epic. It's unlikely they'll be improved much from here for that reason, it would require Cyan to port the entire game over to a newer version of Unreal, but it's still damn impressive for what it is. I actually do reccomend you have a play around with Metahuman Creator if you're curious about this stuff, it's free to use!

[@Warriormon87]

I am amazed by how well the original graphics hold up. It still looks amazing. I thought my memory was colored by playing it when it came out and the graphics technology of the time. But it still looks amazing. The artists really poured their soul into every frame.

[@bloodrunsclear]

I do wish they'd kept the FMVs. The rest of it IS gorgeous though!

[@AccountName-gv5ie]

Remke looks great, but I think the lightning in the original is more intentional used to create atmosphere.

[@AaronGwynaireGameDev]

agree!

[@summerlaverdure]

hard agree, though the new engine does do a really good try

[@CrossplayGamingTV]

Yes, there's always trade offs when moving from pre-rendered point and click to full 3D. You can completely determine the atmosphere pre-rendered... with full 3D, you need to trust the real-time graphics to create it if you set everything up well.

[@DickVanPaiton]

Yea, they simply did not put enough effort into it 😞The necessary tech would have been there. Does not even look like a proper lumen integration. The water is not where it could have been either :-(

[@kiillabytez]

Natural sunlight vs fluorescent. You be the judge.

[@odin1469]

If they could remaster the video, and combine THAT with the smooth movement through the world.... THAT would be amazing.

[@HiddenStrengthTimelapseDrawing]

The remake looks really good, and I'm excited to play it. There is one small detail that appears to be missing: In the original video, the linking panel has momentary glimpses of a man's eyes staring at the player... It's Gehn. Somehow he's developed the means of observing you, however briefly that observation may be.

[@philip3707]

There are quite a lot of frames with eyes/eyebrows throughout the linking panel animation in addition to the frame of Gehn. They are more like a vague eyes shape superimposed onto a colorful environment photo. It's quite creepy.

[@no1guy825]

what linking panel animation? the opening link to Riven? It's so distorted by the filter though....and isn't it showing a landscape? I dont see any eyes in the original one shown here.

[@templar19]

The remake environments and immersion look great. I really hope we get way more exposure to the sunners and wahrks. I think it would also help develop the game's Orwellian tones by having some easter eggs where you see someone up on a bridge or over a hill, spying on you for a second. Not a cutscene...just a quick blink-and-you-miss-it moment. It also looks like there are going to be triggered earthquakes or structure collapses as you progress, which will really add to the idea of Riven as a doomed, unstable age. Those cutscenes are triggering my uncanny valley response. I know Rand Miller isn't a professional actor, but in the original you can see lots of subtle emotions (tiredness, uncertainty, even fear) playing across his face. In the remake, he just looks in a state of perpetual mild shock. I preferred the original of not seeing the linking panel to Riven until Atrus flips the book around and you have a mildly disconcerting moment to wonder why the image is so distorted before it's time to go, rather than having it sitting on the table until you're ready. Seriously, why would they reshoot Cho's video and not record new audio? In the original, he was a fully embodied Rivenese man, probably just as confused and taken aback as I was at materializing into a cage on a new world. Now, he looks like a vampire on marionette strings.

[@Lee.Willcox]

Good idea, creepy. Like spotting G-Man n HL2.

[@total_betty]

Totally understand the comments about the FMV in the OG although the animated Atrus etc don't detract from the remake IMO. I absolutely love the full motion and it's what I dreamed about when I was playing nearly 30 years ago! I mean, that's wild isn't it! But I do hope if Myst III: Exile gets remade they do FMV and Brad Dourif is featured again. He was incredible in that game and was perfect. A performance up there with Grima Wormtongue in LOTR! But I'm so, so happy that Riven has arrived! So happy!

[@grams18]

Yeah would be awesome to get a remake of Myst III: Exile & Myst IV: Revelation in that manner. A huge point in immersion is to be able to move around freely and my f*cking god the animations of the wide and open ocean and the waves is awesome. To have a lively inviroment really adds massive points to the immersion and that´s a huge plus for this kind of 3D remakes instead of moving through static prerendered images although they are very good in quality.

