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Myst V: End of Ages

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Myst V: End of Ages will be the fifth and final installment in the Myst computer game series, and will be a culmination of all the storylines from the previous games. The game was officially announced on 12th January 2005, with an unoffical announcement being made the day before (see links below). It will be released in Autumn 2005. Like Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, the game is being created by Cyan Worlds and published by Ubisoft. In the official press release, CEO of Cyan Worlds, Rand Miller, has stated that "Myst V: End of Ages follows the Myst storyline to its conclusion -- closing the book on the Ages of Myst".

Technology

Myst V will be rendered in real-time 3D for the first time in a Myst game (with the exception of realMyst, a remake, and Uru, a spinoff). This technology typically sacrifices graphic quality and detail for a more interactive and animated environment. The Myst franchise has traditionally used a prerendered environment, so those games which have strayed into the real-time 3D mode have often been dismissed as having lower graphic quality and more difficult controls.

Myst V seeks to solve both of these problems, by incorporating the most advanced graphics engine seen so far in a Myst game, and by introducing the option of different control schemes. Players will be able to choose whether they want to play the whole game with a one-button mouse, stepping around nodes like in the original Myst and Riven, or whether they wish to use an "expert mode", designed for more experienced gamers. The "expert mode" would contain FPS controls, and the ability to go anywhere, and investigate anything. However, players will still be able to get all of the information and access all of the devices they need to complete the game while using standard mode.

The other concern players have with the transition to real-time 3D is the loss of live-action video. The Myst franchise has traditionally employed live actors to play all of the roles, including the series co-creator Rand Miller, who plays the protagonist Atrus. Myst V will not feature any live-action video, but the real-time 3D characters will be highly detailed, and will employ motion capture from real actors.

Ages

Template:Spoiler Myst V will feature four Ages, divided into six "areas". Although this number sounds small compared to some of the more recent games (particularly Uru, which ultimately featured around seventeen Ages), Rand Miller has assured fans that the game will be huge. Of course the game Riven, one of the largest, featured just three Ages.

The following Ages have been disclosed so far:

  • Age of D'ni - This Age has featured in every single Myst game in one way or another, and encompasses the underground cavern of D'ni, The Cleft on the surface, and nearby Tomahna. In Myst V, players will visit at least the cavern (including the island of K'veer), the Cleft, and the tunnels connecting the two.
  • Noloben - The "beach Age". Not much is known about this Age, but it was originally designed for Uru, and later cancelled. Players will finally visit Noloben in Myst V after around six years of waiting.
  • Todelmer - Even less is known about this Age, also originally planned for Uru but cancelled. It appears in at least one screenshot.
  • Laki - A music track was released called laki_arena.mp3, leading many to assume that another included age is named Laki. A piece of concept art here confirms that an age in End of Ages is indeed titled Laki.
  • Taghira - This Age is a frigid ice world with green islands, held up by chains, with bony bridges, and populated by giant mushrooms.

The screenshots and official trailer show several other locations:

  • Several views of other planets (most likely Todelmer).
  • An underground system of caves (believed to be on Noloben).
  • Myst Island, with different trees, ship and textures, in the rain and thunder.
    • A gameplay video later showed the linking book to Myst, with a lock on it.

This seems already to overstep the "four Ages" that have been promised. However, the original "four" may just be referring to the main Ages in the game. Also, certain areas like Myst Island may be seen only and never visited in the game.

With the announcement of Myst V: End of Ages, speculation ensued about the possibility of seeing the long-awaited home of the D'ni, Releeshahn. This Age has neither been confirmed nor denied.

Storyline and Characters

Very little is known about the story at this stage. Myst games have always had a very rich story, but often very little is revealed before the game is released.

The storyline will have to draw the series to some kind of conclusion, and involve all of the past storylines. The title, "End of Ages", implies some apocalyptic fate. Rand Miller described the ending as having "dramatic repercussions" in a recent interview.

Miller has stated that there will be two major characters: Yeesha, whom we know from Myst III, Uru and Myst IV and a new character Esher, a D'ni. Although their relationship is unclear, Miller alluded to the possibility of having to choose between them at the end. This would echo the fateful decision required in the original game Myst.

External links

Fan sites

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