Myst III: Exile
Description official descriptions
Set 10 years after the events of Riven, Myst 3: Exile is about a man who wants revenge on Atrus.
The gameplay remains the same point and click interface as Myst, but adds 360 degree scrolling technology for a more realistic gaming experience.
Spellings
- "迡é§äšĺłś3" - Chinese spelling (traditional)
- Myst III: ×× ×§×× - Hebrew spelling
- ăăšă III: ă¨ă°ăśă¤ăŤ - Japanese spelling
- çĽç§ĺ˛3ďźćžé - Chinese spelling (simplified)
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Credits (Windows version)
180 People (150 developers, 30 thanks) · View all
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[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 77% (based on 48 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 90 ratings with 5 reviews)
Exile... Saavedro is waiting....
The Good
Myst III: Exile continues the story set forth in both the original Myst and its sequel Riven. It starts out with you speaking to Catherine and Artus at their home in the age of Tomahna. As the game starts, Artus tell you of the new Age heâs written for the Dâni â Releeshahn. All of a sudden, a stranger appears in the room (Saavedro), and steals the book with the new Age in it, and you run after him.
And so starts your journey in Myst III: Exile. I think itâs a fantastic journey into the realistic world that has been set into motion. First off Iâd like to thank UbiSoft for allowing you to install all the files on your hard drive! Itâs a 4 disk game, and Iâm glad I didnât have to do the disk-swap tango just to enjoy the game. It allows you to play the entire game without breaking the flow of gameplay and seeing an annoying âPlease insert Disk xâ during the game. That plagued Rivenâs gameplay and broke the illusion of immersion, and now that itâs eliminated, itâs a godsend here.
The graphics in the game are one-word: spectacular. Again the graphics in the game are central to the game. And the graphics are a wrap-around IMAX-style of graphics. Itâs kinda hard to explain, but it allows you to actually look around the environment and see whatâs about you. And itâs used in a lot of the puzzles where you have to view different aspects of the environment from different angles.
The control is better! Hooray! One of my biggest gripes about Riven and Myst are the fact that navigating around the Ages was a hunk-and-clickfest looking for the one area of the screen that allows you to move up and down stairs, ladders and tunnels. Itâs fixed. Navigating the Ages of Exile are as easy as point-and-click. Itâs easy to look toward where you want to go, and go there.
The sound and music are fantastic. Yet again, the sounds and music are an integral part of the game, and you need to listen and look to figure out what is going on. They also released the game soundtrack on CD, and itâs great to listen to. One of the great thingas about Exile (and the previous 2 games for that matter) is the fact that the attention to detail is unbelievable. I had no problem playing thorugh 85% of the game without any hints whatsoever.
There are technically 6 Ages (7 if you count Releeshahn) that you walk through. Tomahna (the starting world), JâNanin (The world that links the three main worlds), Voltaic (the mechanical world), Edanna (the organic world), Amateria (the marble world â youâll understand when you see it), and Narayan, where you finally confront Saavedro, and determine the fate of the Age off Releeshahn.
And the gameplay itself is great. The story unfolds as you walk through the Ages, and you come to find out that Saavedro (and his people) were basically tortured by Atrusâ sons, Sirrus and Achenar. The game revolves around Saavedro wanting to punish Atrus by subjecting him to the insanity of the ages, much like Atrusâ sons did to him. And the game is basically guided by one principle: total immersion. You have to suspend your disbelief and think like you are actually there in order to make sense of the Ages. If you try meta-game thinking (âIf I were the programmer how would I construct this puzzleâ), it usually wonât work. The programmers did an outstanding job crafting and creating believable environments that you need to navigate through. The puzzles are actually a bit easier than the ones in Riven, but are just hard enough to make you sit back and think about them logically. For instance of the first puzzles you stumble across is the Prism Puzzle in the Age of JâNanin. It involves focus a light and bouncing it through posts that have a colored marker on top of them, bouncing it back and forth across the Island, and finally focusing on a door. It lights up the buttons on the door and the sequence to unlock the door is the sequence of the colors as they travel through the posts. Itâll take you a while to figure out what works and what doesnât, but itâs always logical. And I must say that after solving the age of Amateria, you get the ride of your life through the age itself. Itâs better than a roller coaster, and itâs one of the most satisfying feelings you get after you solve an Age.
