For those of you who have seen our review of Myst on the Quest (caption: we gave it a 9) from a couple of years back, you already know that I’m a book-carrying member of the Cyan fan club. In that review, I mentioned that the only real problem with Myst was that it was utterly eclipsed by its sequel, Riven. Now, the unthinkable has happened: Riven has materialised on the Quest and Steam, remade and rethought for VR and modern systems. I’m almost impossibly excited about it, but I promise you, dear viewers, that I will do my best to objectively analyse whether Riven 2024 is worth your time, money, and emotional investment. We will avoid spoilers for the plot or puzzles to the best of our ability.

A Link to the Past

I believe that Riven is one of the most important and successful titles in the history of narrative gaming. It epitomises the principle of “show, don’t tell.” It traps you alone in a beautiful, forbidding world where exploration and understanding are the primary rewards. There are mysteries to be solved, and each machine, lever, and room is an organic part of the world-building, context building upon context in a satisfying, thrillingly non-linear way. The original game was beautiful, intriguing, and immersive despite being presented as a series of static prerendered images. This remains a wonder today. Now, in the age of VR, the promise of Riven should be fully realised.

Age of Wonders

I have seen the opening scenes of the original Riven hundreds of times. I can vouch that Cyan has not only beautifully updated the graphics and gracefully replaced the live actors with motion-captured models, but they have also stayed true to the original performances and body language. The slightly dodgy 3D models of what were once real (but also dodgy) performers were the main sticking point of Myst in VR, but this is thankfully not the case here. When the cutscenes have played out and the game finally opens the door to the world of Riven, you’re free to explore Riven in full 3D for the first time. For me, that is a very emotional moment. It’s the difference between obsessing over a place through photographs for a couple of decades and then finding yourself there for real. I will preempt the rest of my review here and state right now that Cyan has utterly, definitively nailed it.

D’ni, The Champion of the World

The original Riven is a masterpiece. The remake surpasses it in every way, and VR is the definitive way to play it. It’s so much more than just a new way to explore the world; like Myst before it, it’s as if it has been waiting for VR to exist. To virtually stand in beautiful environments that have hitherto only existed as barely animated stills is a dream realised. It actually makes the puzzle-solving so much more rewarding and substantial. A very early puzzle involves working out the rotation of a pentagonal room to make progress. Being able to stand in the room and physically rotate makes the logic of the problem a lot easier to parse. Peering through lenses and gaps for clues is a physical act in VR rather than a button press, and the islands of Riven have been subtly retooled to take advantage of the new possibilities of vantage points and perspectives not available before. The physicality of VR—such as pulling levers, pressing buttons, or opening doors—feels completely fantastic. Reading a book requires physically holding the book and flipping through the pages, which is crucial to the lore and setting. The ability to use both hands on a machine or gadget while looking around, a natural act in real life but impossible in flat gaming, is a necessity in the VR version of Riven.

Cyan Pride

All of this is what one might cautiously and hopefully expect from a developer with a duty of care to its beloved back catalogue. What truly impresses me is that Cyan has been fearless in daring to improve on the original title. They have introduced new approaches to puzzles and new mechanics, altered the topography of islands here and there, and added subtle narrative tweaks and touches that enhance the classic version. All the changes are improvements; some were made not just to bolster gameplay but to make the narrative sing a little more. To new players, everything will seem well-wrought and satisfying. To returning players like me, there are a hundred little improvements and changes that delight, intrigue, and occasionally astonish. Cyan has served their fan base well and provided a wealth of riches for those taking their first steps in this brave new world.

Get the Book Out of Here

Riven is beautiful. The concern with any modern 3D remake would always be whether they could convey the same level of beauty as the original. For a 26-year-old game, Riven still stands up as astonishingly good-looking, the sheer quality of the prerendered world transcending its technical limitations. The folks at Cyan were kind enough to provide us with copies of both the Meta Quest and Steam versions of the game for comparison. Of course, the Quest will never compete with PCVR, and the nature of the game means it can’t draw from the same technical aspects as Red Matter 2. The PC version of Riven is utterly incredible to look at, bringing joyous new life to the game. Even with my gaming laptop running Riven at modest settings for VR’s sake, the graphics are wondrous.

The Quest version is an eyebrow-raisingly decent attempt to convey the same content with some caveats. Firstly, of course, the textures take a hit, but some more so than others. It’s still a beautiful game, but some environments are a little fuzzy and muted. There’s occasionally a bit of glitching and pop-in, but nothing too aggravating. In some areas, the foveated rendering (the pixelation around areas towards the edge of the Quest lenses) is noticeable and a little distracting. But it’s the water that’s actually problematic, noticeably devoid of splashing effects at best and, in one area in particular, flat and glitchy, making the surrounding geometry appear off. The rest of the game is so lovely to look at, and these issues really stand out. They could be better realised. Overall, while the Quest version is never going to reach photorealism, it’s a beautiful thing.

