If you look back at the year 1993, it was a pretty definitive year for media of all sorts. Nirvana had just released In Utero, and Snoop Dogg just dropped Doggystyle. A little movie called Jurassic Park was stomping its way through theatres, and Groundhog Day was charming audiences. That same year also gave birth to a myriad of titans in the gaming world such as Doom, Star Fox, and one of the topics of this review, Myst. The game has been released on 12 consoles and remade or remastered 5 times. The version available on PlayStation 5 is a port of the 2021 release, and this is my first time diving into it.
I really enjoyed the remake of Riven – Myst‘s sequel – when I reviewed it previously, so I was excited to try this reimagining of the original game. Much like the Riven remake, this version of Myst allows you to walk around the environments like they’re a proper 3D space, unlike the original, which was a bunch of images you could point and click on. If you have been looking for a way to play Myst in the modern era and you’ve got a PS5, this is your best bet.
Myst is the granddaddy of immersive puzzle games. Essentially, you’ve got a series of interconnected worlds that are littered with intricate puzzles that demand your full attention, as well as a pen and notepad. I found myself jotting down every symbol I found as well as a little map of each area. Myst presents conundrums and brain teasers as mini escape rooms. Turning a knob that opens up a secret compartment or doorway is always very satisfying, but the puzzles are never that simple. While the puzzles are typically quite strong, it’s sometimes obvious that this is an older game. Some of the solutions can feel convoluted and more frustrating than fun. Even after knowing the solution, I often found myself wondering how I managed to figure it out.
There were a couple of solutions that I discovered through brute force and trying random combinations. I’m also not above using online guides if I can’t figure something out, and reading them has me losing my mind trying to figure out how I was supposed to come up with that solution on my own. What’s cool is that the game immediately prompts you before you start whether you want the original or randomized solutions for returning players. So if you are a Myst superfan and don’t have a PC, that alone might make purchasing this game worthwhile.
My only major issue with how the game plays is that using a PlayStation controller isn’t as tactile or as easy to use as a mouse and keyboard. Sometimes you have to click on very small objects or door handles, and trying to click on something specific can be difficult. The game isn’t unplayable on PS5, but it’s clear you’re playing a game designed for a mouse and keyboard.
The original Myst had this undeniable charm thanks to its prerendered graphics. The colours in the original and some of the rereleases were very bright and saturated, giving the game an uncanny vibe. The 2021 version is much more subdued and almost has a brownish filter across the game. While the game looks good graphically, I miss the original colour palette, and I feel like some of its charm is lost. The environments are fairly simple and do a decent job servicing the original release. The original aesthetic isn’t quite matched, and I think the visuals would be more appealing if they were more faithful to the original, but the game isn’t ugly or unappealing by any means. I didn’t have a single issue with how the game ran or performed, and I never ran into any bugs or glitches.
Riven is also available on PS5, and I wrote a pretty glowing review on it way back in 2024. Everything I said back then is still true in 2026 on the PS5. Now that I’ve played Myst, I found Riven to be a much better experience in basically every way. One of my original gripes with Riven was that I was very confused with the plot given that I hadn’t played Myst. I have finally played Myst and can tell you that I still don’t really know what the hell is going on in Riven. However, you’re probably not playing either of these games for their narrative. The real strength is the puzzles, and Riven really shines in that regard.
Aesthetics are obviously very subjective, but the overall look and colour story in Riven are much more appealing to me, and it shines on the PS5. Each of the island’s unique visuals still look great on console, and the impressive nature-laden environments still sing in 2026. I previously played Riven on the Steam Deck and a lower-end laptop, so seeing it on a PS5 makes the game look ten times better. The puzzles in Riven remain strong and are visually more interesting than I found them in Myst. Even on a replay, there were moments when I was still amazed by what I was looking at, and finding solutions still felt satisfying, even two years later.
While I enjoyed Myst and had a great time playing a classic for the first time, I prefer Riven. The world always talks about Myst and its impact because it was the first of its kind to blow up in the way that it did. It also had a sense of quality that was so rarely seen back when it released. By the time Riven was out, there were many other games that had already surpassed Myst in quality, and the technology had progressed in a pretty major way. Now that I’ve played both games… I wish more people talked about Riven. Everything that was great and innovative in Myst is done so much better in Riven, and that remains true in these remakes.
Whether or not you’ve played the original games, both Myst and Riven are worth experiencing in 2026. Both games are extremely satisfying to tinker with and offer intricate puzzles that will sometimes leave you dumbfounded – though sometimes not in the intended way. If you’re like me and have had very limited exposure to this series, I can assure you this is the best gateway. It’s also got me curious about playing other puzzle games that I previously wouldn’t have given a chance. Myst and Riven both have reputations that precede them; however, both games have earned those reputations as far as I’m concerned. While I do think Riven is a way better game, I absolutely recommend you play them both. I’m shocked that Sony isn’t offering a bundle with both games included at a discount, but I do think these games are worth picking up at their list price. If you’re a puzzle fanatic and somehow haven’t played these gems, you gotta change that.
