Rating: 
Summary: The Game to Buy!
Review: I have always loved the Myst games. With so many games out there that seem so rushed and shoved out the door just to make some money or a deadline it's refreshing to see a game done right. By the looks of it, Presto Studios has done a great job of continuing the Myst saga. They took the time to do the job right and spend enough time on the game to make it worth while for all the fans. Presto definitely knows what they are doing and have a lot of experience in the gaming industry. I remember sitting down to play The Journey Project for the first time. It was really an excellent game. I truly enjoyed it and could relate it to Myst because of its good quality. I'm sure we will find that Myst III will also have a high level of quality and will be fun for everyone. The one thing that has drawn me to these types of games is the originality and great storyline. When I play these games is just makes me wonder how someone could come up with such a great idea for a puzzle, story plot, sound, music, or graphic that fits in just so to make the game that much better. Myst and Riven were truly ingenius. And with a new creator, new plot, and awesome graphics, Exile has a lot going for it and is gearing up to be a totally immersive experience. I have always been a fan of the Myst series and can't wait for the newest installment to come out. I am definitely pre-ordering this game and would recommend anyone else to do the same. The story lives on!
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST!
Review: I have been following Exile's development fanatically through the past months. I believe it will be the best game (either that or realmyst) that has been produced by any company. I think the moving system and the storyline are great. I also think that getting all the extra stuff (the strategy guide, the journal, the movie cd, and the pewter object) are a great deal for only 10-15 dollars. This is definitely worth your 60 bucks. I'm buying it... Are you?
Rating:
Summary: Born for Myst
Review: I have been waiting years for the next chapter in Myst games to be released, and i'm predicting it will be worth the wait. I definately will be picking up my Exile Collector's Edition on the 8th. I'm very excited to see what Exile is gonna be like. I'm trying not to follow it too much cause i want to be totally surprised, and I don't plan on using that Strategy guide anytime soon. there is a reason this series is the best selling of all time, and I dont think it's just the beautiful scenery, or the challenging puzzles, but it's the story. I'm half way through the third and final book of the Myst novel series, and all I can say is I'm glued. When i actually heard of Exile a few months ago, i instantly started reading to keep me busy till the game was to be released. I encourage any Myst fan to read the books, they're fabulous. I think it would be outragous to see some kind of Myst motion picture in the future. After reading the books, i can definately see how a great movie could be made.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware of the known bugs
Review: I haven't played the game yet. Not because I don't have time (which if I were quite honest I don't) or because I'm not interested. I CAN'T play the game. I pre-ordered the game and picked it up on May 9th. I installed the game and tried starting it, only to have it crash just after choosing the graphics mode. I checked out Myst3.com and found out that this is a known bug. For many video cards you will not be able to play the game at all until the patch is finally released. I am truly upset that I payed good money for a game I cannot play and may not be able to play for a while. I can't even return the game because (a) I waited because the message I got said it would be out soon, and now it's past the return date and (b) the publisher has sent messages to the retailers telling them to send people to the website if the game doesn't work, so the retailer won't take the game back. From the website it appears the particular bug I have is not the only bug. There has been one patch released that fixes some of the other (in my opinion less important) bugs. I'm sorry, but if I can't even start the game it is a much more serious problem than a few video glitches the other patch promises to fix.
Rating: 
Summary: Board Games?!?!?!
Review: I liked Exile but it cannot compare to Riven. Exile has music that was too much like the Middle East and, I'm sorry, I mean no one any harm, BUT I'm just not in the mood for middle eastern stuff right now. The mechanics of the game -Exile- also were just not up to par with Exile's predacessor Riven. It was simply not as mysterious nor as moody as Riven ( especially the music ). While I was in the tree trunk, I did not know where in the heck I was at most of the time and I don't really find that confusion to be fun. Same for the puzzles. Somehow Riven was great and Exile was just O.K.
Rating: 
Summary: can't compare to Riven
Review: I liked Exile but it cannot compare to Riven. Exile has music that was too much like the Middle East and, I'm sorry, I mean no one any harm, BUT I'm just not in the mood for middle eastern stuff right now. The mechanics of the game -Exile- also were just not up to par with Exile's predacessor Riven. It was simply not as mysterious nor as moody as Riven ( especially the music ). While I was in the tree trunk, I did not know where in the heck I was at most of the time and I don't really find that confusion to be fun. Same for the puzzles. Somehow Riven was great and Exile was just O.K.
Rating:
Summary: Way above my expectations! ...and that's high.