The Cries of Strange Birds

The audio is my favourite part of Riven’s presentation. The sound design is peerless, from the atmospheric ambience of different locations to the creaking of boards and old metal and the clanking of ancient machinery. The fact that most of it remains unchanged from the original game is a testament to the effort and care lavished on every detail over a quarter of a century ago. Sound plays a possibly more significant role in the success of Riven than the visuals, and this becomes even more apparent in VR. Put on some headphones, and you can lose yourself entirely in this alien yet relatable and familiar world.

Special mention must go to the music, a score that manages to be creepy, mysterious, and soothing all at once. Music is sparing and subtle but essential to the game’s fabric, underpinning everything with an unsettling, nagging sense of dread and wonder.

Familiar Patterns of Decay

There are a few things that could be improved in the current Quest version of the game. The glitches and pop-ins are a little concerning, detracting slightly from the game’s polish. While the use of VR is wonderful, and the additions to the game are completely welcome, the new inventory satchel could have been more organically realised. Many VR games use an over-the-shoulder motion to retrieve backpacks, which would be preferable to the button press here, making its absence a curious omission.

Loading times can be distracting and are the main thing that breaks immersion. While the lengthy initial loading process can be easily forgiven and forgotten, the long pause to take an in-game screenshot and bring up the menu is a drag. This might sound spoiled coming from someone who played through the original game multiple times and had to endure physically changing CD-ROMs between every island. However, the (short) loading screens during travel are unwelcome and jarring in VR. At least there’s a pleasant animation to watch while it loads.

My final gripe is that there needs to be a way to annotate the screenshots you take. A virtual pen to scribble on the screenshots and keep notes would have been a most welcome addition.

And So, I Close

Riven on the Meta Quest is, by far, the best puzzle and exploration game on the platform. It easily joins Resident Evil 4 on the winner’s podium for beloved older classics, given a new lease of life in VR. The care lavished upon Riven is considerable, presenting thoughtful armchair adventurers with a nourishing and immersive experience that will linger in the heart and mind long after leaving the headset. It’s been my favourite virtual world for half a century, and VR is the best and greatest way to experience it.

FULL FATHOM

Freediver: Triton Down begins with a tutorial that introduces some elements of the gameplay and some tendril hints of the coming narrative. It’s about underwater exploration and swimming, with some archaeology thrown in. Think an aquatic-only Tomb Raider in the first person. Movement is really pleasing, achieved by using the Touch controllers to physically make a swimming motion, and your head to point you in the direction you want to go. It’s immersive and convincing – not to mention pretty tiring if you put your all into it. It’s definitely one of those games that’ll provide you with some exercise, whether you want it or not. Freediving means not having an oxygen tank, so you’ll have to keep topped up with air pockets and the occasional scuba tank you find as you explore. 

FROM THE DEPTHS

It all works really well but lulls you into a false sense of relaxation. As soon as the game starts proper, you’ll find yourself aboard a sinking, capsized ship – the Triton of the title – surrounded by the drowned bodies of your crewmates, in cramped and claustrophobic conditions. You have to survive and uncover the plot. It’s a total change of pace from the mostly chilled-out tutorial – and a refreshing one.

SCUBA GOODING

What follows is an exciting, often very stressful, energetic narrative game. As usual, I’m not going to be spoiling anything for you, but the story is sound enough, and the setting itself is fantastic. What I can say is that the experience is short, maybe an hour or two. I didn’t mind this; I think the claustrophobic nature of the game is not suited to long play sessions, and it could definitely outstay its welcome. It’s also pretty cheap for a Quest game. 

SOMETHING’S FISHY

A few things are holding this back from being as good as it could be. Having not played other versions of the game, I’m not sure if some of the technical shortcomings are down to the Quest conversion. The most disappointing thing is some of the graphics, and first impressions aren’t great. There’s a lot of aliasing, meaning you’ll see pixelated text and an ugly shimmer to details. The other most glaring thing is the surface of the water. Under the waves looks great – above it, the sea looks like bluish tinfoil. Both issues are highlighted in the opening minutes of the game; after that, thankfully, the graphics take an upward turn.

In the closing moments of the tutorial, something happens which causes seawater to drain away, and I found myself suspended in the ‘wrong’ position, flapping about on dry stone. It highlighted the fact that, to the game, I was effectively a torso with arms and nothing more, like Slimer from Ghostbusters, and broke the immersion somewhat. This might not happen to everyone, but there’s an occasional lack of polish to the game which this sort of thing illustrates.

Overall though, I really enjoyed my time with Freediver: Triton Down and would be thrilled to play a sequel. 

If this pitch sounds appealing to you, then take it from someone who’s already been down in the mines: Cave Digger: Riches offers a mixed bag, with a few scattered nuggets of gold and a lot of rocks. The central premise is strong, and you’ll uncover some delightful secrets and off-kilter humor, but it’s not always worth digging through the rougher parts of the game.

Working in a Coal Mine

Initially, Cave Digger: Riches takes place in an elevator, where you’ll descend for timed excursions beneath an old-timey, Western-style saloon. With a limited supply of oxygen, you have to quickly swing your pickaxe to chip away at rocks and reveal chunks of gold, diamonds, and other precious minerals.

