Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: I have windows XP--just so you know.
The first game I played in this three disk set was Exile, for I have played the originals of the first two games before. It ran perfectly, but that might be because I bought a brand new very up-to-date video card to play Uru on. (It didn't work with my old card.)
Having Riven on only one disk is great, but I haven't played the whole game through yet (since I played the original very recently). The only real problem with it was the music was a little choppy. Same with Myst. Since I have bought the soundtracks, however, this isn't too much of a loss--besides, the music was a little choppy and off in the original sometimes anyway.
The following goes for all three:Graphics: Five Stars! They are excellent and detailed. You can see yourself in these beautiful worlds, and completely get lost in them. They are very fun to explore just for hours at a time, so traveling back and forth from place to place rarely, if ever, gets tedious. It is also a wonderful addition, in Exile, to be able to look around you almost 360 degrees--though it moves really fast and sometimes gave me a headache when I played in the dark.
The animations were excellent, and looked like real people/creatures (probably because they used real people), but sometimes in Myst/Riven it was tiresome to have to watch an animation all the way through before you could move again--especially if you had seen it before. In Exile, most of the time you can move around while animations are playing, which is great.
Gameplay: FIVE STARS! Though it is hard to get used to the scrolling in Exile, it is always simple to move around and interact with things etc. etc. All the puzzles fit into the game, the plots have no holes, the acting is great (for computer games) and it is always very absorbing (for lack of a better word). When you finish a game sometimes you open it up again to see if there can be another ending, or simply to look at the beautiful scenery again.
Music: Four and a half stars; and that only because it can be choppy and grainy in the first two games sometimes. Otherwise, it supplements the game perfectly and gets better from sequel to sequel. The introductory music of Exile gives me chills, sometimes, for it is hauntingly beautiful. If you are not patient, or not willing to spend a lot of time solving puzzles, this game is not for you. If you really want to play, however, but find the puzzles impossible, there are strategy guides available and plenty of online help. (I myself used the internet at least twice per game, and let me tell you--it is way less satisfying than solving it yourself).
If you love shoot-em-up and other sorts of fast moving games, this game will never be for you.
But, if you have a big imagination, plenty of patience, a grasp of logic, and a love of mystery, you'll get right into these games. You can practically feel the wind on your face and smell the salt from the sea when you're standing there staring at it all--and you'll wish it'll never end.
Rating:
Summary: great games==lousy format??????
Review: I just read a review from someone who got this DVD-rom set for free since he purchased Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. He said he was glad he did not pay for them and warned others not to buy the set unless you have Windows XP. He said he tried it on all the other operating systems to find that they did not work. His intention to save some people money was very good, however, a loss of profits could hurt our beloved company behind Myst as much as pirates could by stealing the software. Maybe the DVD versions he has now really do work, and he just does not have a DVD-rom.
Rating: 
Summary: Technical problems
Review: I love the idea, but I can't get Myst to run smoothly on my Windows XP machine. I am 2/3s through the puzzles, and the game freezes on a certain point every time. I had some other glitches too. Exile and Riven seem to run fine. Myst has problems though...
Rating: 
Summary: Not XP Compatible
Review: I purchased this set today...because of the great reviews other had given all three games...and it would run on XP...but it doesn't! One won't run at all and another crashes every time I play. The third game did seem to be ok, but what wa the point after not being able to play the first two. Just be prepared to restart many times if you are playing with an XP system.
Rating:
Summary: HEY WHAT HAPPEND TO RIVEN THANX UBISOFT
Review: I purchased this with much antisapation, as i have a brand new computer with XP running. Surprise! Riven will not play:-( Myst and Exile work fine. I contacted Ubisoft tec support oh yeah we know about that problem alot of people have the same problem with just Riven thanx for writing us we are working on it.Wow this is suppposed to be reenginered for Win XP dvd big let down.So now i wait for a patch or a fix, Also i am glad i checked to see if URU would be compatiable with my video card nope big list of non-compatiable video cards. As you all know we can not return software if opened we just have to live with the programers mistakes :-(
Rating:
Summary: I love this set!
Review: I too got this free with my purchase of URU, but it has sat around for about six months until I got a DVD-Rom drive. I was going to have to buy one anyway to play the upcoming Myst IV Revelation, and I'm glad I did! I had found my old Myst to be very difficult to play on my present XP system. All three games played beautifully on my system, although Riven did crash the first time I opened one of the gold domes. I love not having to switch disks with Riven! The only flaw I personally have found is that the clues to find the final page in Myst are a little off on my copy. I might have needed a walkthrough for it if I hadn't played it before.