The Bad
There really isnât anything bad about the game. There were a few times where I had to resort to hints, especially in Narayan, and the word/symbol puzzle. And the Age of Edanna is very organic, there are no switches, most of the puzzles are based on light, water and electricity. Itâs very interesting, but was very confusing. And I thought the game could have gone on a bit longer. Perhaps another age to go through before facing Saavedro in the Age of Narayan.
The Bottom Line
If you like Riven or Myst, then this game is right up your alley. I personally believe that the adventure is going the way of the dodo, but with games like Riven and Exile, and also stellar games like The Longest Journey and Cyberia, the genre is still around. You might have to dig around for the gems in the bunch, and Exile is one of those gems. A must buy for those who like the genre. And for those who haven't tried the genre, give Exile a whirl. It's about 10 bucks now, so there's no reason not to try it.
Windows · by Chris Martin (1155) · 2004
If youâve waited until now to play one of the Myst games, donât wait any longer!
The Good
Some reviewers are bound and determined to thwart the entire Myst Series, some to the point of blaming it for the downturn of the adventure genre as a whole. To that, I say BALDERDASH! If you have stayed away from these games because of those reviews, you have missed out on some of the most entertaining, challenging, engrossing and enduring experiences you may ever have within a game world. For those of you not familiar with the series, hereâs a basic synopsis.
Creating worlds simply by writing them in a journal â sounds like the ultimate Sim, doesnât it? Atrus creates worlds, or âAgesâ, as he calls them, just by writing his ideas in books. You are able to visit and explore each Age by opening his book and entering the picture inside.This type of magic transforms a blank page into a self-contained world complete with animals, plants and people, all of which evolve and grow over time.
But, playing God can be tricky business, as Atrus has learned the hard way. Mistakes made in his early efforts backfired and caused destruction and loss of lives. This chapter in the saga deals with those mistakes, and with a bitter âexiledâ survivor bent on revenge against Atrus and his family. Youâll be exploring some of his first Ages â the ones he created to help his two sons learn. Each one is unique in itself with itâs own atmosphere, beauty and, of course, puzzles.
Like in the preceding games, strange contraptions need to be manipulated, all with a specific purpose you must discover. There is a color puzzle and a sound puzzle, but fortunately, no mazes or sliders (hallelujah!) In my estimation, the puzzles are of Medium-to-Hard difficulty for the most part. Be prepared to be utterly confused at first, but with a keen eye and perseverance, the answers will dawn on you like a revelation from above. There are surprises around every corner, interesting gizmos and buildings to explore. There are creatures too â a beautiful mother bird and her young as well as an adorable little hamster-sized animal. During your adventure, you will solve some puzzles either using or helping those creatures.
I canât begin to describe in words how beautiful the graphics are in EXILE. I was awestruck and totally thrilled with every step. It is definitely a feast for the eyes, but my ears were not neglected. The fully orchestrated musical score brought me to blissful tears at times. Realistic sound effects, from the chirping of birds to the crashing of waves on rocks, add to the ambiance.
I also liked the two different endings, both of which are interesting to watch. And, if you make the wrong choice during the last segment, you can actually die!
I thank my lucky stars that the Patch provided support for my aging video card. Otherwise I couldnât have played the game at all. A nice feature is having optional hardware support for all of the major 3D accelerator cards. Supposedly this enhances the graphics even more, if you can imagine that, by adding more movement to the scenery. Because the game was published as a Windows/Macintosh hybrid, MAC users can enjoy it too.
The Bad
Itâs hard to find anything bad about EXILE, but with a little thought, I did find a few little things, if you want to get picky.
The Bottom Line
Donât rush through this game. Take your time, relax, and let yourself be consumed by the absolute uniqueness of each Age. You will be rewarded for your efforts with a fully satisfying experience. Fans of the predecessors and players who have enjoyed other 1st person adventures (Beyond Atlantis, for example) will love this game â as I did.
The foremost enticement of this sequel is the advancement of a story that began in the first game. As you begin playing EXILE, youâll read enough background to get the gist of the story, so it is not necessary to play MYST and RIVEN beforehand (but it helps). I hope this is not the end of this saga and that there will be another sequel!
