Myst games traditionally feature solitary exploration, and for the most part this game is no exception. However, the few characters I encountered were well designed, featuring intricate personalities. Yeesha is represented through a series of holographic images, as well as collectable journal pages strewn along the way. She delivers a narrative version of the written text, which keys the gamer into the backstory and her personal history. She also provides gameplay clues, though this function is an iffy proposition, as Yeesha is cryptically poetic rather than helpful.

Esher is an opinionated and slightly sinister D'ni survivor who is very much alive. Cyan used a combination of motion capture with texture wrapping to achieve realistic facial and body movements and maintain graphical continuity between this character and the game environments. And the attention to detail is more than cosmetic. Professionally vocalized by David Ogden Stiers, an actor best known for his role on MASH, Esher has a vivid and credible personality. You run into him everywhere as he pops in and out via a portable linking book, doling out clues, plot details, and backstory. It is unfortunate that the characters in the game are so limited, but the new modeling techniques, strong dialogues, and voice talent are well utilized here.

The Bahro are sentient creatures that first appeared in URU and play a key role in this story. Ever elusive, they scamper away as you approach, often affording just a glimpse in your periphery. A glance up at the roofline will reveal glowing blue eyes that track you with hidden movements. Despite remaining at arm's length, it is these strange creatures that provide the core organic gameplay element of Myst V, as you must learn to communicate with them through the age-specific slates.

Like its predecessors, Myst V can be played with nothing more than your mouse, though gamers can opt at any time to switch to keyboard control. The former offers the traditional node movement, point & click method with 360-degree panning. The latter, however, offers total freedom of movement, which helps to stay oriented and take in all the details around you. Left clicking the mouse freezes your movement so you can access menu options and in-game devices. The cursor is reactive with the familiar hand grab, use, and look icon configuration.

Normally a pen and hefty pile of paper is a must to face the many hair-pulling challenges in a Myst game. But with the inclusion of two journals found early on, this translates to the least note-intensive Myst game ever. One, in combination with an in-game camera, allows you to add personalized notes and pictures; the latter serving as saved game points, though they are really unnecessary as the game auto saves your progress. The other in-game notebook auto-records the extensive amount of information passed on through Yeesha's holo-recordings, journal entries, and Esher's asides.

What may surprise those familiar with the series are the fewer number of standalone puzzles. There are three basic forms of puzzling in Myst V: practical organic puzzles aimed at gaining access to an age or area, the slate interactions with the Bahro, and a few of the traditional mechanized puzzles more common to Myst games. For example, you cannot search certain lower areas of the old D'ni cavern city until you get air going to those sections. Not that this involves a static standalone machine to puzzle through. Instead, you race the clock to activate a series of switches. This type of puzzle has more in common with URU than Riven.



Mastery of the Bahro slates has the potential to immerse you deep into the gameplay, but my progress was initially slowed by the barrier of too many possibilities and not enough clues as to what works or doesn't in a specific age. However, once I started getting the commands right, this ramped up the gameplay. For example, in Laki'ahn, you immediately notice the skeletonized remains of giant creatures strewn about. Their size apparently caused the D'ni to heavily fortify the sole significant structure here, a large castle-like complex. Working in and around these fortifications is a primary challenge that requires the Bahro to overcome. Dealing with the slates also creates a sub-set of strategy challenges, as you wouldn't likely be able to scale a rope ladder or use levers and devices while carrying a hefty rock slate.

With a doggedly protective fan base, a mountain of hype, and the undeniable pressure of being the last of its kind, Myst V: End of Ages has a tall order to fulfill in many gamers' minds. But can any game achieve the lofty goal of being an everyman's game? Probably not. But this early look at Myst V promises a little something for everyone. The real-time 3D worlds, general ambiance, and high-end graphics create a sensory experience worth exploring, and a free roaming interface makes it all so accessible. Though it stays faithful in spirit to the solitary, peaceful exploration and puzzling of prior games, the gameplay emphasis on innovative exchanges with the Bahro adds a unique twist that makes you the co-creator of events in this game. All of these design choices have the potential to make this game the most dynamic and immersive of the series when it releases on September 20th.