Pros:

• The most gorgeous Cyan game to date including remasters (though Riven remaster comes close).
  
• Fantastic sound design.
  
• New take on environmental puzzles that is fresh (at least for a Cyan game.
  
• A new type of story that deviates from the Cyan standard.

Cons:

• The actual events of the story are harder to comprehend due to how it is delivered.
  
• Some of the puzzles seem to be more tedious than difficult.
  
• The dialogue can at some times be hard to understand as it is heavily accented.
  
• This is arguably the loneliest of the Cyan games (which I personally have considered a con since the original Myst).

Mid:

• The puzzles are easier than Obduction.
  
• Some of the new puzzle concepts needed more time in the oven.

7.5/10

Recommend at a 12.99 price point. Do wait for a sale.

Loved it. Great blend of exploration, story telling, and puzzles. Cyan is still doing what they do.

The plot was difficult to parse and as a result, it feels like the game lacks any solid motivation for solving the puzzles. You play as a Keeper - an employee of the titular organization Firmament - and are guided by the voice of a previous Keeper. As you explore and solve puzzles this guide speaks to you about their own experiences within this world. This narration serves as exposition for the broader plot but does not begin to make sense until the end of the game. Overall, I enjoyed listening to said narration whilst exploring but found it distracting when trying to solve the puzzles.

The puzzles themselves were less difficult than what one would be used to from Cyan - and yet in very Cyan fashion there is a fair amount of backtracking. The primary mechanic - the "Adjunct" - is a clever way of unifying all other puzzle elements of the game. I loved seeing and being able to operate giant machines, but some puzzles felt more tedious than others due to awkward control schemes. Ultimately I enjoyed solving the variety of puzzles available.

Visually this game is stunning! Each realm has an identity of its own, with custom details and vibrant colors. Each space sprawls, giving the appearance of a world much larger than what can be explored. The look and feel of the Adjunct is satisfying and unique.

The soundscape fits each realm well, and there is custom music for each area. The only critique I have here is that the guide's voice sounds low-quality. I am not sure if this was intentional or not, as the guide sounds just like characters from previous Cyan games. So, this could just be a product of how Cyan records voice lines or possibly an artistic choice.

In conclusion, I would wholeheartedly recommend this game for fans of previous Cyan titles and fans of puzzle games in general. Despite some flaws, it very much contains Cyan DNA. For those still on the fence it might be worth waiting for a sale due to its relatively shorter play-time.