Puzzle titles don’t get much more iconic than Cyan Worlds’ Myst which saw a virtual reality (VR) edition arise last year for Oculus Quest. The studio then confirmed a PC version was on its way, supporting both VR and non-VR gamers. Today, Cyan Worlds has revealed it’ll be rolling out a PC, Xbox, Windows and Mac versions in just over a weeks time.
This new version of the puzzle classic was been completely redesigned for modern gaming systems using Unreal Engine, featuring new art, sound, interactions, and even optional puzzle randomization. The VR version does, of course, have additional interactive elements to make the Myst experience as immersive as possible.
While the 2021 edition of Myst looks and sounds better than ever, the videogame still retains all the original areas and challenges fans know and love. Hence the randomization option to mix things up if you know the title really well. So the narrative stays intact, where you uncover a magical and mysterious story of two brothers and their ruthless family betrayal.
The simultaneous launch will see PC (2D/flatscreen), PC/VR, Mac, and Gamepass (Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Windows) all supported. When it comes to the Oculus Store version the studio mentions in a press release: “Crossbuy will be enabled on the Oculus Store for Myst, so users who purchased the Quest Platform version will have access to the PC version on the desktop Oculus App, and vice-versa.”
The Steam edition will be the only one that supports both 2D and VR by the looks of it. So players can dive in for the fully immersive version which can be played on Valve Index, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, or keep things simple in 2D. Cyan has included plenty of comfort and graphics options to suit PC players.
Reviewing the Oculus Quest version of Myst VRFocus said: “There will always be that nostalgia value for Myst to draw on and many players of a certain age will likely relish being able to truly step into this world for the first time. It’s no longer the groundbreaking experience it once was, yet Myst can still challenge players in its own unique way.”
Myst is due for launch on the aforementioned platforms on 26th August 2021 priced at $29.99 USD. Cyan Worlds has said it plans on releasingthe videogamefor other platforms at a later date, hopefully, that could mean PlayStation VR at some point. For continued updates keep reading VRFocus.
Cyan, the prolific developers behind Myst (1993) and Riven (1997), is giving away Obduction (2016) on the Epic Games Store starting next week. Obduction is Cyan’s first VR-compatible puzzle adventure, and supports SteamVR headsets.
The game is set to be free on the Epic Games Store from July 15th – 22nd. Make sure to add it to your wishlist so you don’t miss out.
Like the studio’s other beloved adventure games, Obduction is a slow and plodding affair that requires patience and problem solving skills. You’ll do plenty of thinking and backtracking across the game’s large sci-fi universe, which is mysteriously dotted with little pieces of Earth. We gave it a solid [8.5/10] in our review for its patented charm, challenging puzzles, and excellent visuals.
Upon release in 2016, Obduction essentially required top specs to run, although it has since been optimized to some degree and also performs much better on recent hardware. You’ll probably at very least want to play on an Nividia GTX 970 or AMD R9 290 for decent results.
Cyan has also released its built-for-VR refresh of Myst (2020), which is available across Oculus Quest headsets. A version is still set to launch at some point for SteamVR headsets.
Myst (2020) developer Cyan Worlds announced today that its VR remake of the game is finally due to launch on PC later this month.
Update (August 17th, 2021): The Myst VR remake is officially set for an August 26th release date on PC, Mac, and Xbox. The PC version will support both VR and non-VR modes. A new trailer with footage from the PC version shows how the graphics have been enhanced over the Quest version (which already looked rather good given Quest’s limited power).
A price hasn’t yet been announced but we expect it to mirror the $30 price point of the Quest version. On PC the game will be sold on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, and will support VR no matter which storefront it is purchased through.
The PC version will include both VR and non-VR modes, and if you’re still eyeing VR from the sidelines with your Mac, the game will support MacOS too (though only in the non-VR mode).
'Myst' PC Screenshots
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Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
The VR remake of Myst hasn’t been priced on Steam yet, though we’d expect it to mirror the $30 price point seen on Quest.
While the original was played as a point-and-click game, the VR remake of Myst reimagines the world in an interactive form, complete with books to pick up, levers to pull, and doors to slide open.