[@keithv2974]

This is an interesting comparison because you get a real sense of the differences between the two styles of game design. I'd go as far as to say that the first-person puzzle-solver design of the remake and the point and click adventure of the original are so different, they are nearly different mediums. It's like comparing a novel to the film adaptation. They follow a similar path, but our brains absorb them in different ways. For me, the original looks more interesting. There is something more surreal and novel-like about the point and click aesthetic. It forces you to slow down, to take in the surroundings and the images you're observing. The remake, while very nice looking, feels much more like a standard videogame. That's not a bad thing, but it lacks the unusual charm of the original.

[@Warriormon87]

They did a great job on the remake. The fact that original holds up ao well and is even occationally better than the remake is a Testament to just how well made the original was. I am proud of Cyan for doing the remake justice.

[@AstronautDown]

I've played this game three times and had never seen the body of the guard on the rocks before! What an amazing game, I replayed it literally days before this remaster was announced but I'll definitely play this sooner or later! So happy this exists and new players can discover this wonderful world!

[@iamtheliquor809]

Same!

[@charlesajones77]

In still shots, the original looks better in almost every way. But since you can move around freely now, it's much easier to understand how everything is laid out.

[@brianheath959]

Just finished the remake. Outstanding. But seriously, why does Atrus now stop writing and leave? His OG dialogue and journal makes it very clear that Riven is right on the edge of collapse, and Atrus has to stay behind and continuously add more text to keep the age alive while you're inside. Other than small nitpick, they nailed it. 👍 Definitely play this game.

[@FrankKlaver]

I think he needs to leave because it's to dangerous while his wife is held hostage on Riven. That is the reason he gives you the Quest. Then again you've got a point since he is not on Riven, he is sending you to Riven. I change my mind while writing and don't correct that as you may notice. So now I think it's not important. They, you and him, had a secret place to meet and are both leaving. He can send the book you need to return from any of his other creations and worlds, if you can safe his wife and if he can send a book to bring you back.........

[@OctopusOwl]

You can see how lovingly recreated it is, and being able to walk around freely is so amazing.

[@delicious_seabass]

The environments look great. Can't say the same about the characters.

[@daniluzzu]

I agree with what everyone wrote already. This remake looks absolutely gorgeous!! There are so many additions, refinements to the puzzles, and new areas that are possible to explore. But one of the very things that distinguished the myst saga was the real characters. There was something very personal in your interactions with Atrus, and when I completed Riven for the first time I fell in love with Cathrine, being face to face with her while sharing the elevator on your way out of prison island, you get to see this super fascinating woman right in front of you, she is smart, strong, expressive, and darn beautiful, and when she tells you "You did it, you captured Gehn!" she looks at you with relief and appreciation, and that would make me blush everytime. None of those feelings happen with the puppets in the remake.

[@alexandrusimion1530]

Should offer the option for the original FMV in cutscenes. The acting in these sequences, the drama, was what gave depth to the series and what separates it from the rest. The story plot is unique, but without the real acting, it's much harder to convince. During gameplay 3d characters are OK.

[@naturesquad9174]

I think 3D characters and acting can be done well, it just wasnt done well here

[@Mark-ph7cy]

You can't have flat FMV characters in a 3D environment

[@Brainwave101]

​@@Mark-ph7cyYou clearly haven't played many games from the 90s.

[@Mark-ph7cy]

@@Brainwave101 Name me one fully 3d game with walkaround FMV characters. Not Red Alert style people in a tiny box in the corner

[@pikaskew]

There was a certain charm of FMV games that is hard to recreate with 3D graphics. Still a really good remake so far from the demo

[@RESURRECT2]

because of no pathtracing

[@naturesquad9174]

to be fair, the original was also created with 3D graphics

[@pikaskew]

@@naturesquad9174 "tobefaaaiiiiir" (sorry letter kenny moment). That's true, the environments were CG generated. But I was really just talking about the actors FMV performance vs 3d captured performance

[@Chyrosran22]

The FMV footage was a little bit better, more lively, I think, but the 3D models are fine too. You only see a few of them during the course of the game anyway. Everything else is a huge upgrade. Absolutely love both remakes, I desperately hope they're gonna do Myst 3 as well :D .

