The original Riven team reunites after 27 years for the remake
Cyan Worlds has announced that the original team for Riven has reunited after 27 years, for the remake of the game. Robyn Miller, company co-founder and original composer of Myst and Riven: The Sequel to Myst, is creating new music for the remake, which will be music to the ears (sorry) for fans of the original, and especially those who adored the soundtrack.
To celebrate this all, a new track from the soundtrack to the new game has been released, and the team says that more details regarding the platforms it’ll release on, as well as the date the soundtrack will come out will be announced “at a later date”. It’s also worth noting that while Miller is on soundtrack duty, he’s not actually joining the team as such.
“Writing the music for Riven was a blast. I hope that fans like the additions,” said Miller, adding “I attempted to evoke the sounds of the original soundtrack but I was writing for an environment that is unique and stands apart from the original Riven. This piece had to live up to that and, in a way, speak a different musical language”.
The team says that “With Robyn entering this new collaboration with the Cyan Worlds team —and Richard Vander Wende joining the team back in 2022 as game director for the remake— a unique opportunity presented itself to bring together the original creative team behind 1997’s Riven: The Sequel to Myst. Join Rand Miller, Robyn Miller, and Richard Vander Wende on a special roundtable conversation where the great minds behind the 1997 hit sit down and briefly discuss their approach to worldbuilding going from Myst to the original Riven, as well as the upcoming remake”.
Riven is a modern remake of 1997’s monster hit Riven: The Sequel to Myst, and a love letter to the classic narrative-driven puzzle games of the ‘90s. When exploring the decaying age of Riven, Cyan Worlds wants the player to feel like an archeologist, slowly unraveling the many mysteries of the D’ni and Rivenese mythologies. Through careful exploration of Riven’s five enigmatic islands, players will uncover clues, decipher foreign languages, and immerse themselves in the game’s intricate lore. Riven encourages players to lose themselves in its world and find solutions to the game’s puzzles through careful and profound reflection, examination, and contemplation of the environment.
Leveraging modern-day technology and the power of Unreal Engine 5, Cyan Worlds aims to recreate and expand on its vision for Riven with development focused on delivering native experiences on both flatscreen and VR platforms. The game will offer an unparalleled level of immersion, allowing players to truly feel part of the enigmatic D’ni Empire while exploring the decaying age of Riven. With new puzzles, expanded storylines, and breathtaking visuals, even those who know the original by heart will find themselves lost again in its depths.
Riven doesn’t have a release date yet but is planned for VR versions as well as flat-screen editions this year.
