With the popularity of games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, more developers than ever have incentive to go all in on reimagining beloved classics. Now another iconic game can be added to that list, because it has just been announced that Myst is getting the remake treatment.
The 1993 first-person puzzle-adventure left a big impact on the history of video gaming, not just in terms of critical and financial success but for the way it advanced the idea of what games could be. The way Myst immersed players in its world full of secrets to discover (as well as some tricky puzzles) can still be seen in games coming out nearly 30 years later.
Cyan Worlds was the studio that brought the game to life back then, and today it announced that it’s diving back in with a remake that has “completely reimagined” Myst for modern systems. Cyan, as well as the newly launched store pages on Steam, GOG, and Oculus, reveal that the new version will boast updated visuals, audio, and interactions, as well as new features like optional puzzle randomization. The remake will also come with optional VR support.
Other than that, the announcement doesn’t go into further detail regarding specific changes being made, with the reveal trailer focusing more on the vibe of Myst. For now, fans are left to speculate about how much the remake will reimagine the original’s gameplay. One option, of course, may be for it to stick closely to the point-and-click style of the 1993 version with modern polish, while another could be for Cyan to take inspiration from games that followed Myst, like Cyan's 2016 first-person puzzler Obduction.
Right now, the Myst remake has only been confirmed for PC and Oculus Quest, but given Cyan’s announcement doesn’t emphasize platforms, it suggests that there’s a chance those platforms could grow. There’s some precedent for this, as there is a Nintendo Switch version of realMyst, its original remake from 2000, so it wouldn’t be far-fetched to see the new version end up there or on other consoles.
2020 has proved to be a fairly busy year for the Myst franchise as a whole. In April, the long-gestating Hulu adaptation of the game picked up a writer, and earlier this summer a documentarian took to Kickstarter to fund a documentary about Myst. It’s fitting then that fans will be able to cap it off with a new game announcement, assuming Cyan has nothing else to reveal before 2021.
The Myst remake is in development for Oculus Quest and PC.