[@SuperKamiGuru-i3c]

I have to get this... I love Riven. It's one of my favorite games, stories, and worlds ever. Being in it in virtual reality is like a dream come true. Holy shit

[@arquiricardo]

I played and replayed the original 5 disc game. Amazing, immersive and fun. A masterpiece for its time. BUT, the frozen movement of the character, the noise from the quicktime video, the constant CD swap, and the constantly load noises from the CDs are a real bummer. The remake looks crispier, faster and more immersive. I will try it.

[@purefoldnz3070]

its a masterpiece

[@mleise8292]

By the way there was a DVD version with higher quality video. If you play that from a virtual DVD-drive, you get 2 issues fixed. 😉

[@grams18]

@@mleise8292 Really? I never heard about that one before. I only know and own the 5 disc CD version and theres also a console version but these are very old. Many years later it popped up on Steam and that´s all I know or ever heard of it. ^^

[@mleise8292]

@@grams18 Yeah and IIRC GoG for one platform had the CD version and ppl asked them to upgrade to the DVD version. But my memory is blurry on that one. Hopefully Steam has it.

[@bcarr1122]

As others have mentioned here, Riven was later released on one DVD-ROM disc, around a year after the initial availability of the five-disc CD-ROM offering. If I remember correctly, Riven was among the first---possibly *the* very first---games commercially released on DVD-ROM.

[@dootboi4120]

I understand the preference of FMV sequences over CGI models but I'll say this: they clearly did a much better job on the models than in the Myst remake. It's a big step up and an impresive job considering that Cyan isn't really a big studio.

[@HK346-o4x]

I have noticed a lot of the puzzles have changed so far and its great! They. nailed this. I rarely buy games but this is one team I want to support

[@hewhointheearthlydomainsee1272]

The original stimulates the imagination more. The problem with the real time graphics is the lack of atmospherics. Everything is too clean and exact. To stimulate the imagination requires some spookiness so to speak. Like a lack of information which the imagination can try to fill. That lamp in the new version is really bright whereas the older version had a feinter light that cast more shadows on the man's face. The first actor looked more weathered, you might feel his experiences more. His clothes were less neat and perfect. That is something to note: the weathered look of people and objects; everything being so pristine is a give away that it is a game and not a simulated experience. If immersion is the goal, then its something to work on. Like this game could have had potential as a VR game, but they need to learn or set what the professional standards of immersive content are.

[@daviddahlstrom192]

I'll definitely be playing this! I did the Myst remake in VR about a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I played both Myst and Riven when they were originally released, but never actually finished Riven back then and intend to this time. Just as with Myst, I think the new cut scenes will be my only gripe. As illustrated in this video, the contrast in the atmosphere and music combined with the live action actor make the digital remake look pale in everything but resolution. But just as with Myst, I suspect the rest will be just fine.

[@PeterPounders]

What got me when I first played this back in the '90's was the music. The whole experience was just amazing so to think I can play this again for the first time is a must for me.

[@DamienDae]

Glad they kept the original score. It is really part of the whole Riven immersion experience.

[@SebastianMeikle]

I was just thinking this evening I fancy playing Riven again after MANY years. I can't belive this remake is here! Definitely getting this!

[@RocktCityTim]

The original made the best use of Hypercard tech that was ever achieved. I do prefer the live action over the 3d actor sequences, but the rest of the game is a big win.

[@RICOFRITO]

The remake is good they tried to be as faithful to the original as possible. The character models could have used a bit more TLC.

[@jonathanc2849]

Wow! Overall, they've managed to convert it to a full 3D environment, upgrade the visual fidelity, while maintaining the style and feel of the world's aesthetic. Not an easy feat; the team did an outstanding job!

[@deathrev0859]

Live parts of og are better , but the movement and graphics looks great in the remake

[@antimattah]

I recently bought an M3 mac for productivity and work, fully intending not to game, but I'll gladly make an exception for this. Just gotta save a little bit, the wallet is still mad at me. I can remember being a little tyke playing this on my parent's windows computer back in the day. They had the CD set, with 4 or 5 CD's, I can't remember exactly how many there were. They still have it, somewhere around. Matter of fact, Broderbund was a huge influence on me growing up. Countless hours spent in Lode Runner, and many years later Zoombinis. Such great memories. Thank you, Broderbund.