Rating: 
Summary: A little nostalgia for my parents, a new experience for me
Review: I was too young to play the original Myst, but my mom had, and one day we were shopping at the mall and we saw this--so voila! At first I was just sort of confused--where the crap am I? What am I supposed to do with the boat? I was totally used to action and platform games that my brothers played, and I was actually afraid that people were going to attack me from behind the doors and stuff. At first I needed the hints, but eventually I "weaned" off them, at least until that subway thing at the end. I had a fantastic time playing Myst. It didn't crash but once, either.
When I played Riven, though, it crashed a little more, and of course, the whole concept was not so foreign, so it lost a little novelty appeal. The graphics were a lot better, though. I haven't beaten it though (no hints!). I look forward to beating it eventually, though. I have XP and the crashes suck, but it doesn't really spoil any gameplay.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely not for Windows XP
Review: I was very disappointed with the fact that this was adverised as a Windows XP version. I already have Myst, which I played in Windows ME shortly before getting my new computer that runs Windows XP, and I have Myst Exile. I also have a copy of Riven at my parent's house and they aren't using it, so I could have retrieved that to play Riven. I bought this because I thought the idea was that it had been updated for newer platforms/machines, but I was wrong. I had to use Windows XP "compatability mode" at Windows 98 setting to get Riven to launch on this new computer. I could have done that with the old version of Riven. The movies played really choppy under compatibility mode. So what is the point of this 10th Anniversary DVD edition?
Rating:
Summary: Great Classics
Review: I'm new to the Myst world and bought these games on advice of a friend. I have an XP computer bought just last month so I am usually playing high end games like Command and Conquer Renegade, Star Wars Knights of the Old..., and such so I was skeptical to play an old game with crude graphics. Despite being old the games are a true joy to play. Myst itself is fun and graphics aren't too bad (perhaps because they revamped them), Riven was a little confusing and frustrating but the true champion of the series is Exile which will keep you glued to your screen for ten to twelve hours at a time. Play this game with your brother or a close friend. Trust me you will have a blast. If I haven't emphasized enough, the gameplay is what made the games fun for me as I'm sure it will for you. So don't be scared of buying old games, sometimes they're worth their weight in gold.
Rating:
Summary: Great packaging of the first three MYST games
Review: I've been aware of MYST for ten years now, but only recently been able to play this game. I am also glad to get this 10th Anniversary DVD-ROM edition. Remember: be sure your computer has a DVD-ROM drive in order to run this. Anyway, MYST is a great discovery for me, because I'm of the age who got burned out on slash-'em and shoot-'em-up games, and instead the three MYST games included here gives you challenging puzzles in order to get through the games.
The first MYST is most historical, as it originally came out in 1993, although what you have here is the Masterpiece Edition, which includes a few improvements, plus it provides you hints if you get stuck. A lot of the graphics are great for the time, but many of the land formations (cliffs, rocks) look obviously computer generated. You're supposed to collect missing pages from two different books (who are the sons of Atrus), while looking for the missing page for Atrus' book. You'll find out about the truth of Atrus' sons as you get near the end. After you win, you can simply explore the different worlds again if you want, without worrying about collecting pages.
The second one, Riven: A Sequel to MYST is definately an improvement in the graphics. I even found the music better too, not so much of that cheesy "new age" fluff. The graphics are much more realistic too. Unfortunately, there really isn't much in the way of visiting other worlds, mainly visiting the five islands. In this sequel, you're supposed to rescue Atrus' wife Catherine, who is been held prisoner. Atrus already mentioned how his wife was being held prisoner when you conquered the original MYST, and so this sequel obviously ties in. I found this sequel a bit more frustrating, and confusing at first.
The third one, MYST III: Exile is by far my favorite. What's really strange is Catherine now has an oddly British accent, which she didn't when you rescue her on Riven. I'd probably end up spending more time complimenting her hair (because it's so long) if this was real life and I met her pesonally, but she is fictional (although a real actress did play her). This time around a book called the Raleeshan has been stolen and you need to retrieve it and give it back to Atrus. The hugest improvement of all is you can now pan 360 degrees, so you don't miss anything, after all there are often passages that might be difficult to find, but you need to go through them, like on Edanna. The game also features lots of great music, some of it rather sinister, that goes with the trippy scenery.
And if you want, while you install the games, install the movies that are included (which runs on QuickTime), which tells you the history of each game, how it was produced, and the people behind it (and occasionally the actors who play these characters). As it turns out, Rand Miller, the guy behind the MYST series is also the guy who played Atrus!
Great stuff, and a wonderful way to get the first three MYST games in one go!
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