I had to manipulate large sections of the level by jumping between worlds, and it made me wish that idea had been used more in other areas of the game as well. A jungle world in the second half of the game had some of the more interesting puzzles in Obduction and reminded me heavily of areas in Riven. Hunrath had the most puzzles to solve, but the game’s other worlds were, for the most part, beautiful and engaging as well. It wasn’t directly related to the puzzle, it was just a detail in the world that guided me toward the right line of thinking. The poster didn’t give me a clue or an answer to the code I was looking for, but it did spark a realization on how to find it. For example, I was stuck on a code puzzle looking for clues and found a poster lying on a table. Hunrath is dotted with other small props that can help you solve puzzles even if they aren’t directly part of the solution. Still, it is a positive sign that some of Obduction’s puzzles need this attention to detail. Obduction’s sound design and art direction are some of the main reasons I enjoyed it as much as I did-including its use FMV actors, which are just the right balance of charming and campy.Ībove: One of many back reward items that kept drawing my eye. Each world has its own setting and color scheme, and they are all absolutely gorgeous. As you began to explore your new surroundings, you discover Earth is actually one of four worlds that has had a chunk mysteriously torn up and moved, and these four chunks are connected to each other. The story begins with your character being unexpectedly teleported to a strange place called Hunrath, a small Arizona town that has somehow been transported to the surface of an alien planet. It’s also immensely helped by the lighting and model detail the Unreal Engine allows, ensuring that Obduction only feels faithful to its predecessors, not dated by them.

It’s a scavenger hunt, albeit sometimes a simple one. In true Myst fashion, it presents me with a problem-often a locked door or a blocked path-and asks me to find a way to proceed using clues I’ve probably already come across without realizing it. Obduction feels like a Myst game, which is to be expected from Cyan Inc, creator of Myst and its sequel Riven.

Obduction kickstarter download