Linking In

The sound is familiar, but this time it's special. "Myst" taught me what linking is. "Riven" taught me more, but I had to unlearn some of that simple pleasure to get through Myst 3. The unconcerned wandering had turned into goal-driven purpose which led to many wrong answers and getting hit in the head. Myst 4 was worse; I didn't bother to finish it.

What would I get now? Linking into "Uru" for the first time brought some hope. Cyan has historically done this kind of thing better than anyone else.

Desert. A mountain in the distance. Sparse grass, a few shrubs, some rounded rocks lying around. In the distance, birds circling and clouds over mountains. No hints, no directions, no path.

I'm pointed at the mountain. Nothing for it but to start walking. The avatar, seen from behind, strides forward reasonably smoothly, and I can hear his feet hit the dry ground. I'm more used to the "eyeball view" of the older Myst games, but the instructions recommended getting used to the third-person view. When in Rome, play as the Romans do.

I angle a bit to the right, on a whim. Topping a small rise I can see some complications in the distance; as I approach these turn into a fence, a windmill and a house trailer.

Figuring they want me to go to the trailer first, I head for the fence and windmill. The fence turns out to be built around a cleft reminiscent of that in Riven. The vertical-axis windmill isn't turning. Steps on the far side lead down into the rock-walled cleft.

I decide to check the trailer first. Approaching it, I see what looks like a piece of cloth with a stylized handprint on it. Looks like something to touch, so I do so, and am rewarded with a sound and a glowing segment of the design. Then I amble around and receive a lecture from the guy sitting in a chair, drinking something cold, listening to the radio. He says I've been called. That if I need help, to come and ask. Then he clams up. The radio plays, the wind whispers, clouds move, and eventually I do too.

Back to the cleft, and down. It reminds me of Donkey Kong, with all the ladders and rock shelves. One of the rope bridges collapses under me, dropping me a good three man-heights to the ground but the avatar doesn't even say "Oof." He's made of sterner stuff than I.

I ramble around down there, wading in the pool and finding a tree with a handprint on it. Touching this gets a little glow, but nothing else happens. Not its time, I guess.

Enough for now. It looks good. I have to get ready for the weekend's sand sculpture.