In our review of the game on Quest, we found the real-time presentation to be a breath of fresh air compared to the static frames of the original 1993 version. The game also sticks closely to the original source material, which is nice for nostalgia, but if you’re a newcomer to the iconic game you may find its puzzles rather obtuse for the modern age.
Cyan Worlds is bringing classic puzzler Myst to PC VR headsets later this year.
The rebuilt and upgraded version of one of the most important PC games of all time is listed on Steam as releasing in Q3 this year. The new version first released on Quest in late 2020 and it is a great and faithful port of the classic nearly 30 years after its first release. For those who originally journeyed across the mysterious ages of the Myst universe decades ago, visiting it in VR can bring players to tears because they already have rich memories of a place they visited partly in their imagination. Now, with VR powering the experience, transporting to that island and standing on the dock to begin your journey is a far more complete experience.
The title is listed as including support for Valve Index, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift as well as tracked controllers. The new version is also playable in flatscreen mode. The game is such a faithful reimaging of the game you can even look up guides written in the 1990s to help you through your journey. That said, this updated version also adds an option for puzzle randomization, so you can experience the true challenge of Myst before everyone learned how to use a search engine.
The minimum specifications for Myst list at least 8 GB of RAM while the recommended specifications boost that up to 16 GB.
Here’s the trailer for the game that was released when the Quest version was announced:
When Cyan Worlds brought the iconic puzzle title Myst into VR last year it was an Oculus Quest exclusive. Today, the studio has confirmed its working on expanding support for this new edition, for PC VR headsets as well as standard pancake gaming.
Launching a new Steam page as well as confirming the news via Twitter, Cyan Worlds is developing Myst for both PC and Mac, with the SteamVR version supporting Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Valve Index. Not only confirming a launch window of Q3 2021, but the studio has also released several screenshots which look gorgeous. While Myst on Oculus Quest didn’t look bad it certainly had to be reined in due to the hardware. As the images showcase, the team is certainly making use of that extra headway ensuring this edition of Myst could well be the best looking yet.
Apart from the visuals, there’s probably very little difference between the Quest and PC versions, utilising all the work Cyan Worlds previously did to ensure an engaging VR experience. This saw the team take the original point and click adventure all-new art, sound, and most important interactions. Players can push buttons and flip levers to solve numerous puzzles, engaging them in the world at every turn.
But the studio has still remained faithful to the original 1993 videogame using the exact same locations and retaining the narrative, uncovering a story of ruthless family betrayal. Once you’ve completed the campaign or for those well acquainted with Myst there’s a puzzle randomisation option to mix the experience up.
When reviewing the Oculus Quest version of MystVRFocus said: “There will always be that nostalgia value for Myst to draw on and many players of a certain age will likely relish being able to truly step into this world for the first time. It’s no longer the groundbreaking experience it once was, yet Myst can still challenge players in its own unique way.”
As and when Cyan Worlds release further details of the PC edition of Myst, VRFocus will let you know.
Myst is highly regarded as one of the most important PC games of all-time and now the original developers have rebuilt it for VR for a brand new generation. Read on for our full Myst VR review.
In the first hour of Myst VR you realize you should grab a notebook for recording clues to help solve the mystery. This was true when the groundbreaking game came out in 1993, it was true for the versions released for various consoles and, later, for phones. It is also true for the newest version of the game you can play in VR — rebuilt with levels of detail likely to elicit an “oh wow” from folks who already have rich memories of Myst’s locales despite never actually “visiting” its islands.
That’s the magic of Cyan Worlds’ classic puzzler — its visuals and overall atmosphere created vivid memories despite severe computational limitations. So what to say then of the same game now that VR transports you there so much more completely? The same is still true — its visuals and overall atmosphere still create vivid memories despite severe computational limitations.
And it might just be one of the best unofficial co-op experiences you can find with an Oculus Quest.
Myst VR Review – The Facts
What is it?: Single-player puzzle game set on a mysterious island. Platforms: Quest / Quest 2 Release Date: December 10th, 2020 Price: $29.99
Myst VR is really a single-player game, of course, but the honest truth is that it was always hard and could test the patience of a single human well past the point of quitting. This is a game about paying attention to your environment and trying things out until you figure out what works. So you’ll hear stories of families sitting down around the old computer in shifts with a pencil and paper notebook charting out their clues and theories as a shared journey. Myst can be played similarly in VR.
