Somewhere along the way I started printing walkthroughs of every game I have. I try not to use them while playing but I like to read them afterwards because they often help me to understand some things better and once in a while there is something that wasn't really revelant to playing the game and I missed it.

That said, this is a bit of a rant (for lack of a better word) about Myst 5. I can't find words to express what I'm feeling right now. I just spent 5 weeks, 40+ hours playing Myst 5, or at least I THOUGHT I was playing it. I just completed the game and read the walkthrough.

I got through most of the game fairly quickly and easily with the exception of Noloben. In fact, I was surprised and a little disappointed at how little there was to the game, except for Noloben. My problem there was that I did things out of order and then got stuck finishing up in there because I hadn't triggered something (or so I thought anyway). My sister gave me the tip about having to make it rain (not how, just that I had to). Anyway that was the last location I played and it took me the longest and was the hardest.

Now I've read the walkthrough. The reason I got through the other 3 areas so fast and easily is because I managed to get the tablets without doing 3/4 of the stuff mentioned in the walkthrough.



Now, I like non-linear games and I don't mind if there's some little thing or two that doesn't need to be done in order to complete a game but all those things above that I didn't do? Something seems wrong there and I guess I just had to get this off my chest.

I'd like to do all the things I missed but I'm kind of burned out on the game at this point to start all over again. At the same time I guess I feel gypped or something.

Any thoughts or comments? Anybody else miss all these things in the game?

When Myst V first came out, this bug that you've described was reported at Gameboomers and other places. Gamers who accidentally missed out on most of the game weren't happy about it.

And yes I consider it a bug -- which should have been patched. Although it's true that you can get to the ending of the original Myst in 10 minutes, it would never happen to someone playing the game for the first time (unless they were following instructions. With Myst V, it's all too easy to trigger the bug and miss out on most of the game.

Ouch! I hadn't heard of this bug before. I'm so sorry you missed some of the gameworld!

But I donn't see how you could have finished Taghira or Laki'ahn without doing it step by step? Did you guess all the correct symbols that take you to the tablets or what?

Thanks Jenny for adding the spoiler tags. I had not read about it or known about the bug. I'm glad to hear your opinion - that it should have been patched. I agree.

Thanks Becky for your sympathy. I guess I will go back in the game and use the walkthrough though, rather than just try to replay it all. I would like to see what I missed.

Tomer, I don't know. I guess that was it. The symbols in Laki'ahn were easy. At lease what you need to get the tablet. In Taghira I just tried drawing things I thought went with the scenery and got lucky? Like Jenny said it was a bug in the game. They didn't do something right and it allowed you to get the tablets and complete the game while missing most of the gameplay. Have you played it?

Sure I've played it. It's definitely not one of my favorite Myst game, and did feel a little rushed (it was obvious URU material that never entered the game, so it didn't really fit to the other mysts) - but I did like it. Or at least parts of it.

I just remember that the final symbol in Laki'ahn is incredibly complicated. But maybe you found new bugs, who knows?
I do recommend you try to go through the game once again. The symbols you draw have nothing to do with the scenery This game has some good puzzles and very nice design.

I wouldn't mind for the Myst series to go on forever :-) Next to Gabriel Knight this series is my favorite one.

Make sure you play URU as well! (and all of the other Mysts of course). It is a huge world (still partly alive online) and has some brilliant designs.

Hi Tomer,

I am replaying just the parts I missed but am using the walkthrough. I don't feel like replaying the game but do want to see what I didn't get to play. Even with the w/t it took me over 2 hours to get through Laki'ahn last night. I can't even imagine how long it would have taken me without the w/t. I wish the game hadn't bugged on me so I could have played it right!

I have played the other four Myst games and I have Uru but haven't played that yet. I will after I play a couple of other games.

Never played Gabriel Knight. Everybody here seems to love it. I guess one day I'll have to look into it.

I don't think there's a AG soul living who doesn't like the GK series. Some would argue about the ranking of the games though
(For me it's 3,2,1, 3 being the best! But they're all amazing...)

I never played any of the GK games.

That is statistically impossible...
Therefore you have! :-)

Did I like them?

That wasn't me. One of the Discussions moderators must have added the tags.


I read about the problem here at Gameboomers at the time the game came out.
And according to ***this review***...

That would be me.

It would contradict sheer existence if you didn't. So you did.
:-)

Maybe I will put them on favorite game list next year.