As gems rain down, you’ll have to chuck them into a receptacle placed in the middle of the elevator so that you can trade them for cash. Disappointingly, you can’t just leave them on the floor, because every time the car moves up or down, your loot will simply vanish.

This requires you to keep a hand free for collecting gems, which slows down the process quite a bit. You can also buy upgrades like dynamite and saws, and you’ll constantly have to switch tools by throwing them on the floor or hanging them from your belt.

Using these specialized tools, you can drill for oil or saw out precise patterns to release rare objects. The tools aren’t the most intuitive to use, forcing you to pay close attention to the one-time voiceover instructions when you first buy them. There are pictures in the elevator that give you some hints as well, but I wish the game offered straightforward (and preferably, written) instructions when new items were unlocked.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

On Steam, Cave Digger is listed as a free download with a $20 Riches expansion in the form of bonus train levels. On the Oculus Quest, some rough edges still seem to be showing.

While you can walk freely around your elevator car, or walk and teleport using the thumbsticks, I often found myself getting stuck on bits of the environment. When the clock is always ticking, these minor inconveniences can add up to frustration.

Also, Cave Digger: Riches is not an attractive game on the Oculus Quest. The Western saloon and outside train station look like part of an abandoned ghost town or a flimsy movie set. Underground, the visuals are bleak and muddy, and not in a good way.

Once you earn enough cash to unlock the train levels, the game takes on a very different feel. Now you can explore horizontally instead of just vertically, with wide-open caverns containing clever extras. One of these is a friendly-looking living treasure chest named Mimi Jewels, who follows you around while scooping up gems for you to sell later.

Hidden Gems

In addition to Mimi, there are a few more notable reasons to play Cave Digger. A lot of thought has clearly gone into creating unique achievements for the game. You may accidentally uncover these by blowing up a stick of dynamite in your hand or casually tossing a gem into the hopper behind your back.

Also, there are multiple endings and bright secrets to uncover. You can collect Infinity Stone-style unique gems, which will let you pretend to be Thanos while you smash through rocks with your fist. An underground mushroom level will send you on a spaced-out trip if you help yourself to a snack in the middle of the workday. And if you find four hidden keys, you can unlock a cavernous vault for another strange surprise.

These extras are a fair payoff for enduring the game’s rougher components. Most of the game, especially the early stages, can feel repetitive and unsatisfying. Despite its positive aspects, and some fun surprises, Cave Digger: Riches can feel like a bit of work to get through.

BEHOLD, THE FUTURE!

You play as a new recruit for Activitude, an AI-driven company that seeks your unique human touch. Your host, Chaz, is a gangly robot who feeds you a series of VR goggles to place over your eyes. Your “official” incursions into dream-like environments involve strange tasks for the local AIs, like plopping toast onto a giant stick of butter or gently drifting a tumbleweed with a leaf blower.

But soon, you’ll discover a more sinister side to Activitude, and learn more about the human inhabitants who came before you. These peeks behind the curtain have an ominous feel, and by the end, the game turns into a full-blown futurist’s nightmare.

DEEP DIVE

You can easily explore the worlds-within-worlds of Virtual Virtual Reality with some simple controls. Teleporting, reaching, and grabbing use a combination of one button and the thumbsticks. Later in the game, you can vacuum up environments using an illegal modification. You’ll also have to reach up to your face to put on or remove the game’s various headsets. Unsettlingly, you’ll occasionally find yourself temporarily trapped in an unpleasant reality.

Visually, Virtual Virtual Reality is simply rendered. Its most impressive graphical trick is that it keeps moving you to unique environments. A pink and purple island sunset, for example, is not precisely as majestic as it’s described by your AI client. Zipping between your stark white homeroom and a pitch-black deathly void, however, is much more moving.

ONCE UPON A TIME… IN SILICON VALLEY

If you enjoy the premise and bizarre narration of Accounting+, it’s all done to much better effect in Virtual Virtual Reality. Instead of Justin Roiland’s seemingly improvised ramblings, the dialogue in Virtual Virtual Reality is sharp and thoughtful. The writing’s sophistication grows towards the end, as Activitude’s origin story is fully fleshed out.

Accompanying the well-written story is a random hodge-podge of gameplay scenarios. Sometimes you’ll find yourself wandering a technological wasteland, looking for an escape hatch in the form of glowing VR goggles. On one occasion, you’ll be playing dolls with a factory-style robotic arm. Most of the scenes are brief and playful, like the quickie missions of Job Simulator, but with a storyline that connects them gracefully.

I should mention that one glitch in this Matrix literally had me feeling trapped. Twice, the game’s movement controls stopped functioning, essentially trapping me in impassable scenes. A game restart did resolve this, but it also set me back to the last save point, so it’s worth mentioning as a minor annoyance.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Virtual Virtual Reality is worth playing for the story and writing alone, and the varied VR gameplay can feel like an incidental extra. It’s a unique meditation on the medium of VR, making it a great starter title to get you in the mood for more adventures on your Oculus Quest. Just try not to forget to remove your headset when you’re done.