Michael Nadeau
MYST, Broderbund Software, Inc., P.O. Box 6121, Novato, CA 94948, (415) 382-4400; fax (415) 382-4582, $60
If you like a good mystery, you'll get your money's worth from Myst. Placed abruptly in a strange, abandoned island world, you are left to discover its secrets and a way to leave. The documentation purposely gives you little guidance, except that you should try everything and look everywhere. If you get stuck, an envelope holds a few precious hints.
As you wander about, you pick up clues about this fantastic world; look first for a handwritten note. You have no complicated controls or menus to deal with; you simply point and click to where you want to go. The pointer turns into a hand when it is placed on an item you can pick up or grab. A zip feature lets you move more
quickly from one location to another. Both the Mac and MPC Windows versions work identically.
Without giving away too much of the story, the island Myst is a base for entering and exploring other worlds. These worlds each have their own theme; there are, for instance, a water world and a mechanical world. The means by which you reach these other worlds involve a bit of science fiction and, it seems, magic.
It is easy to get hooked on Myst. Two years in the making, it features stunning, highly detailed graphics. An original sound track plays unobtrusively in the background. At certain points, video clips are seamlessly integrated into the artwork. From technical and pure entertainment standpoints, Myst sets a new standard of excellence.
CD-ROM Fun At Its Best
