Riven - the sequel to Myst, as its original box art helpfully explained - is getting a full modern remake, and while developer Cyan Worlds has not revealed much about the game, they have explained what this means for the fan-built remake that's been in development for 13 years.
The new Riven is "a modern remake" of the adventure game that will be "fully traversable in 3D space," according to the official FAQ. The reveal trailer is brief, and details including price, platforms, and the remake's release date have not yet been announced.
For 13 years, Myst fans have been working on The Starry Expanse Project, a Riven remake in the style of realMyst. While that project has always been unofficial, it did have Cyan's blessing. Over two years ago, the folks at Starry Expanse announced that they were "officially working with Cyan Worlds to bring the dream of a real-time Riven into reality," but the project had been basically silent since then.
Now, Cyan has revealed that at the time of that announcement years ago, the teams "reached an agreement which allowed us to reference core pieces of their efforts to jump-start our development. They subsequently ceased development on The Starry Expanse Project, as our official efforts to remake Riven began."
Cyan promises it did not "kill and eat" the Starry Expanse team in its announcement blog – in fact, one unnamed member of that team is now working on the official Riven remake. It's unclear if any direct assets from Starry Expanse might appear in the remake, though Cyan says it's "rebuilding Riven from scratch."
The original Myst has been remade multiple times over the years, most recently by Cyan in 2020 for VR. That version was ported to more traditional platforms in 2021. They've been making spiritual successors to the Myst franchise in recent years, too, with Obduction in 2016 and Firmament tentatively scheduled to launch in 2023.
Our guide to the best classic PC games has plenty more reasons to get your CD drive whirring.
