Myst V materializes

Myst V: End of Ages, the final chapter in the long-running PC adventure-game saga, is on its way to stores, according to publisher Ubisoft.

Never let it be said that the Myst series went out without a sense of finality. With the first announcement of the game by Ubisoft in January, End of Ages was being touted as the series finale. Early last month the publisher announced a limited-edition release of the game that would include a series retrospective on DVD produced by Turner Broadcasting. Then it came out that the series developer Cyan Worlds had gutted its operation and closed the doors on its game production unit after sending End of Ages off for reproduction.

"It's bittersweet launching Myst V: End of Ages, the final chapter of the Myst story," says Tony Kee, vice president of marketing at Ubisoft. "But we are also really excited about the innovation and new features of the game and can't wait until the fans get their hands on it."

The plot of End of Ages picks up right where the original Myst ended, but as with previous installments in the series, players are thrown into the story and forced to piece together what's actually happening from various cryptic clues.

Myst V: End of Ages is rated E for Everyone and retails for $49.99. The limited-edition package goes for $59.99.