Rating: 
Summary: You may have to swallow a little pride.
Review: I bought Riven 4 years ago and stopped playing it after getting completely frustrated. After rooting through some software, I reloaded it and decided to go to some hints pages (not walkthroughs). While I hated doing that, the hints steered me in the right direction, without giving me the answers, and I came to appreciate the integration of the puzzles and storyline, not to mention the excellent graphics. So if you get stuck, put away your pride and find some hints: The payoff at the end will be well worth it. The reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I am comparing it to other games that I have played recently. The only other Adventure game that I have really played is Myst. Riven has kept me more enthralled than games from any other genre. As I play more Adventure games, I may change my rating. I am playing "Myst 3: Exile" and then "The Longest Jouney" next. Now I'm off to Myst III: Exile. Happy clicking.
Rating: 
Summary: A game ahead of its time.
Review: First of all, I would like to point out that I did not play Myst, the first game in the series. I at first was afraid that I would be left confused and in the dark, but the game explains everything you need to know. What I'm trying to say is that, you don't HAVE to have played Myst before Riven (though I suggest it strongly). The game's graphics, first of all, are impossibly real. Everything looks almost like a photograph, from the stone cliffs, to the iron railings on the stairs, to the various transportation rides around the age of Riven. The game is a puzzle game; it is not easy. It is not the kind of game you will sit down at and simply beat. It took me at least six hours without the strategy guide. Just for reference, if one goes through the game and does the ABSOLUTE minimum, i.e. already knows some of the codes and knows exactly what to do when and where, the game will still take about and hour and a half. The gameplay itself, aside from being beautiful and challenging is an extremely easy to use, idiot proof interface of "click where you want to go." The game is a masterpiece, what more can I say?
Rating:
Summary: My favorite of the Myst series
Review: This is the best game I have ever played. It took so long and I was so worn out by the end that I felt that I had really been on a journey. Very Good! I would just recommend you play Myst first.
Rating:
Summary: All time best adventure game ever made
Review: I just played it in April of 2002 and it stands up over time as the best adventure game ever made! Superb.
Rating:
Summary: "Riven": An Even More Engaging Experience
Review: "Riven" is a continuation of the popular role-playing game, "Myst." I didn't think it could outdo its predecessor, as most sequels are never able to quite live up to the original. But "Riven" more than met that task. In fact, "Riven" so surpasses "Myst" in scope, storyline and task that it's almost boggling. The game opens with you returning to D'Ni again after transporting through the linking book in the Library on Myst Island. The ever-knowledgeable Atrus, played by Rand Miller, thanks you for coming back and says he needs your help. And from then the race is on: You need to find his wife Catherine who is trapped in a prison somewhere on the Riven Age. Her captor turns out to be Atrus' father, Gehn, a madman who wants to destroy his own son. Along the way, you encounter people, puzzles, awesome creatures (like Sunners and Wahrks), and dazzling special effects. Just like on Myst Island, the clues you discover on the five islands in Riven are what reveal the story to you. "Riven" is increasingly more complex than "Myst" in that regard. Everything is just bigger and, in my opinion, better. The graphics have improved tremendously; the Quicktime videos used for all the animations in the game are improved; the puzzles are harder and are more integrated into the storyline than ever before; and there is actually character interaction in this game - much more so than simply meeting people through Prison Books, like in "Myst." "Riven" is definitely habit-forming. The first time I played it, I ended up just walking around and looking at everything before I decided to actually begin my journey on rescuing Catherine. When you step out into the open a few minutes after the real action begins, the sense of "this is gonna be bigger and more immersive than Myst" sets in. I cannot say enough positive things about "Riven." I end up playing it more than "Myst" and have sometimes preferred it over "Myst III: Exile." To say I am fascinated with everything on those five islands is an understatement. I sometimes with I could actually go to the Riven Age and explore; that's how seriously disturbed I really am! In short, if you love the "Myst Phenomenon," get "Riven." "Riven" improves upon pretty much everything that made "Myst" such an awesome success. Let it capture your heart and your imagination like it did mine.
Rating:
Summary: My all time favorite
Review: This will be short. Simply put, Riven is my all time favorite game. The story is deep. The graphics are excellent. I was fully absorbed. If they could create a game with graphics like these in real time 3d - could you imagine. It's a great game.
Rating: 
Summary: Two stars for the graphics - but the game play is impossible
Review: The graphics on this game are very pretty and make the game seem quite fascinating for the first week or two. After a week or two of playing this game, however, and you will realize you don't have a clue what is going on. Anyone who says they have figured this game out without a guide or less than a year of their life invested playing 8 hours a day is a liar. The game is impossible to figure out unless you are willing to decicate your whole life to it. Period. So if you like a game with neat graphics that you will roam around in for hours on end, clueless as to what is going on, then Riven might be for you. For those with less time I would recommend a game like Grim Fandango, instead of Riven.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Place to Lose Yourself
Review: If you have a vivid imagination and love to immerse yourself in alternate realities, you will probably love this game. It has the poignant beauty and haunting aura of Myst, with a bit more action and, yes, despite what you may have heard, SOME dialog and interaction (mostly later in the game). The puzzles are neither obvious nor illogical, though you may have to wait to find the answers to some! But if you have taken to heart the game's authors' recommendation to write notes, even a journal, and read any other journals you gain access to, and pay attention to every detail of your experiences, you should only rarely, if ever, have to resort to a hint book. If you only enjoy fights and arcade style action, or don't have the mental capacity to believe you are really in this place, where an entire world's fate depends on your creativity, courage, and astute analysis, not to mention patience, then you probably won't be able to get into it and enjoy the challenges or the aesthetics of the game. Also, if you can find and read the first two Myst books (The Book of Atrus, and The Book of Ti'Ana), before you play Riven, the additional background will help. Even though Riven's interface is a bit stodgy compared to Exile's (another excellent game!), it is still a tremendously engrossing world to explore.
Rating:
Summary: The most intriguing game I have ever played
Review: Being one of the older members (late 50's) I found this game to be a real challenge. Firstly I had to establish where I was. Then go everywhere & look a everything. I had the most fabulous time travelling on the trams, working out the puzzles and just tripping around.
I did not want it to finish!
I think it is better than Myst - but different, better than Exile (I felt Exile was too short).
The graphics were really good. What else can I say but it was surpurb. Thank you.
I would love to find another game similar to Riven
Rating:
Summary: Full Immersion
Review: I enjoyed Riven more than Myst. Riven was more difficult than Myst, for me, but I still only needed two hints to complete Riven. I would highly recommend Riven to adventure gamers. It really has set a new standard for the genre. Haven't played Exile yet, but I wanted to complete Riven before moving on to #3. What these Cyan games possess - far above any other adventure games I've played - are smart, subtle story lines that really keep your attention. How refreshing to play a game that respects the player's intelligence and sense of inquisitiveness and adventure. I know I'm hooked when I think about a game throughout my day. Riven does become your world. Finally, like Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings,' the Myst games possess subtle yet compelling Christian symbols - a spiritually fulfilling experience.
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