[@teba_sa_ki]

It's incredible that remade all these visuals from scratch! Though I miss John Keston Gehn so much ;)

[@jasons57]

I waited for what seemed like ages for this to come out back in 1997. I remember walking into Best Buy on a Sunday and they had these out about a week before the official release so I snapped it up, took it home, and I don't think my then girlfriend saw me for a few weeks. It was fun swapping out the CD-Roms once you started moving around the island. A year or so later you could buy it on DVD so you didn't have to swap anymore, but I had already solved it and did't have any interest in revisiting just for the novelty of not swapping discs. I still have my original Riven discs and always planned on re-playing once I eventually forgot the story. While I remember a few things, colored pegs maybe? I think it might be time to revisit. Riven was state of the art when it came out. It is so easy too look at the tech we have now and look back on older titles and think, wow, that looks ugly. Rand Miller wrote that almost all of the assets from the original title have been lost or unusable because they were such low resolution so they had to recreate almost everything from scratch. That in itself is pretty amazing when you look at what it took to make the first one and the work that goes into creating something new today. I think what they have done is admirable. I'd definitely play this again. I think they did a great job.

[@fleasname]

I worked on this! We did all the video for Riven and Exile at PVR in San Francisco.

[@adilkhojah]

WAOOOOOOOOOOOO NICE Remake 2024 ..... I PLAY NOW ON PC 8/10

[@suficer7827]

I do miss some of those live scenes in scenes . Short but got the message, will always remember Command and Conquer games like that.

[@retrobutiongames202]

Sad to see FMV characters replaced by CG. Although they did that to answer technical limitations and to make characters fit in the newly made environment and art. Would be happy though if they make the FMV characters optional, like the one they did in Myst (2021) version.😂

[@Zhuravliov]

I would prefer the remake with Ye Olde cutscenes. Remastered with AI, of course, but still. And, honestly, I think original Atrus acts better.

[@odin1469]

I loved the Myst games so damn much. Had a big part of developing a love of puzzles when I was a kid.

[@jordanscherr6699]

I'm not sure how I feel about the characters, but the environments are everything I could have possibly hoped for! This is going to rock in VR!

[@BeastOfSoda]

As an 80s kid and a 90s gamer, I am amazed that we have come such a long way in terms of visual quality. We are privileged to live in an era where real time graphics look better than pre-rendered assets from just 20 years ago.

[@psychedelictacos9118]

This is so nostalgic, the world was so mysterious and captivating playing as a child, even though I could never figure out the puzzles!

[@iesmeh]

The FMV video sequences with live actors in the original are nostalgic, for sure. But the 3D characters are so lively in the Riven remake that I don't find myself missing them. Great care has been taken to emulate and tweak the character animations to mimic every little bit of the original performances, everything from posture to fluidity of movement to facial expressions and eye movement. They look fantastic, and not just for a small development team. They look fantastic period. I'm fascinated by all the updates to the game. It feels like I'm playing it for the first time all over again, because things aren't quiet like I remember them. Surprises both small and large keep cropping up. This remake has helped me recapture the joy and wonder I felt years ago when I first played Riven.

[@naturesquad9174]

it's more that the 3D characters look like theyre from a 2009 game, while the rest of the enviroment looks more like a 2024 game

[@mitchellradspinner4491]

I really do appreciate the remake but the section at 4:49 really shows where it’s weak sometimes. If it wasn’t for the resolution I would have thought the original was the remake with improvements. Those deep shadows and god rays are just gorgeous.

[@BlazonStone]

The real actors > the new animated

[@DeltaNovum]

Still great compromises. Now we have both options. Seeing as the myst series is told mostly through, scenery, atmosphere, puzzles etc, and not actor performance, I personally prefer the newest iteration. I'm sure that someone will find a way to mod the old performances in, in some way. For people wanting some sort of hybrid.

[@tree4318]

It's baffling that they thought they should go with cgi instead of new actors.

[@DeltaNovum]

@@tree4318 how would you go about getting new recordings, of real performances, look okay, in three-dimensional environments that are lit by a real-time dynamic lighting solution? I think that the current solution might be the best solution. Its still a recorded performance, with less fidelity in the performance itself. Still you can play the old game for those. Its just a chose of which artstyle do you prefer? The 2D slideshow or a fully dynamic 3d world to explore?