Sure you could take a book from the library on Myst island and walk over to manipulate a puzzle with the reference book full of clues in your free hand, but I played Myst VR on Quest 2 in a much more satisfying way.
I cast my view from VR so my oldest kid could see it too. She also played along using a phone loaded up with realMyst — the earlier real-time version of the game. She used a notepad at first but then we realized she could just take photos of my screencasting as a quicker way of note-taking. So we tore through the ages of Myst VR together that way.
Myst VR’s environments are realized with impressive beauty. In one of the game’s areas I caught myself staring at the sun for the longest time like Luke Skywalker on Tatooine. It also features excellent sound design and lighting, but even on Quest 2 you can see pop in of higher or lower quality textures that can be pretty distracting depending on your tolerance for it. I also accidentally teleported into a wall once and restarted the game to get out of it.
You can pull up a walkthrough from the 1990s and still use it to work through parts of the mystery again in virtual reality, or if you want to be extra confounded, you can activate puzzle randomization instead.
Myst VR Review – Comfort
Myst VR includes a number of movement options including teleport with snap turning for maximum comfort. There’s also fast travel for climbing ladders or going down stairs. As you’re likely to traverse the environments many times looking for clues, activating these options can make the game very comfortable for long play sessions even while seated.
The puzzles have also been reconstructed for more intuitive 3D interaction. For example, where there were a pair of red valves to turn and change the orientation of a clock in the original game, in the new version there’s a dial with a short and long hand to move into the position you want them on the clock. Those types of changes are definitely welcome and help to reduce unnecessary frustration.
Myst VR Review Final Impressions
If you’re looking to explore Myst for the first time — or perhaps play “co-op” with family like I did — Myst VR is a definitely faithful, upgraded, and solid port of a landmark game that’s hard not to recommend everyone play at least once. It might be a little straining and lonely after a time, but that’s always been true of Myst.
First released back in 1993, Cyan Worlds’ classic adventure game originally launched for Mac OS and spearheaded the boom of the CD-ROM. The game sees you travel to the island of Myst via a special book. Utilizing point-and-click mechanics, it became an incredible success with 6 million copies sold, leading to sequels, adaptations, and numerous ports, most recently on Nintendo Switch back in May. Remakes also followed that allowed for free roaming with further interactivity as well as a slew of follow-ups from other studios taking heavy inspiration.
Cyan Worlds’ first VR game, Obduction, is a sort of spiritual successor to Myst and applies many of the principles and ideas it popularized in the 90s to a modern VR game setting. Since then Cyan has published VR games like Zen and continues working on their next new project, Firmament. In the meantime though, we’re getting a full-blown remake of Myst specifically for VR
Confirmed this will be “built completely from the ground up for Oculus Quest”, this new edition also promises “modern art, sound, interactions, and optional puzzle randomization for those who are up for a greater challenge”.
It comes after news that their other VR project, Firmament, has been delayed until 2022, and recent years have seen the studio pushing virtual reality with Obduction, alongside their own publishing venture. As such, we reached out for an interview with Cyan Worlds CEO, Rand Miller, who was kind enough to tell us more about this exciting new evolution of the classic IP.
Myst VR: Modernizing a PC Gaming Classic
Henry Stockdale, UploadVR: Firstly, thank you for joining me here, I’m a big fan of the original Myst. For any readers unaware of your game, could you please introduce yourselves?
Rand Miller: Sure! I’m Rand Miller. My brother and I created the original Myst game in 1993. It did pretty well. I’m still actively involved in Cyan, the company we formed, and Cyan has continued to focus on creating narrative-rich, exploration games.
UploadVR: Myst is such an iconic adventure game, one we’ve seen numerous ports, sequels and remakes for previously. What inspired you to create a VR edition?
Miller: VR is just such a no-brainer for Myst. The whole idea of the game has always been to lose yourself in that virtual world. Over the years, the technology has provided better and better ways for us to make the experience more immersive – and VR is definitely a giant leap.
UploadVR: We previously saw Myst updated in 2014 with realMyst: Masterpiece Edition. Was there a reason you’ve built this VR edition from the ground up, as opposed to adding VR support for that?
