Mysterious-looking point-and-click game Neyyah brings back the glory of pre-rendered backgrounds in August

If you miss Myst but are simply feeling giddy and disgusted by its recent 3D reinventions, you might find yourself drooling over the first-person point-and-click Neyyah—a Mystalike, or rather, Rivenalike, from Defy Reality Entertainment and MicroProse, due in early access on August 27. Real-time movement and exploration? Rotatable polygons? Pfff. These are definitely pre-rendered worlds, just like the ones Grandpappy Atrus used to cook up.

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Indeed, Neyyah is so similar to Cyan’s pixel-hunters from the ’90s that it could almost be a fan remake. It’s set on a strange, “nearly abandoned” island chain, connected by obscure machinery—in this case, plasma portals. Your character, Theo, is sent to Neyyah by a boffin named Vamir who needs your help with a cosmic emergency, but he’ll only share a bit of information with you at first.

Expect: puzzles that include rusty levers and many traces of ancient civilizations. “Neyyah reflects similar situations depicted in our own society, such as what's real, what's false, and questioning your own beliefs,” the Steam page hints, a bit exaggeratedly. “Through environmental storytelling, the player will enjoy hours of non-linear gameplay, solving puzzles through close observation, visual connections, writing their own notes, using inventory items… and becoming immersed in a rich story and environment-focused gameplay.”

Just because it’s a game that’s comprised of static landscapes doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any graphical tweaks. Expect a range of scene transition options and a few storytelling modes. “Journey Mode” gives you FMV sequences for things like climbing stairs, while a “Faster Travel” mode lets you skip certain scenes due to the animation being overdone. It’s all in keeping with MicroProse’s old-meets-new philosophy. I like to think of their games as a series of alternate futures set in 1982 (yes, I know MicroProse is essentially a different company today after countless departures and acquisitions).

You can read more about Neyyah's origins in this 80.lv interview from 2019 – Defy Reality founder and lead developer Aaron Gwynaire has been coming up with ideas for the game since 2011. As for how the game will change in Early Access, there will be new areas, puzzles, and improvements to the graphics, audio, and music. “Our goal throughout Early Access is to continually evolve and expand Neyyah, making it a place you'll want to return to again and again,” the Steam page reads. Are there any contributors?

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