Myst V: End of Ages
The final chapter in the Myst series.
Myst V: End of Ages, released in 2005, is the final game in the Myst series. Cyan Worlds developed it, and Ubisoft published it for Mac and Windows. Unlike earlier games, it uses real-time 3D worlds for free movement instead of pre-rendered scenes. New puzzles involve the Bahro, a species controlled by symbols on a tablet.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Cyan Worlds; Beenox (Mac version)
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Director
- Rand Miller
- Producer
- Mark Dobratz
- Designer
- Ryan Miller
- Programmer
- Mark H. DeForest
- Artist
- Joshua A. Staub; Jason C. Baskett
- Composer
- Tim Larkin
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Myst V: End of Ages is an adventure game played from a first-person perspective. Players travel across several worlds known as Ages, solving puzzles and gathering story clues by reading books or observing the environment. The game offers three navigation modes. Classic mode uses the same node-based controls as Myst and Riven, with a fixed view at each location. Classic Plus mode, from Myst III: Exile and Myst IV: Revelation, allows 360-degree rotation while remaining node-based. Free Look or Advanced mode permits free movement similar to Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, using WASD keys for walking and the mouse to change viewpoint. A new mechanic is a slate found in all Ages, which can be carved with symbols using the mouse. These symbols communicate with the Bahro, a shadowy race, and can cause environmental changes such as rain or wind, necessary for solving puzzles. The slate cannot be carried everywhere; for instance, it must be left behind when climbing a ladder. To aid puzzle-solving, players can use a camera to take screenshots stored in a journal, and character dialogue is recorded in another journal with narrated pages; missing pages appear translucent.
Plot
The game takes place in the present day, after the events of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. The player responds to a letter from Atrus, a writer of linking books that serve as portals to Ages. A linking book to the Age of Myst lies sealed in the ruins of the ancient D'ni civilization. Atrus, now old and mourning his sons and wife, expresses concern that his daughter Yeesha may be lost. The player begins in Atrus' study on K'veer, an island near the D'ni ruins. Outside the study, a strange tablet is locked on an altar. Yeesha links in and explains that legends say a Grower must use the tablet to fully restore D'ni, as it can control the enslaved Bahro. Yeesha made the wrong decision upon unlocking the tablet and can no longer use it, so she charges the player with uncovering its power. The player then meets Esher, a D'ni survivor, near the Great Shaft. Esher warns that Yeesha cannot be trusted. Throughout the Great Shaft, the player collects twelve fragments of Yeesha's journal, which appear to confirm Esher's warnings, suggesting Yeesha has descended into madness.
Development
Robyn and Rand Miller, creators of Myst, initially decided against making sequels to Riven. Publishing rights transferred to Ubisoft, who commissioned Myst III: Exile and Myst IV: Revelation. Myst V: End of Ages was officially announced at the 2005 MacWorld Expo by Cyan Worlds, which stated it would be the final installment. Rand Miller decided that technology had advanced enough to use real-time graphics without sacrificing immersion, unlike previous titles that used pre-rendered environments. A focus was making the game more accessible than earlier Myst games, which had frustrated new players with puzzles. Learning from realMyst, Cyan developed multiple control methods to help newcomers and provide a familiar interface for veterans. Esher's role allowed a hint system built into the story. Miller wanted a significant change: the player's actions decide the fate of the characters. He said the future of civilization comes down to that point, and the choices determine where it goes.
Reception
End of Ages was largely well received by critics and judged a fitting end to the series. The visuals were widely praised, and the switch to real-time rendering was generally seen as positive. The music was lauded; GameSpot noted its sparse use was enough to set the proper tone. Some reviewers, such as Charles Herold of the New York Times, felt the graphics fell short of what was possible, especially compared to Myst IV: Revelation. Greg Kasavin of GameSpot thought the visuals were on par but that End of Ages lacked elements that made Myst IV more immersive, such as interactivity with non-essential items and player sounds like footsteps. Characters, previously ridiculed, were well received. GameSpot and IGN praised the voice acting and character models; Juan Castro of IGN said the rendered characters felt more genuine and real than in previous games. Chad Sapieha in The Globe and Mail praised character animations and gestures. Oliver Clare of Eurogamer praised character animation but noted they were not as good as those in Half Life 2. David Ogden Stiers received special praise for voicing Esher. The slate and its puzzles were warmly received, though Clare felt symbol recognition was occasionally too precise, and Paul Presley of Computer and Video Games thought the concept could have been explored further.
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