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You're in some kind of prison cell, looking out through iron bars at a sunlit mountainside. You faintly hear waves washing up on a nearby shore.

A scruffy guy appears and says something in a language you can't understand: Is it a warning or a welcome? Then he reaches through the bars and snatches your prized possession—a worn book.

The stranger seems fascinated by its contents. Suddenly, you hear a whoosh! The stranger grabs his neck and slumps to the ground, apparently unconscious.

Then the bars disappear, and you step forward into this strange new world, where both friends and foes await you …

Thus begins Riven, the sequel to Myst, the best-selling computer game of all time (3.5 million copies!).

Both games were developed by CYAN , a software company headed by two Christians, brothers Rand and Robyn Miller of Spokane, Washington. Both brothers credit God with giving them the amazing creativity that went into making the games.

You, the player, are the main character in Riven, a fascinating story about rescuing the proverbial "damsel in distress." Everything is seen from your point of view. By simply pointing and clicking the mouse, you choose where to go and what to do. Every choice has a consequence. And if you're not careful, you could fail to complete your quest.

Riven isn't blatantly "Christian," but it is a far cry from many of the typical hack-'em, slash-'em, games on the market. There is no violence in Riven, just brain-teasing puzzles.

And it's a real treat for your eyes and ears. The graphics and soundtrack are incredible.

How amazing is Riven? Well, we asked four Campus Life readers (Jason Thorwall, Julie Braga, Dan Hall, and Brian Hall) to play Riven with us. Check out their reactions on these pages.

"The sound effects are better than any game I've ever played."

"It's like I'm really there, moving around."

"The town looks like the Ewok village in Return of the Jedi."

"You gotta think like McGyver to solve the puzzles."

—Dan Hall

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"Riven isn't anything like I was expecting. It's so detailed, so movie-like!"

"It's cool how there's a complete story behind the game."

"The animals are so lifelike."

"The roller-coaster transport made me dizzy!"

"I don't want to quit playing—I feel like I'm left hanging, wondering what I'll see next!"

—Julie Braga

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"Some of the transports remind me of rides at an amusement park."

"Just like starring in your own movie."

—Brian Hall

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The underwater stuff is really cool, with realistic ripple effects."

"How did they make a complete world out of nothing? It's really creative."

"The machinery looks and feels realistic."

—Jason Thorwell

Riven(retail $50) is available at most software outlets.

Requirements: PC: Pentium 100Mhz, Windows 95, 16MB RAM , 75MB hard drive space, 4X CD-ROM , Direct-X compatible sound card. Macintosh: 90Mhz Power PC , System 7.5 or higher, 9MB RAM , 65MB hard drive space, 4X CD - ROM.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail clmag@CampusLife.net

May/June 1998, Vol. 56, No. 9, Page 34.

Read more from 'Faith & Values'

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