Myst III: Exile Reviews

[h1]8.5/10[/h1] The graphics are, of course, dated, but it's, for the most part, a well constructed point and click game. There is one [i]very[/i] frustrating puzzle near the end of the game, which suffers more from the way it's constructed than anything else, and will take some trial and error, and attention to detail to complete. There are some navigation issues in the [i]Edanna[/i] Age, due to the dated graphics, but, if you take your time and go slow, you shouldn't miss too much. The soundtrack is awesome and the live-action acting is good; Brad Dourif does a fantastic job in this game! For those who are used to constantly being told what to do, where to go, and having every important item highlighted in the game for them, this game may not be to your liking. If, however, you enjoy a challenge, and don't mind using your mind to figure things out, this game is a lot of fun!

A bit different from the first two games but good in its own way. Once I got used to the new "3d" panoramic view of the camera I came to kinda love it, it does make the game's worlds feel as immersive as they can get while also keeping the classic movement system and interactivity. I can't say that I liked the ages and the puzzles here quite as much as in the other games but they were still solid. Also, loved the character of Saavedro, stellar performance from the actor!

After replaying Riven, I went back and played Exile, the sequel to the sequel to Myst that came out with the CD-Rom. Brad Dourif is amazing, as I remembered, but the game hasn't aged as well in playing it again. A lot of the puzzles are watered down (which fits narratively, being built for children), but that feels out of place in a game that has already taught you to pay attention to details. So, the puzzles are simple, and more compact to central areas (something I LOVE over Riven's retreading mindset), but they're still SOOO stretched out. I feel like it's intentional, so people don't just come in and blow through it in at 4 hours or something, so expect a walking maze simulator along with your puzzle solving. If it sounds like I'm complaining, it's because I am, but I also can't recommend these worlds, the lore, and the design behind all of this enough. It's worth playing, despite everything, and hopefully Cyan remakes this as well and fixes some of these minor issues- because I doubt they'll have Dorif's acting abilities based on the 3D remakes to this point. He really is a show stealer, in everything he's in, so if they COULD get him back out, I would recommend it, because amazingly hammy, yet heartfelt. Truly memorable.