The first Myst title to actually be developed by Ubisoft, Revelation successfully walks the fine line of retaining familiarity while improving on design. The original title launched a cottage industry of "adventure" games consisting mostly of mind-bendingly cryptic puzzle after puzzle, much to the chagrin of genre fans who like a little story to go along with figuring out how to open Door X or find Key Y, and even got its own parody, Pyst. Along the way, the series managed to stay the course, and the latest installment reminds us of everything we liked about the original while blunting the sharp edges of what annoyed. It also looks gorgeous, blending pre-rendered artwork with 3D scenery, and it integrates the puzzles into the story, rather than making the puzzles de facto roadblocks to finding out what happens next to who.

If you didn't like the original, then you probably won't like Revelation, but those who did should be quite pleased with Ubisoft's understanding of what makes the Myst games so compelling for adventure gamers.