Review: I played Myst and Riven when they first came out. Since then I've played nothing but FPS like CounterStrike, UnrealTornament, anything with guns... Anything that doesn't include the word Multiplayer bores me in about 2 seconds. I had no idea there was a Myst 3... So I bought tha big charcoal looking box over the smaller wimpy one (because pinching pennies ain't my style, I leave my regrets for later). So I'm glad I did... the soundtrack is dope and well worth it, the making is cool, the pewter figure makes for a cool paperweight (like a Mac!), and the game... the game... uh, well let's just say that I did't think that I'd be wanting more! AND I DO! I hooked up with my friend and we solved it in two days! I was also blown away at that crazy roller coaster ride! All tha hardwork pays off, so don't use the strategy guide. Er, ok I used it once... at the last puzzle. I only used the softcore hint, hehe (I earned it, I was spending more than 4 hours on that one). Read the book after. It's got some cool tibits on Atrus and friends. Heck, I just ordered realMyst and RivenDVD cause wanted "that old feeling" again. :) So in the immortal words of my good 'ol stock broker, "BUY! BUY! BUY! BUY! BUY!"
Rating:
Summary: The best chapter in the series yet, worth every penny
Review: I've been a Myst fan since the first one came out years ago. I've read all the books, have all the soundtracks and have replayed both Myst and Riven at least once since buying them. Needless to say, I had high expectations for this game. It has blown my expectations away. First, let me cover the goodies included with the collector's edition. The soundtrack is incredible. I've listened to it half a dozen times already (and I only got the game three days ago!). It's a wonderful mix of classical and new age, with clear influences from Orff's Carmina Burana and Peter Gabriel's soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ. For hardcore fans of the series like me, there are also several nicely blended hints and pieces of the previous soundtracks, a clear homage to the original games. The bonus "making of" CD not only includes the 22 minute video of how the game was made, but all of the trailers (theatrical, teaser and television) and several wallpaper images as well. The squee figurine is cute, and solid. But that's about it. Finally, the strategy guide. Unless you like having your fun spoiled, leave it in the box and treat it like a deadly viper. I haven't even TOUCHED my guide, and honestly if you think through the puzzles you'll never need it. Now, on to the game. To put it simply, it is un-be-freaking-LIEVE-able!! The graphics are easily twice as good as those in Riven, and the free-look system is utterly amazing. Textures look very realistic (for a computer game), and you'll be dazzled in several places by how good it all looks. The animated sequences are very well done, and blend seamlessly with the scenery. Even better, on many of the animations you can still move the camera around while they play, letting you see what's going on around you. The puzzles are in between Myst and Riven in difficulty. Presto made a smart move getting rid of the "solve a puzzle, then travel all over the planet to actually make it work" routine of Riven. The first age you enter has several very clever but still fairly simple puzzles to get your brain stretched out and make you think in odd angles and directions (which you need to do for any Myst game). As with the previous Myst games, the key to solving the puzzles is to explore carefully and observe everything -- nothing is irrelevant or meaningless (one puzzle in particular was quite subtle and required a bit of an intuitive leap). Basically, I can't recommend this game enough. If you don't want the collector's edition, then buy the regular one, but absolutely buy it!
Rating:
Summary: A smaller, yet still impressive, step up from Riven
Review: In the least, Myst3 has excellent graphics, sound, and acting. I also loved the 360 panorama viewing. But in the most, that's also what it has... merely those impressive features. I was excited when I heard that Myst3 was going to be developed, for before Rand and Robyn Miller had announced Riven was the end to the series. But I was disappointed when I learned that Cyan Inc wasn't doing it... Presto was. Cyan, I believe, was founded with Myst by the two Millers, and grew to accomplish unimaginable things with the sequel, Riven. Unfortunately, they should have kept the rights to Myst3 instead of selling to Presto, for although the Presto team did marvelous work, it doesn't seem like as big a step from Riven as Riven did from Myst. One can only wonder what Myst3 would have struck the world with had Cyan produced it themselves. The puzzles in Myst3 certainly do seem a little more mundane... less interesting, less tied in with the storyline, and a few almost a little boring. Although it's still a wonderful game, and I would recommend playing it (but with a copy of the hint guide so you don't get frustrated with the mundane tasks), I was not struck with the awe that I once felt when I set my eyes and ears upon Riven.
Rating:
Summary: regular version is a better deal
Review: Let me start by saying that I love Myst and its series and cannot wait to get my hands on this game. I am sure that Presto has done a great job with this game and if you disagree then you have yet to see the screen shots and theatrical trailer. The question to ask though is which version of the game to buy: this collectors edition, or the regular version. The collectors edition is the exact same game as the regular version with some value added extras like the strategy guide and the soundtrack. Now these are nice extras but is it really worth it? I was leaning towards purchasing the collectors edition until Amazon cut the price on the regular edition and is giving free shipping on that version, which they aren't doing yet on this one. Now hopefully that will change, but if it doesn't we are talking about a nearly $30 difference between the two. Now some might say that the extras in the collectors edition make that difference worthwhile, and if you think so then go ahead and buy the collectors edition. But from my vast computer game playing experience I can tell you that while the game guide is nice as a reference in case you get badly stuck, every gaming website on the net will have the same information on it within days of the release of the game. Unless Amazon cuts the price and offers free shipping on this game I reccomend you buy the regular version instead (which Amazon.com has the best price I've seen for it, so far) as long as you can live without the extras and are web-savvy enough to look up game play hints on the web (but if you are reading this you probably are).
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