Myst was one of the first games to be unilaterally declared one of the greatest games of all time, and of every game to hold that title with some degree of seriousness, it might be the most forgotten. Though remembered fondly by older gamers twiddling their thumbsticks in the ‘90s, Myst has not endured. Now though, it’s back - only it’s an FPS.
Part of Myst’s mystique was that it was incredibly intelligent, just like the wordplay you’ve just read. It touted itself as being cerebral, intelligent. It’s not just a video game, it’s art. Yeah, we’ve been saying that since the ‘90s. Myst played out like a series of puzzles, but these weren’t interactive in the way they might be in Zelda or Tomb Raider. They were passive, like a New York Times Crossword. As a result, some people didn’t get it.
Back in the ‘90s, games were all about lives, high scores, and game overs. They were tests of skill that needed to be replicated over and over again, and consoles thought of themselves as arcade cabinets you could play at home, not as home entertainment systems that sophisticated adults enjoyed. Myst was a major challenger to that, and while other games have come along and done it better since, it’s one of the earliest examples of a game subverting conventions so completely that it almost feels like a rebellion against gaming itself.
Its popularity inspired ‘Myst clones’, which were just other games that made you think rather than kill things. Most of these were poorly received and rushed, but the animosity towards them for continuing this rebellion meant the term did not last with the affection of Roguelikes or Metroidvanias. And now it’s an FPS shooter, which feels like beautiful irony.
If you’re wondering why I’ve taken so long to get to the FPS itself, it’s because there’s not much to it. Developed by Woe Industries, I was able to beat it inside ten minutes, taking only three attempts. Try your luck here. The game is very simple - you click around the Myst map and enemies fly towards you. Shoot them before they get close enough to attack. You have five lives and have to kill 100 enemies before you lose them. That’s it. It’s not going to win Game of the Year, but it’s a fun way to pass a lunch break.
When the devs emailed me about their game, as devs, studios, and publishers often do, there was no long winded press release, no fake friendly PR speak, no fancy gifs. Just ‘we made Myst into an FPS because we thought it was funny’. And I mean, it is - Myst was designed around the idea that games could be more than arcadey killing simulators, so to go back and turn it into one after everyone has forgotten it is a good gag. But it’s also a fine piece of art.
Myst was founded on the ideas that games can be something more, and 30 years later, the jury is still out on whether they are. Narrative is taken more seriously these days, there are more nonviolent games being released, and major studios want the prestige of being art, not just a few weirdos making arthouse slideshow games. And yet the best selling game is Call of Duty.
These esteemed artful games still use violence to propel themselves forward, are still focus tested to make sure there’s nothing too challenging that might push players away. Red barrels still explode. White paint still tells you where to climb. Whoever gets the most kills still wins. The audience is still gamers. Just like 30 years ago, they’re still gamers. They’ll still like Myst better if you could kill things.