 |
  |
 |
  
   |
|
RATING: (weak) 1 2 3 4 5 (awesome)
|
IN BRIEF
Pros: Incredible, realistic graphics and intriguing puzzles pull you into a different time and place -- you'll want to stay there. Cons: The game pauses every time you move in any direction. In a nutshell: Wander through five amazing time periods and use your wits to problem solve, all to find in a man bent on revenge. Multiplayer: No *ESRB rating: E |
FACTS
Game Title: Myst III Exile Platform: PC Developer: Presto Studios Publisher: UBI Soft Accessories supported: Mouse, keyboard Release Date: 5/7/2001 Price: 49.99 |
THE REVIEW by Tom Oberheide for Gamers Today
Every good American loves a vacation. There's nothing more relaxing than breath-taking vistas, banishing your watch, and filling endless hours amusing yourself with games and puzzles. If you're so unlucky that you can't jet away to foreign and majestic places for the afternoon, Myst III Exile offers the next best thing.
This game is not thrilling, but it is enjoyable. There are no fantastic ogres waiting around the corner; danger does not exist. Instead, you get a relaxing mix of truly imaginative and beautiful landscapes, and enough puzzles to keep you racking your brain.
An immaculate opening mixes animation with camera work, lending unprecedented realism. Here you meet Atrus, and the object of the game quickly unfolds. Atrus has the power to write "linking" books that transport you to other Ages. He has just completed Releeshahn, an Age he created for the survivors of the D'ni race.
During your visit with Atrus, a villain steals the Releeshahn book, bent on seeking revenge against Atrus. You must track this villain through five absolutely fascinating and beautiful Ages.
Each Age has it's own set of challenging puzzles that come in all shapes and sizes. You must resort to your wits, perfect your observation skills, and rely on the practice of trial and error. Every time you solve a puzzle, you come one step closer to attaining the book of Releeshahn, and feeling really smart.
Many of the puzzles have no relevance to the story. Instead, they feel like a real life, low-stakes challenge between you the player and the folks at Presto Studios. As a result, many of the puzzles are extremely difficult and totally random. This makes for heightened frustration when you can't solve them, and intense self-satisfaction when you do.
The interface is ingeniously simple and immediately easy to understand. The only view obstruction is the cursor, which is used to choose directions or to manipulate objects. One of the game's downfalls is that the point-to-point movement has a short pause each time you take an action. It's like those dreams when you just can't seem to run...
The high resolution and beckoning beauty pulls you into the fascinating worlds with giant tusks towering on the shores of idyllic oceans, alien and surprising plant life, and strange, industrial yet graceful lands basking in the setting sun. It's as though you've sent a camera on wheels, with the Canadian Arm, to distant and exotic planets.
As if the game isn't tranquil enough, the music would put you to sleep if the puzzles didn't keep your mind cranking. Filled with new age sounds of chimes and melodies influenced by India, the music might make you lose weight. The sound effects are realistic and used just enough to aid in pulling you in.
Myst III Exile is like a Rubix Cube amidst a backdrop of intriguing and incredible worlds. Mom, I know I'm playing a video game, but I'm also using my brain.
*For a complete explanation of ESRB ratings, check out the official ESRB Web site.
