What is the best version of Myst to play?

[Melooon]

Believe it or not Iv never played Myst - its always been a bit intimidating to approach - its a large mysterious game, with a design thats sometimes claustrophobic and kinda depends on you getting immersed in the world and story to be entertaining.

Anyway I saw this comparison video recently and it got me wondering! Whats the best way to play myst? The classic 90s look? The totaly modern look, or one of the middle grounds from the 2000s?? What would you pick to play and what would you recommend to someone interested in playing?

[Colliewood]

I've never actually played Myst before. Right now I only have a laptop so it would be awkward to play a FPS I'd go with 1993 Myst. If you want to upgrade may as well go the whole way and get 2021. As I recall the originals are really clunky so my recommendation is to go to 2021.

[SilkSkull]

As someone who has also never touched the game out of intimidation I'd say 93 just for the vibes or 2000 cause of the looks but probably way more accessible then the first

[nine-moonbeams]

it depends! the 2021 release is definitely the most visually impressive, and it or realMyst Masterpiece Edition is probably the easiest to get into. however if you want to experience the 90s cgi Vibes or want a more authentic experience, i'd recommend giving the original a try! just do keep in mind the point and click navigation can be a bit clunky, and it's easy to get disoriented in some areas (especially channelwood)... if you're planning on giving the rest of the series a try, keep in mind the sequel hasn't been remastered in 3d yet, so the original game will flow into it better (and its graphics and gameplay will be an upgrade rather than a downgrade)

you can't actually buy the original realMyst from 2000 anymore, which really sucks because it has a pretty unique look, and i've heard RM:ME is overly shiny and handles some aspects poorly. it seems to be available on the internet archive, but it might take some work to get working on a modern machine.

[Memory]

I originally played the Masterpiece Edition from '99 and I think it strikes the best balance between the original game and the improved graphics of the later releases. It still looks like the original but with improved colours and sound. 

I personally never liked the fully 3D versions because they lost a lot of the original charm. I played the most recent version a few months ago and really didn't like it.

If you're interested in the world of Myst, I recommend checking out the book series as well. They're some of my favourites.

I've been wanting to get back into Myst for a long time because the world is really beautiful and I love the story, but it's a really difficult series. I finished the original as a kid but don't remember 90% of the puzzle solutions, and I got totally stuck in Riven and never finished. 

[Inkerlink]

My first time playing MYST was with MYST: Masterpiece Edition on GOG.
I wanted to experience the original game and even though it's pretty old I still had a great time playing it and it's still one of my favourite games of all time!
RealMYST Masterpeice Edition is also really nice, and gives off a nice 2000's vibe, and being able to explore the island in 3D is really neat too. Personally, being able to use full 3D movement wasn't that big of a deal for me, but you may feel different about that. I prefer the directed composition of the original over full 3D movement. It is nice though that you can choose to use the point and click method over full 3D movement if you desire, which I would recommend.
I've also played through the 2021 version, and while the environments are really well done, the character models are... less then ideal, in my opinion. There is an option to play the original character FMV's instead of using the new 3D models which helps with most of the game, however the ending sequence will still use the 3D models which is very jarring.

So my recommendation then is: If you want the full original experience, play MYST: ME. If you prefer full 3D movement, go with RealMYST: ME. If you can't stand older graphics, go with MYST 2021. Regardless of which version you choose, I highly recommend writing down notes using a notepad and pen/pencil! You can use a text editor in a pinch, but for a more authentic 90s adventure game experience, using a real pen/pencil and paper is a must-have for note taking. Advice wise, I'd suggest not using guides if at all possible, and if you are really stuck, there are some non-spoiler hint walkthroughs online that help nudge you in the right direction rather than outright telling you the solution. (Although, if you end up playing Riven, I would not blame you in the slightest for using a guide since that game is super hard compared to MYST lol). Take your time, read EVERYTHING, take notes and explore!

Hope you enjoy MYST! It's a once in a lifetime experience!