Myst III Exile

Almost everyone who knows even a little about PC games will recognize the titles
Myst and Riven, the highly successful and overwhelmingly popular
adventure game series(s) that took the community by storm when they originally
hit the scene back in 1993. For a long period the two titles held the record
for all time PC game sales, until finally being out-sold by The Sims.
None the less, the simple interface and exceptional pre-rendered graphics of
Myst left a lasting impression. Myst III Exile
for the Xbox brings fans of the series more of what they loved about the original,
maintains it’s simplicity in gameplay, and offers newcomers a relaxed, beautiful,
and though provoking world to encounter.

Played
from a first person view, the gameplay revolves mainly around exploration of
the vast worlds, and puzzle solving. Similar to the PC version, it uses a point
and click system to navigate. There is no walk function, no run function, no
pick up the sword and battle it out routines, as many console gamers as become
accustomed to in adventure titles. There is no question that this title may
not have the highest appeal for many gamers that are centered around action,
and those players may even find the title boring. The fact of the matter is
that you are presented an excellent story that will keep you entertained throughout
all the twists and turns of the plot.

Basically,
you are faced with a villain whose home world was destroyed by Sirrus and Achenar,
the sons of Atrus and Catherine, whom you may remember from the original Myst.
Played by Academy Award nominee Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest), the villain has been hiding on Atrus’ Ages, awaiting his chance
to gain revenge. Inadvertently, Atrus himself has provided that chance by reestablishing
contact with the D’ni providing the perfect impetus for a man whose heart seems
bent completely on revenge. It’s now your job to track the villain and uncover
the truth about him and avert disaster. Along the way you’ll encounter numerous
puzzles, and by no means are the puzzles easily completed, those of you that
enjoy thought provoking games have found a match! Fortunately for the weak-minded,
there is a mini soft-hints section included in the manual, and while you may
seem stumped at times, trust me, the solutions are attainable. When you reach
certain items in the game, such as door handles, papers, or other items that
can be moved or otherwise manipulated, your cursor will change. Pressing the
A button will perform the associated action, such as opening a door, manipulating
puzzle elements, or reading a book.

While
navigating around the Ages, as they are called, through a point and click type
scenario may sound like a drag, it actually works quite well. If you want to
go somewhere, just aim at it with the pointer and click, or simply look in that
direction and click the A button. Not all areas can be explored, and most of
the time you’ll be able to determine this by examining the environment. For
example, you will not be able to cross a path that is blocked by a rail. Other
times it’s not so clearly illustrated, but you will be able to figure out where
to go fairly easily after a bit of experience with the game. Generally you’ll
get around using the first person shooter styled left thumb stick to figure
out where to go, this is called free look mode. Free look mode can be turned
off, allowing the cursor to reach the edge of the screen, which will allow for
greater accuracy, but limited view as the camera remains fixed throughout. Areas
you have visited can also be reached quicker through zip mode, where a little
lightning bolt appears and allows you to quickly move to a previous location.

WOW. The photo-realistic environments are definitely top notch, and you’ll be
amazed at the detail provided in both outdoor and indoor environments. Character
animations and cinematics are also done very well, many of them filmed and then
converted to the in-game scenes that you see, at times however the crossover
between the backgrounds and the animations is a bit pronounced. Reminded me
of Phantasmagoria for the PC, just allot sharper and cleaner. The striking beauty
of the ages and detailed mechanical vs. plant-life object are incredible and
unique, and keep the game interesting throughout your leisurely journey.

An included
original soundtrack by re-known composer Jack Wall sets the tone for the game
very well. The ‘mood’ of the music rises and falls depending on the situation,
and creates a tension around what is happening around you. The voice acting
is also done well, and adds a realism to the situations in the game that is
unparalleled by many standards. Ambient sounds of the environments are also
very convincing.

The game itself will take you quite some time to complete, and there are a couple
of different endings as well as some extra footage at the end, however the replay
value is fairly low since the puzzles can only be solved in a single manner.
Other than going back to gaze at the lanscape the replay value isn’t that high.

Overall
Score: 7.8 [not an average]

Myst III Exile certainly has allot of excellent high points . . .
intriguing story, excellent graphics, simplistic gameplay mechanics. You definately
have to have a taste for this style of gameplay, and it will not appeal to everyone,
but if you get started into the storyline of the game, you’re hooked!

• Ubi Soft Entertainment
• Presto Studios
• Myst III Exile Hints and Cheats
• Myst
  III Exile Screenshots (Temporarily Unavailable, Sorry.)

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