Windows · by Jeanne (75837) · 2001
A beautiful new chapter to the Myst series that fans will love.
The Good
Exile is a beautiful game. While the actual graphics themselves might not be rendered as cleanly as Riven, the previous game in the series, each island is distinct and recognizable, and the quality of the illustrations is stunning and worthy successor to Myst. Some of the animation sequences will take your breath away, and the freedom to look all around you is a welcome new feature.
The music is perhaps the highlight of the game. A complete new orchestral and vocal soundtrack has been recorded, which both pays tribute to the games before and presents new themes to add to the depth and character of the game. The collector's edition comes with a soundtrack CD (also available separately) that highlights the beauty of the music in this game.
The Bad
While Exile was a delight to the senses, the mind was sometimes left wanting. Exile is not as challenging as Riven, largely because most of the puzzles are self contained. Everything you need to solve each puzzle is clearly presented to you, usually within "arms reach." Riven, which often required an intuitive leap to make the connections between sounds, symbols, and sometimes obscure parts of the scenery, had a sense of unity to the world that feels missing in Exile.
The plot is less subtle and mysterious in Exile as well. Many have criticized Myst and Riven for requiring too much "dead reading time," so Exile presents most of the plot directly to you in the form of video messages from the villain, Saavedro. Unfortunately, he comes across as alternately petulant and vengeful, and really doesn't tell you anything about the story that you can't deduce from the pages of his journal you find scattered about the ages, which make his presence seem intrusive.
The Bottom Line
Myst III: Exile is a different sort of computer game, emphasizing logic and reasoning over action and dexterity. Like its predecessors, it breaks new ground in technology and artistry found in few other games on the shelves today. Its natural interface, beautifully illustrated environments, and haunting soundtrack make it a perfect game for all ages.
Windows · by Christopher Currie (3) · 2001
Trivia
Hybrid DVD release cancelled
Myst III: Exile was originally going to be re-released on a single, hybrid DVD sometime after the initial 4 CD release, however this was quietly canceled. One of the original Exile programmers, Roland Gustaffson, would later explain that this was not as a result of technical issues, saying
The Mac/PC version of Myst 3 that shipped is DVD-ready. If the files from the 4 CDs are placed on a DVD in just the right places, it will work with the current app. ie: not producing a Mac/PC DVD version is purely a marketing decision. There aren't that many Mac/PC games that have shipped on DVD, from what I can remember.
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Related Sites +
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ExilE-hints
Myst III Exile hint guide: Choose from different levels of hints to get only the amount of help you want. -
Exile Walkthrough on Games Over
Bert Jamin's Myst 3 Exile Walkthrough -
Hints for Myst III Exile
These Exile helpful hints provide gentle nudges before the final solution is revealed thus letting you attempt to solve the puzzles yourself. -
Interview: Myst III: Exile
Inside Mac Games interviews Susan Weyer, PR Manager of Presto Studios, several months before the release of Exile, discussing Presto's creative approach to the title, advertising, and the Mac (December 21st, 2000) -
Myst III: Exile Original Web Site Design
The original Myst III: Exile web site design on Wow Web Designs -
Myst related tools
Home of Myst III - music player and the Myst III Alt-Tab Patch -
Shaw-Kuderna Walkthrough
Another excellent Myst III Walkthrough -
Sinjin's Solve
Exile Walkthrough by Sinjin -
The Myst Guidebook
The Exile subsection of the Guidebook fansite that provides information about the game and a brief background on the game's production. -
Wikipedia: Myst III: Exile
Information about Myst III: Exile at Wikipedia -
Witchen's Walkthrough
Myst 3 Walkthrough by Witchen -
Zarf's Review
A Macintosh review of Myst III: Exile by Andrew Plotkin (May, 2001). -
interview (July 3, 2001)
for Inside Mac Games with Phil Saunders
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Grant McLellan.
Xbox, PlayStation 2 added by POMAH. Macintosh added by Kabushi.
Additional contributors: IJan, Unicorn Lynx, Jeanne, Alaka, andy s, formercontrib, Ms. Tea, Crawly, 1gnition, Zeppin, DreinIX, Paulus18950, Cantillon, realXCV.
Game added April 4, 2001. Last modified August 2, 2024.