Customer Reviews

Myst III: Exile

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Myst III Exile (M3E) is not your typical Xbox game, that's for sure; it was originally developed for the PC and ported exactly as the PC version. Being experienced with all the Myst adventures, I was expecting the gameplay interface similar to Real Myst where character movement seemed more like you were actually walking instead of watching a Powerpoint slide show when moving. Although the producers of M3E claim and brag about the introduction of new 360 degree observation technology, this is actually not new (Real Myst used it first) and now they actually went a step back with the slide-show movement. I got used to it after a while, but it was a bit dissapointing to see such a great game with such an outdated technology, especially on the Xbox. That's the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5

Exposure to the M3E predecessor games (Myst, Riven) is necessary as the game documentation does not explain the story and reasoning behind M3E.

M3E has one vengeful D'ni inhabitant named Saavedro that somehow discovered a way to transport himself to the age of Tomahna, where Atrus had just completed writing the age of Releeshan, in which he wanted to amend all of his son's wrongdoings. Saavedro takes away the Releeshan linking book and deliberately drops his J'nanin book expecting to lure Atrus and trap him in his destroyed age. You end up with the task of bringing back the Releeshan book and stop Saavedro from doing more damage to the ages.

Your adventure starts when you link into the J'nanin or Learning Age. This age was originally conceived by Atrus to teach his sons about the creation of ages. You are all alone (or so it seems) on this tropical island with no idea of how to get Saavedro and the stolen book.
You will have to use all your power of observation, logic and problem-solving skills to solve the many elaborate puzzles and discover the mystery surrounding J'nanin and Saavedro. The J'nanin age unlocks other new ages, required for you to complete the adventure. The puzzles, although logic, are not that obvious to solve. Atrus had to be very careful and have a method that only he would know in order to avoid other people to damage his creations. Luckily you were handed the Atrus journal when you start off in Tomahna and this book will give you an idea of what Atrus wanted to accomplish and also provides you with clues to solve many important puzzles.

This game requires patience and a lot of persistence; for every step you take make sure to stop and look around, then continue on. Everything around you is important.
The puzzles are mostly the mechanic-type; pull a lever, push a button, etc. Many times pulling a lever creates a reaction somewhere else, so be very observant. I can't say that any puzzle in the adventure was impossible to figure out on your own. The instruction booklet has a hint section for the puzzles but I always avoid those; there's nothing like the sense of accomplishment when solving a tough puzzle entirely on your own. There's always something that turns on your light bulb, sometimes re-reading the journals, walking again around the age, going back to J'nanin, even turning off the Xbox console and taking a break.

The adventure is open-ended; you don't need to visit any age in a particular order in order to succeed. You don't die in this game; you cannot fall off a cliff, get electrified or drown. You are also not going to get stuck by pushing the wrong button. That doesn't mean you should start pushing or pulling at will, everything has a purpose and a method, and most of the time is not obvious at first glance.

This game is recommended for experienced adventurers and Myst fans. Those new to Myst or to adventure games could find it a bit frustrating and the story will probably not make too much sense.

The Myst series was one of the most popular computer game series in history. The ideas behind the game, the scenery, etc. are absolutely amazing but I dont like how 3 came out for the XBOX prior to 1 and 2. It helps get a feel for whats happening if you play them in order because the concept is a bit abstract at first. This game though is truly a creative marvel and is a thinking persons game. There is no real violence but there is suspense, fear, etc. A must play for everyone. My only complaint is that for people new to the Myst series is that there is no Myst 1 & 2 for the XBOX because I believe it helps to play them in order.

I am a fan of the Myst games on the PC. I like it for the XBOX, because I think it makes manuvering easier. I like the controler to the keyboard and mouse. I thought the graphics were good, the puzzles interesting, and the mystery of the story engrossing. This is a game I got lost in. The only thing I really did not like was that the graphics were in screnes and not scrolling as you walk around. Still, it is a game worth having. There is very litte interaction with characters though, only objects. If you like puzzles, reason, logic and experimentation, you'll love this game. If you need action, warfar or shooting, you probably won't like this game.