[@tree4318]

@@DeltaNovum There's really no way to have a 3 dimensional live action character in a game?

[@DeltaNovum]

@@tree4318 there is, but it not only costs a lot of money and is only doable by AAA studios, but unless you're using a 3d character copy (which is what they kinda did within their budget), you won't be able to make them look realistic with the dynamic lighting.

[@MaximumMadnessStixon]

The remake looks pretty phenomenal, and like it'd be a good supplement/addition to the original, given it seems to be _mostly_ the same game in spirit, but with tons of little changes and tweaks. I'm not a huge fan of the franchise (I was just a little too young when they came out initially), but I don't mind them replacing the FMV's with actual in-game graphics. It mostly seems to work in-context. One of these days I wanna sit down and play through all of them.

[@GeneraluStelaru]

Some say the remake's puzzles have been simplified or distilled to where they no longer integrate into the worldbuilding. I agree in some sense. But unless you're a Riven 'purist', you'll find that most, if not all changes are welcome. I never saw a button or lever that operated some unrelated gate or bridge -- like it's case in the 1997 original. Most map layout changes are improvements in term of realism and make more sense thematically. Riven 2024 is still daunting if you're not paying attention -- so it succeeds as a remake in my eyes.

[@grams18]

Would be even cooler if the would do an update that let us choose and play both the original 1:1 scenes and puzzles and the changed ones from the remake.

[@dragon3dnet]

I remember going to a Riven unveiling event for the launch of the game where they talked about the technical aspects of making the game. The original game was made using Softimage and I remember where they pointed out one scene which featured a lot of foreground plants and a more distant view of neighboring islands: it was so complex and the scene file was so large, they said it took 2 hours to load and 5 hours to save. I imagine they used Unreal Engine 5 for the remake which with Nanite has no limits on the complexity of the geometry added to the game. I think the biggest problem I have with the remakes is the "uncanny valley" 3d characters which appear to be poorly animated. For the characters, I prefer the original; but I do like the freedom to move around in the remake.

[@PCGamingGoodies]

This game had been in development since 2009, as those who followed the Starry Expanse website know. I'm glad it finally came to fruition. Cyan has been busy lately, as they released Firmament just last year.

[@jadegecko]

Atrus sounded so much more somber and unnerved in the original. "There's a very good chance?" Great, no tension...? The survey map being dumbed down isn't a huge shock, I guess, given the VR. But I actually really like how they reimagined the fire marble puzzle. It actually felt like I was doing science, rather than just copying from a journal. I am still completely lost when it comes to the Moiety puzzle. Which is good. I think my first inkling of the new gameplay came during the demo, when I pulled the steam lever to the boiler bridge and it disintegrated right in front of me. I do wish they'd cooked up a day/night cycle.

[@D3monL3A1]

understand that they could not simply use the fmv in what is a 3d fully recreated riven so for all theose complaining about it please have some perspective

[@grams18]

It can be done. There are a few methods to make this possible. On the other side they could have even more improve on the 3D characters themself to make the faces and clothes look more detailed and realistic. They could get help with that from others.

[@krajcjakub]

@@grams18 it can be done - with some restrictions - for example, you can temporarily lock character position and rotation and use simple 2D video, or you can lock only position and use 360 video (possibly combined with 3D environment - similar to in Myst 4) .... BUT ... but, that doesn't work in VR, you cant lock movement of a real person wearing headset

[@grams18]

@@krajcjakub Yeah I know I wrote it basically in another comment except for VR. I think it must be also possible to temporarely block movement even in VR as I saw something like this on another game. Otherwise they should come up with another solution as VR is it´s own thing anyway. Just lock the movement/scenery in place and use 2D video as they did in the og.

[@protips__]

I think half the problem with replacing the FMV with in-game graphics is they don't lock down the camera so the viewing angle is bad. If they locked you in Bethesda-style, it'd probably look a lot better than it does here. Overall though, obviously lots of love and craft went into recreating Riven accurate to the feel of it back in the day.

[@CapnSlipp]

I like the graphics of the original better. The fogginess of distant islands, the more contrasty sunlight, and the filmed FMV acting is so much better than the 3D character animation (not that 3D character animation can't be that good; just that the remake's animation isn't great).