Rand: 2014 is like 100 years ago in tech years. 🙂 Since that time we’ve learned a lot, and we’ve gained experience in various development environments. Our Creative Director Eric Anderson, and Development Director Hannah Gamiel both felt like it would be best for the product to build it from the ground up in the Unreal Engine. It was important for them that this Myst version not just include VR for various platforms, but that it serve as the graphical and interactive high water mark for all Myst versions moving forward, It truly is a complete reconstruction from the ground up.
UploadVR: Compared to previous editions, how does Myst VR play, can we expect any big differences to gameplay?
Rand: There are quite a few variations from the original Myst. Most of them have to do with taking advantage of VR hand controllers and playing in VR space. For example, to enter the combination to the safe in the cabin the player doesn’t just push a button – they grab a knob and turn it. So much more natural. Also, VR necessitates building parts of the world differently – like making interactive items in an area that are easily reached whether players are standing or sitting. We didn’t want to force players to bend down to interact with controls. We also made some global choices on things like doors – they all slide to open and close. This avoids that VR frustration where you pull on a hinged door and it opens awkwardly into you.
UploadVR: It’s also been confirmed that the VR edition will feature optional puzzle randomisation. Can you give us more details about how this works?
Rand: When you start a new game you have the option to play the game without the solutions that have been around since the original version. I must admit that I love the fact that I have most of the puzzle solutions memorized, but it definitely means that I don’t really experience the full game. This option gives a little more opportunity to play Myst with fresh eyes.
UploadVR: Cyan Studios has built up a reputation within VR recently through games like Obduction and the upcoming Firmament, alongside your publishing arm Cyan Ventures. Your studio is clearly invested in the technology, but what are your thoughts on the current state of virtual reality?
Rand: When I experienced VR on a Vive for the first time several years ago, it was clear that it was something special. Not just the sense of being in a space with 6 degrees of freedom, but the incredible use of hand controllers. But of course it was still expensive enough to be somewhat of a niche market. From Cyan’s point of view, we weren’t as interested in compromising the Myst experience for VR that didn’t have 6DOF or hand controllers. We started making VR games (like Obduction) and we learned so much with the experience, but we continued to wait for a sweet spot that would have the power to present Myst well, with 6DOF and hand controls, at an accessible price point so we wouldn’t exclude large numbers of our fans. From our point of view, the Quest was a turning point. We feel like the Quest as a baseline for the current state of VR has made VR a viable option for indie developers like us, and we’re pivoting in various ways to see where VR leads.
UploadVR: Was there anything you’ve learned from Obduction’s development that’s been applied here?
Rand: Where do I begin? We learned so much – the hard way. Probably the most important take-away was that designing the game for flat first, with VR in mind, was not ideal. It would have been much easier to implement the VR version by designing for VR with flat in mind. That’s the approach we’re taking with Myst, and with Firmament, our second Kickstarter game, and it’s already improved the development experience.
UploadVR: Within Cyan’s recent Kickstarter update, we were told that the innovations and optimizations being made for Myst would also benefit Firmament. Could you tell us how?
Rand: Well, so many ways. I’ll start with our art pipeline. We learned an amazing amount during Obduction and built some tools that helped streamline the asset production. But we took the entire exercise and based our Myst production on it, seeing how it played out in the whole process. As a result we’ve been able to tune our ability to build assets quickly and beautifully, but that still run well on various platforms. Myst has allowed us to test and hone that process. Then there is the variety of things we’re learning about interface elements in VR that started with Obduction and is proving valuable as we improve on Myst. These lessons are already playing a part in how Firmament is being developed.
UploadVR: So far, Myst is confirmed for Oculus Quest at launch on December 10th. Is this just for the original headset or can we expect an enhanced version on Quest 2?
Rand: The version of Myst that launches for Quest, plays even faster on the Quest 2, but it’s a similar experience. We’ll be looking into specific options for improvements for the Quest 2 after launch.
UploadVR: We know that the PC edition is planned to release after the Quest version launches, including 2D and Rift support, but when can we expect this to happen?