The First Myst game was on another console 10 years ago. The Atari Jaguar 64 system along with it's JagCD player add-on had Myst as a CD game. I have played the Myst & Riven Games on the PC, as well as the first Myst on the JagCD, and liked them a lot! I have Myst III:Exile for both the PC and Xbox. I think the Xbox version is Ok... I do find that the elevator scene where you have to manipulate gears and weights is harder to see on the Xbox version then the PC version, but all in all UBI soft has done a great job in keeping with the traditional story line of the Myst series. Yes, it would be helpful to play the first 2 Myst Games: Myst & Riven to understand just where Myst III is taking you. This way you will know who Atrus & Catherine are, and who Atrus' two sons are... The story line of Myst III mentions them, and the things they had done in Riven just a little bit. The journal Atrus has written does describe a little of what happened in Myst and Riven, but not in great detail... So this game is really for someone that has played the previous two Myst adventures... Which I will recommend you do before running out and buying this for Xbox or PS2... Otherwise you might be disappointed, and feel at a loss of what to do, or even not know what is going on... And wonder who are these people? Plus playing the first 2 Myst & Riven will give you a better feel of how to manipulate objects, and the general feel of the game, and how the puzzle solving process works to make machines,doors,and things open or turn on. The best thing to do is if you have a PC ... See if a friend has the first 2 Myst games... Borrow them and play them, or buy the Myst Trilogy and play them all from Myst to Riven to Myst III:Exile. if you play the first 2 Myst & riven, and if you really like it... Well then come back here to purchase Myst III for the PC,Mac,Xbox or PS2. or Get all 3 in the PC/Mac trilogy(*Note* in the PC/Mac Trilogy-Myst:Masterpiece Edition is for Windows ONLY-Riven & Myst III:Exile is for Windows/Mac). The trilogy has an updated version (Windows ONLY)of the first Myst claiming enhanced graphics, sound... But beware... Myst III:Exile for the PC & Mac does require 2 patch updates you will need to install. It appears the game had a few bugs when it was released for the Mac & PC, so the updates are required... The game will lockup or not play properly without the updates.

I first played Myst 10 years ago on a 120Mz Gateway Pentium.This was a great game then andExile,like Riven,continues its legacy.It is an in-depth game with many plot turns and puzzles to solve.Adventure games,namely Myst and other non-linear all have many elements of puzzle solving.it is different from a typical RPG which somewhat goes "You do this for me and I'll tell you where the item you want is".The Myst world is open-ended and no one will approach the game in the same way.It was good 10 years ago--its' successor is still good now!

You better know what this game is about before you
go out and get it.You can only move by pressing A
button.I just don't see this game taking off on the
console like it has on the PC.Alot of people who don't
know what this game is about are going to end up disgusted.
It's a puzzle/strategy game,so forget about suitin' up
to slay the dragon.I don't mean to slam this game,it is
visually beautiful,just don't run out and buy it if you're
expecting an action,RPG,Shooter,etc..

If you've ever played Myst before than you know what to expect with this game, that is you don't know what to expect. Myst III: Exile is a much simpler outting than it's predecessor Riven: The Sequel to Myst. Where as Riven was one giant puzzle that required all the pieces to correctly come to the end, Exile is much more like the original Myst which was quite simple though just as much about exploring both in the game and in your imagination. The xbox version was actually quite alright despite being jagged (and hard to read) in appearance. Though the controls feel okay for being thumbstick driven and all of the puzzles are actually quite easy save for the weight puzzle concerning the ball which, for me turned out to be a fun and logical math problem (what can I say everyone has something nerdy about them).

The storyline of this game actually felt more like a spin off compared to the other games which deal more heavily and directly with Atrus and his family. This game's story manifests itself in a character which is tormented by Atrus' boys though it seems that considerably less is learned about what has happened throughout the story and the game serves more to be a series of puzzles (much like the first, less like the second). In the end the game still stands as a very impressive entry despite being so straightforward and lacking in the difficulty department.

I recommend buying it used, purely just to bridge the story from Riven to Myst IV.

I love the Myst games because of the graphics and complicated puzzles. I'm not very good with figuring the puzzles out most of the time but having a challenge makes a game more appealing to me. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes doing puzzles

I got this for me and my five year old son to play on the Xbox and although it is a game more for adults, he loved it too and was able to decipher some of the puzzles. It stretched both of our abilities and was a good strong brain builder. Totally worth the cost.

First let me say I played the first 2 games in this series and I liked them both ; however, they are not for everyone. MYST games are puzzle games to the highest standard. In one instance you might turn on a switch and it does absolutely nothing with in the vacinity of your immidiate senses, but somewhere in another area you're turning on power to a generator on a cart that you can travel around the "island" on. Let me be the first to say that these types of games are hard.. I mean reeeeaaalll hard .. *I'm not talking about looking up cheats or reading walk throughs for this game hard , anyone can do that and pretty much beat any game. It's definetly a break from first person shooters, and fighting games... rent it at least see what it's like then come back and buy it.