Riven gets remake 25 years after original release

Cyan Worlds has announced a new version of the classic adventure platformer Riven with an exciting new teaser trailer this week. The studio is rebuilding the game, which was first released in 1997, from scratch. No release date or launch platforms have been revealed yet.

Cyan Worlds Website Features a short frequently asked question about the project; home to all the current facts and public information about the game right now. This includes the reveal that the new version will be “fully traversable in 3D space” rather than point-and-click (like the original). However, the same FAQ states that “any other supported navigation methods will be announced at a later date”, so there may be hope for fans of the more… classic method.

Cyan previously remade Myst, Riven’s predecessor, in 2021 in what was a widely praised reimagining of the original. The response was positive enough, and the financial returns worthwhile, to warrant the same loving restoration for the rest of the series.

Fans of the series may be aware of the Starry Expanse project. This was a fan project effort brought to life over a decade ago in an attempt to recreate Riven, a team that the FAQ says “helps start this project.” in a separate blog post Focusing on this topic, Cyan Worlds confirmed that the two parties were working collaboratively, but separately. Cyan Worlds also eased fears of the fan project team being killed and eaten, which is always good to know for sure.

It is at this point in a story where I insert a touch of personal impression, however, he wasn’t even alive in 1997! However, I wholeheartedly support the idea of ​​remakes of genre classics like Riven, and I’m glad to hear that there’s still a large enough user base of nostalgic fans or curious newcomers to justify such an undertaking. Fingers crossed that it lives up to the high bar the original has set!

Speaking of remakes, why not check out our coverage of The Witcher completely redone in Unreal Engine 5, as well as our feature on how badly we want a Dead Rising remake? Come on, you have to admit that would be exuberant.