Rand: We can’t say for sure, but we’ve been building the high-end assets simultaneously to make the development of the other platforms relatively straightforward. With that said, I expect it’ll take several months to tune and polish the PC based VR and 2D versions.
UploadVR: Do you plan to release a PlayStation VR edition?
Rand: We’d love to release versions of Myst for as many platforms as we can. But as an indie company it’s wise for us to see how our planned versions do before making other specific commitments.
UploadVR: Lastly, is there any message you’d like to share with Myst’s fans?
Rand: We have the best fans in the world! We’ve waited to make Myst for VR until it could be experienced by as many of our fans as possible, and I can’t wait for them to experience Myst the way I’ve had the chance to for the last few months. The adventure becomes your world now more than ever!
We first learned about Myst getting the VR treatment back at the first-annual Facebook Connect in September of this year. It’s exciting, but not necessarily surprising given Cyan’s previous development of Obduction and Firmament, as well as publishing titles like Zed.
Arguably, Myst is the most important PC game of all-time. It ushered in a new era of gaming, legitimized the CD-ROM, and pushed boundaries in bold new directions. In many ways, VR is aiming to do the same thing for video games and technology as a whole, so it’s fitting that Myst would bring it all full-circle with a true made-for-VR adaptation.
The official Facebook blog post explains further:
“Reimagined and built from the ground up for VR, Myst lets you explore a beautiful island shrouded in mystery and intrigue. With new art, sound, interactions, updated accessibility, and optional puzzle randomization, newcomers and loyal fans alike are in for a treat. Purchase of the game will also include an exclusive Myst-themed Oculus home environment.”
Cyan Worlds’ classic game Myst is being rebuilt for VR on Oculus Quest.
Facebook announced the title is coming to Oculus Quest later this year during the keynote of Facebook Connect. The new version will feature “modern art, sound, interactions, and optional puzzle randomization for those who are up for a greater challenge,” according to Facebook.
Check out the new trailer:
For those unfamiliar with Myst, the original came out in 1993 featuring beautiful pre-rendered stills players could navigate and unravel the mystery via point-and-click. It spawned several sequels and adaptations including a version with 3D graphics and touch controls. According to Facebook, the new version is “built completely from the ground up for Oculus Quest.” It’s going to be very interesting to revisit those environments in VR. Myst’s original design seemed particularly well-suited to help players build out a really detailed mental map of the rich virtual world represented as still images. So it may represent a pretty eerie sense of deja vu for existing fans of the game to virtually visit those places again in an Oculus Quest.
We’re extremely curious to see how Cyan Worlds adapted the game’s puzzles and interactions to VR. The studio is pretty experienced in VR already so we’ve got some high expectations for this port. Are you ready to see what’s inside the linking books?
Be sure to watch our Oculus Quest 2 VR Download special show diving into the latest announcements and find a list of other Facebook Connect announcements below the video.
Myst (1993), the iconic point-and-click puzzle adventure from Cyan Worlds, is coming to the Quest platform later this year, and on SteamVR headsets “soon.”
Update (September 17th, 2020): It appears Myst will also be coming to SteamVR headsets in addition to launch on Quest later this year, as Cyan has just thrown up a Steam page and GOG page indicating that VR will be an option in addition to the PC flatscreen mode. The PC version is said to arrive “soon.”
Original Article (September 16th, 2020): Announced today at Facebook Connect, Cyan says it’s new version of Myst is a “reimagining” of the classic game, which will include modern sound, art, and interactions.
The studio also says there will be the opportunity to play the game with optional puzzle randomization, which ought to offer a healthy challenge to anyone who’s already played before.
Here’s all of the screenshots that were shared with Road to VR so far:
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Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Image courtesy Cyan Worlds
Although you shouldn’t infer too much from screenshots, it appears the studio is bringing a fine level of detail to the game.
Of course, Myst for Quest isn’t the studio’s first stab at VR, having already brought its VR puzzler Obduction (2017) to PC, SteamVR headsets, PS4 and PSVR. The studio’s upcoming VR title Firmament is scheduled to arrive sometime after 2021.
Cyan says the VR version of Myst was built “completely from the ground-up for Oculus Quest.” While it hasn’t admitted as much, it’s very likely going to be a Quest platform exclusive (see update).
For more on how we arrive at our scores, 
