Cyan’s original Myst debuts on the Oculus Quest 2

It’s hard to believe that I played the original Myst on a PC with a CD-ROM drive about 27 years ago. And last night, I looked out at Myst Island, only it’s different, as I was playing on an Oculus Quest 2.

The virtual reality remaster of the famous puzzle adventure game comes out on the Oculus Store on December 10 for both the Oculus Quest and the Oculus Quest 2. It’s an accessible game for an accessible platform.

Millions of people have played this game about an island shrouded in a mystery and a story of ruthless family betrayal. You move around in teleportation style, using your thumbstick on the Oculus controller to move to different positions where you want your character to move. It feels different because you’re immersed in the world. The island is all around you, and everything is built to scale. You can see how huge the buildings and columns are, and how big the tress are compared to your own body.

Cyan built the game from the ground up for VR in the Unreal Engine. It has new art, sound, interactions, and even optional puzzle randomization. Myst was made by two brothers, Robyn and Rand Miller, and it debuted in 1993 at the dawn of the CD-ROM era. It was a historic video game because it kicked off a new chapter in video game storytelling. Rand is still running the Mead, Washington-based Cyan today. For old folks like me, it’s a magical experience. It’s one of those games where you take your time solving puzzles at your own pace.

The game is available for $30 on the Quest platform. The PC version with 2D and support for more VR hardware will come at a later date. Cyan’s next VR game is Firmament.