Wednesday 20 July 2016

Within the Fissure


From the moments after that foreboding introduction, given by the world’s weariest writer - holed up in his lonely yet wonderfully byzantine cave, you know this adventure is going to be something different, something to remember. Sure it followed one of the best selling PC games of all time that many would argue eclipse it’s place in history but I write this piece to heartily disagree with that sentiment and argue instead that in the nearly 20 years since it’s release nothing has matched this rich sequel in terms of ambition, complexity, scope, and sheer worldbuilding bravura. Riven is nothing short of a masterpiece that carved a fissure in my heart and links to a place in my imagination so singular, so enigmatic it continues to send shivers down my spine all these years later. In the forlorn words of Atrus: 
“For reasons you’ll discover I can’t send you to Riven with a way out”


It all starts with a barrier, both literal and metaphorical. As a cage slams shut in front of you, your first experience of this new world rather ignominiously begins in passive observation. In a feeling akin to that first plunge into the icy waters of a deep lake you are greeted to an introduction and indeed first act that are similarly vivid and yet simultaneously uninviting for newcomers and initiates alike. Wondering this new world can often feel overwhelming, almost impenetrable, as you try to decipher the symbolism, strange architecture and technologies - as beautiful as they can be befuddling.

By willfully eschewing the hand-holding techniques usually employed by more modern games to guide you through the environments and tunnel your attention, I’m sure many people bounced off the game in these first few hours out of sheer confusion. But for some like myself it was that captivating wall of mystery and intrigue juxtaposed against the sublime, visceral surface that hooked us in - That solitary moment spent gazing deep into an indigenous cave painting on the wall of a lonely cave, pondering the significance of it’s meaning; Or standing frozen atop the creaking planks of a rickety jetty as one of the denizens of the lagoon runs from you gripped by a primal fear. What was so refreshing of Riven was it’s deliberate inclination to surround you with a complex and expansive world akin to a lavish fantasy or science fiction novel - a place so rich and otherworldly that a period of acclimatisation had actually been factored in to the gameplay experience.

Of course part of the allure was always going to be that smarty pants feeling you got when perseverance finally broke you through that wall of intrigue, setting off on your journey to actually figure things out. It was the same sense of intellectual smugness I remember fondly from the original Myst - Successive eureka moments that punctuated the players journey and ultimately molded the rhythm of the Myst experience as slowly the seemingly mad contraptions began to make sense. The way in which Riven advanced the formula was first to ground the structure and its components in a reality and internal consistency that had seldom been witnessed in game design up until this point, but beyond that the puzzles and their solutions (If you choose to define the gameplay in such terms) were for the first time arranged along the conceptual lay lines of something I can only describe as the culture of the world itself.



Riven expected a scholarly attention to detail from its players. You literally had to study the history, understand the power structures and judge character motivations in order to unlock that culture. This was a ‘game’ where to crack a code you (almost intuitively) needed go to school and learn the local numerical system; a game where understanding the spiritual importance of animals to the indigenous population would allow you to make contact with their underground movement; a game where studiously reading the journal of a complex ruler and his prodigal son ultimately informs your judgement when you are tested in a pivotal encounter; a game where within the fiction of it's world, the lever puzzles actually made sense.

Sure there’s probably been a tonne of games before and since that have placed you in equally beautiful settings while integrating puzzles and narrative to similarly satisfying synergy, but somehow what Riven did was to weave it's environments, history, gameplay and culture together in my subconscious in such a way as to actually imbue the world with an intangible and yet authentic sense of meaning - to elicit a feeling some would consider the holy grail of world building - the sense that these spaces, factories and shrines, evidenced inhabitation, industry and ritual formed part of an rich and interconnected ecosystem - or to quote a great old cliche Riven succeeded in creating ‘a living breathing world’.



Riven was a place like no other - a doomed prison world beholden to an aging false god, inhabited by a divided ingenious society, and exile for an impassioned revolutionary recast as a prophet. Without spoiling too much - In the end Gehn’s (The antagonist) great downfall was his inability to respect the island's inhabitants and take the time to understand their beliefs and culture in a beautiful inversion of the players own journey. Because given a willingness to invest the time and patience required to fulfil this unique journey, you will discover rich cultures, unlock a world through understanding and conquer it all in an experience that will … well like the lonely writer says:
Now I understand... endings and beginnings are within the Fissure, that Riven-cleft of stars that acts as both wall and a bridge... And now, I am at rest

11 comments:

  1. A standing ovation for this. It resonated completely with me and tallies with my own observations and emotions regarding Riven. This article needed to be written, as for some reason Cyan's games get so much ire directed towards them yet they are intelligent, bewitching, and unique.

    I was telling my wife yesterday how powerfully the game conveys its world, how seamlessly it marries puzzle with story, how to unlock its secrets you have to understand its world. As you say, you've got to not be like Gehn to win.

    Thank you for this article, James, it codifies a lot of things I've been banging on about for years.

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    1. Thanks Barnaby, you're too kind! It's such a fascinating thing when a game from so long ago still feels so vivid in our minds. I just felt compelled to write something down! Glad my thoughts resonated with you!

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    2. Thanks for writing this. It is exactly How I feel about it.

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  2. Riven is by far the best of the Cyan games in the D'ni universe. And for a certain type of gamer, who got started on something called Advent, it is supremely satisfying.

    Please excuse a little grammarflame: elicit, not illicit. One is a verb, the other an adjective, with quite a different meaning.

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  3. “For reasons you’ll discover I can’t send you to Riven with a way out”

    What a perfectly chosen quote. Nearly 20 years and I am still stuck in Riven with no desire to ever leave. Back in '98/'99 I created a website exploring the depth of Riven called "Riven Illuminated" (http://mystarchive.com/rivenil/) and still to this day I get messages about it from other fans. In more recent years I've tried my hand at making Riven "real" by creating some of the items from the game in real life such as the moiety animal balls, the agate power window, and one of Gehn's linking books. (http://numinous80.deviantart.com/)

    Nothing since Riven has yet compared and I'm constantly chasing the dragon. Eagerly awaiting Obduction with fingers crossed. ;)

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    1. A true fan. I salute your dedication to this most worthy of games. Beautiful artwork also, as if conjured from another age ;)

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    2. Yup same. I'll never get over Riven. The first real pc game I ever played got it for Christmas in 1997 I think. Was blown away. Now my kids are playing Myst and Riven and love it :)

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  4. Cyan needs to get Richard Vander Wende and Robyn back. Think of what they could accomplish with those two and the Obduction team. Also since Obduction is doing phenomenally now that's released, I see this as a ripe time for Cyan to try something even bigger now. Robyn and Rand even mentioned that they've been collaborating on future concepts lately. The big four (Rand, Robyn, Richard VW and RAWA) need to team up again if they are to outdo Riven and Obduction.

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    1. Can someone talk about this more? I've been looking all across the internet for mention of Obduction 2 or the next Cyan project but nothing. Obduction was really got but could be improved in some parts and I think they could do it. How about a true Riven sequel since Myst 3 and on were all pretty bad

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  5. Wow, couldn't have said this better myself, summed up my feelings in one. I have always felt that Riven has never been fully recognised as the masterpiece that it really is - masterpiece in every single respect bar none. I am still playing this 19 years later, I have it on 2 PC's and both of my iPads, I have framed discs all over the house, pictures, an A0 sized framed map, pictures and the soundtrack on my phone (and iPads), I live, eat and breathe Riven and I always will. I agree with Rivendude, get the original team back together for one more game... Awesome piece, thanks for this, really touched a part of me deep inside. Cheers JD (aka The Stranger at Rivenworld.com)

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