[@jasonjong4973]

Yeah, good character animation gets you at least to the uphill side of the uncanny valley. This example here unfortunately lands right in the bottom, it's amazing how much more convincing the low-resolution 2D video is.

[@naturesquad9174]

all the graphical complaints are things you can adjust with your settings. the character models are the only real complaint, because theres no reason to have 2000's looking character models in a 2024 game

[@sikliztailbunch]

I have played through the original on Sega Saturn and I am really looking forward to revisiting that place

[@merlin704]

I'm surprised they couldn't clean up the FMVs to make them HD. I feel like they helped with the dark ambience of the game's world.

[@alexbusoni]

everything is great, but it could have been done 10 years ago, but the idea of ​​doing full 3D is good! It’s even interesting to try, of course it’s a pity that actors can’t be made like before from video loops, but this one is also authentic

[@Murks33]

Really cool that they altered puzzles with the free-movement and free-look in mind. Was wondering if that would cause issues since you can't really curate what the player is looking at.

[@thecarsonigen]

i preferred the live action scenes from the OG, that was so cool back then. And those still images made the game look so awesome for its time. One of the first PC games I ever played

[@akuunreach]

There's a certain warmth and atmosphere to the original FMV that's simply lacking in the remake's 3D. Beyond that, the remake looks amazing, and looks like they spent a good amount of time reconstructing the original areas to a great deal of accuracy. Hopefully the changed puzzles offer a good deal of challenge like the original.

[@FreelancerFreak]

I love the graphics and the free movement but i love the live action intro when i was a kid

[@trevorburnett825]

The original looks better. And the free roam of the new game removes the stillness of the old game. The point and click still frames created a mystery aspect I miss from the new game. There was a desire to click somewhere or go back to a frame and study it for clues. I know why they did this and I’m still excited to play more of it but it won’t live up to the feeling of the original for me. The video characters make the original seem more of a real place than the new game. But other players who didn’t get sucked into the original like I did may enjoy the remake better if they go back and try the original. It’ll probably play too slow for them but I had all the time in the world in 97.

[@pacoltrane]

I can relate 100% with your last sentence.

[@HaraldSeiwert]

The original Riven was and still is my all-time favorite game. So I had high expectations for the VR remake. I'm not totally disappointed but expected a little more details in modelling (very low polygones) and texturing. And of course the difference between the life actors scenes and the 3D puppets. I understand the technical limitations to translate a 2D environment into VR. But that it can be done I've experienced with "The Room", "Moss", "Red Matter". Nevertheless, still enjoying it 😄

[@TheLazySamurai]

Don't get me wrong, I love both versions. I wish they left the option to keep the old FMV sequences in, like they did with the Myst remake. The new Riven graphics are naturally superior, however we can't discount how well the original still holds up, even with such a low resolution

[@Nyllsor]

How cool that they remade Riven!! Pure nostalgia, fantastic game!

[@grams18]

They also could kept the original audio dialog but these are just nuances. Would be cool if Cyan could still improve on it via updates.

[@bartlebyfreddawn]

The original, definitely. For the characters, the cutscenes, the overall feeling of immersion. It may sound silly, but still shots added mystery; it was not frustrating at all to not be able to see absolutely everything. Riven is a puzzle game, not a touristic trek. But today, we have to look at every inch of every object, on every side, from whatever distance we wish. As a result, many are flawed, and don't look natural. Why in the world couldn't they "just" create brand-new stellar images, in 2K or 4K with a modern 16:9 ratio, together with state-of-the-art video (and maybe a few more animations?). And one last very important thing: it would have run on any device, with no lags, no glitches, no loading screens. It would have been a game made for absolutely everyone, just like the original was.

[@BL-mf3jp]

The 16GB RAM requirement for the remake is ridiculous

[@nickblomgren]

​@@BL-mf3jp Just about every Unreal Engine 5 game I've played had a base-requirement of 16GB. I think that's the norm of that engine. Like, Robocop Rouge City was UE5 and the required requirements said 16GB. You might want to invest in more RAM if that's the case, because as more games go to UE5 it's going to be the base-standard very quick.

[@bartlebyfreddawn]

@@BL-mf3jp Ridiculous and unnecessary for such kind of game.

