Myst 3: Exile

Building on the surreal style of Myst and Riven Myst III: Exile features newfantastic environments that made its’ predecessors immersive mysterious andbeautiful. Exile features five entirely new ages for players to explore andhours of new mysteries to uncover. Myst 3 Exile has new panoramic navigationtechnology to bring the world alive without losing any of the artistic beauty orinteractivity of previous Myst games.Developed by Presto Studios Myst III: Exile features five entirely new agesfor players to explore and hours of new mysteries to uncover. Myst III: Exileuses new navigation technology to bring the world alive without losing any ofthe artistic beauty or interactivity of the previous Myst games. Fans will findmore of what they love about Myst and Riven and a few surprises. By drawing onthe history of the series and new technology Myst III: Exile is a trueevolution of the series not just a continuation.Myst III: Exile introduces a new villain a bitter man whose home world wasruined by Sirrus and Achenar and returns to take revenge against Atrus and hisfamily at their most vulnerable time. Trapped in a mysterious age you mustexplore the environment and navigate the puzzles of the age to gradually uncoverthe mystery of this new adversary.Product Features Free-look movement system allows players to pan a full 360 degrees at any location fully immersing them in the world. Five entirely new ages to explore each with their own distinctive visual style. Dramatic storyline extends the Myst mythology by focusing on a pivotal new character. Puzzles gradually reveal mystery and intrigue as they are solved. Original soundtrack. Supports optional 3D hardwareSystem RequirementsMyst 3 Exile is a Hybrid Mac/PC CD-ROMWindows 95/98/Me or MAC OS 8.0; Pentium 300 MHz or PowerPC 200 MHz; SVGAGraphics Card; 150 MB; 4X or Faster; 32 MB

Myst arrived just in time to take advantage of brand-new CD-ROM technology, and quickly became the number-one reason to buy a new computer. Myst and its sequel, Riven, featured beautiful and lonely landscapes, a strong and fascinating sense of pervading mystery, and puzzles both fiendish and clever. Players navigated through the games by clicking on points of interest, and solved puzzles by paying careful attention to the lush graphics and haunting sounds of the environment. Myst III: Exile proudly continues and even advances that tradition.

Myst's ongoing story line is as convoluted as it is fantastic. Central to the story is the mysterious civilization of the D'ni, which creates entire worlds by writing books. Other books are used to link the D'ni worlds together. Myst trapped the player in a series of interconnected worlds, and challenged the player to puzzle through the ramblings of two mad brothers in order to free Atrus, their imprisoned father. Riven revealed more of the history of the D'ni, and sent the player to the unstable world of Riven in order to rescue Atrus's wife.

Myst III: Exile concerns Atrus's earnest attempt at creating a new world. He hopes this world will mark the rebirth of the D'ni, but before he finishes his book, a thief (portrayed in the game by actor Brad Dourif) breaks into his laboratory and mucks things up. You have to track this thief through worlds written by Atrus in his earlier years. Within each world you must right the wrongs the thief has created, all the while uncovering a deeper mystery surrounding his relationship to Atrus and his troublesome children. Prior experience with Myst and Riven isn't necessary for this third excursion, but familiarity with Myst's point-and-click gameplay and its often infuriating puzzle logic helps.

New to the game is a full 3-D landscape, which replaces the static prerendered artwork of the previous games. The gorgeous new graphics allow you to quickly pan and scan your way through an area, looking for puzzles and action spots with the hand cursor. The puzzles have been improved so that you can now see changes to the environment immediately after you solve one, rather than simply moving on to the next picture. Still, the puzzles are often wickedly difficult and may prove frustrating to new players.

The environment is the true star of the game, and is sure to enchant players of all stripes. As before, the music and artwork are topnotch and immersing, and the experience is not easily forgotten. Myst fans of old will be delighted with this new installment, and those new to the series will be enchanted, provided they are willing to spend time on the puzzles, enjoy the scenery, and let the game carry them away. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• A strong continuation of the series
• Brilliant new artwork and music

Cons:

• Puzzles can be confusing
• Not for impatient gamers

In creating Myst III: Exile, developers combined new technology with the history of the popular Myst series. Supporting optional 3-D hardware, the game features a free-look movement system, allowing players to pan 360 degrees in any location. There are five new ages to explore, each featuring a unique visual style. The story line focuses on a new character, a villain whose home world was ruined by Sirrus and Achenar (familiar to those who have played the previous games), and has returned to take revenge against Atrus and his family. Explore the environment and solve puzzles to uncover the mystery of this new adversary.