Videogames wouldn't be what they are today without Myst and Riven. Both of these classic puzzle games helped define the PC as the home of delightful, intelligent, and challenging experiences that reached beyond the screen and followed you wherever you went. Just like how we wouldn't have the modern FPS without Doom, we wouldn't have esoteric games without Riven. Now, almost a year after Cyan Worlds brought us back with the Riven remake, it's overhauled the gorgeous experience to look and play better than ever.
We wouldn't have Blue Prince, The Witness, or Outer Wilds without puzzle game unlike any other, and laid the groundwork for some of the most stimulating experiences available today.
Now, Cyan has suddenly made Riven even better. In a new Steam update the team adds ray tracing for Windows and Mac, turning the already stunning revamp into an even better looking game. Riven is brimming with calm waterways, illuminated caves, and the constant heat of a gleaming sun, so ray tracing brings every light source and reflection into a new age.
That's not all Cyan has done, though. Riven now s auto-setting supersampling options based on your scalability choices, so your crisp visuals should look even smoother going forward. If you use Windows and have the right hardware, you can now play Riven with DLSS 4.0, Intel XeSS, and TSR supersampling as well.
Some smaller parts of Riven look better, too. Gehn's clothing now has cloth simulations on Windows and Mac, and the Survey Island elevator's lighting setup has been vastly improved to bring it in line with the original game. You can also look a bit further behind you on the boat in Tay, and will be met with a confirmation window when deleting a photo in your notebook, in case you actually want to keep it.
Cyan's new Riven remake Riven remake review last year, but now that foundation looks slicker than ever before.
We've also got the old games you can play on PC today, if the Riven remake isn't enough for you.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We've also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with of the team and fellow readers.