[@BL-mf3jp]

@@nickblomgren my point is that games are poorly optimized since 2015

[@Rhodochrone]

The filesize would be unbelievable if they'd done that.

[@spderweb]

I think the main problem with free roaming, is that many of the puzzles work because of the locked camera. It's a point and click adventure. So things like finding the animal silhouettes, is going to be far more difficult to even notice, in the free roam.

[@anachronologist2017]

One thing they didn't need to change was that honey whiskey voice of Rand Miller. Iconic

[@magsical]

While I enjoy 100% walking freely in Riven for the first time, OG Riven has the best experience. and I really, really enjoy walking around in R24.

[@billybartcody3591]

Definitely one of those cases wherein the magic lies in the limitations of the original medium. While the ability to move fluidly in 3D rather than teleport is nice, the original's lo-fi quotient really did a lot to provide a visual glue that held the exploration, puzzles and cutscenes together. It was more immersive and atmospheric because of the limitations. At the time it was the most visually immersive game around, in the modern age it looks quite poor compared to something rendered in Unreal Engine 5 for instance.

[@mikerules666]

I played and beat the original many years ago, and still own it. The remake has got me intrigued. I will have to play it to see all of the major differences.

[@TriPBOOMER]

I love the movement and scenery improvements but they should have stuck to the live action cut scenes, felt more real And so you know I played this 10 disk (I think) Beast in 1997 and the visuals although I still think they don't look terrible, they popped on CRT. I will be re-playing it though, feel its been long enough! The audio is a nostalgia trigger for me all the creaking and gears ect. Takes me right back in to the world! Might feel weird not having to change the disk for each Island and remembering what islands are on what disk so you can be ready as you move around.🤣🤣

[@WeRobBanks]

I remember playing Riven as a little kid. One time, I crossed a bridge by accident, had to switch discs, then crossed the bridge again and switched the disc back. I stopped playing after that.

[@Rivenworld]

I have just realised that was is missing in the new intro is the reverb, Atrus is in a cave and the original sound reflects that, the remake sounds as though he is in a room - no reverb. A small detail but one that I am surprised they missed considering their legendary attention to detail.

[@SuperMandibleclaw]

The FMV is iconic, but honestly the 3d models look great

[@IceThatJaw]

Jeez, 3D camera panning still feels so fake and jerky. The 2D scrolling in the original was so smooth. Hopefully 1000fps will he acheivable on a consumer grade GPU in a few years. Lol

[@yanayana5408]

Great remake for legendary game.

[@Reaper1722]

0:11 I thought that was Russell Crowe at first. Even sounded like him.

[@cutie1427]

Bro i really was thinking that to, i juuuust came back from looking up the actors. I couldnt even think of the actors name. Your comment randomly comes to the top

[@natewilson111]

That stained glass temple scene had a much better vibe in the original game. There's something about how the overbrightness and the murky darks made the scene more "real". (The new version looks nice, but can't escape that "computer graphic-y" look.)

[@naturesquad9174]

you guys realize the original was also (less powerful) computer graphics, right...? Brightness/contrast issues are things you need to adjust with your graphics and monitor settings.

[@Paco3dArt]

I think they have done an extraordinary job. I wished they waited to make proper raytracing and implemented further revisions and iterations to make the characters of higher quality. Still I am very excited to get this game. I think this is amazing.

[@DickVanPaiton]

HOW LONG did I search around before I found out that you could crawl underneath the door. This made me NUTS :-D That "mechanics" simply has not been established anywhere as being a potential option of movement.

[@HQ_Default]

I do think I still prefer the original FMV sequences, I mean they are possibly the best implementation of FMV live-action cutscenes in an otherwise pre-rendered game. That being said, I'm not sure how they could have implemented them in the context of a fully 3D environment. I think for what this is, the new cutscene's aren't bad at all. Pretty good voice work on display, as well.

[@rabidrobbie]

The in-game stuff looks great, but the original intro feels so much more dangerous and mysterious by comparison.

[@boriscat1999]

The full 3D looks very good and is very immersive and high resolution. But I'm still happy with the original version. I think if I were to introduce this game to a younger audience the HD remake is the way to go though. It's difficult to justify the low resolution of FMV back then to the younger generation. It would be too distracting to them.