Myst III: Exile

aka: Myst III: Exile - The Perfect Place to Plan Revenge, Myst III: Ha Nekama
Moby ID: 3520
Windows Specs
Note: We may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made via eBay or Amazon links (prices updated 3/26 7:58 PM )

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

  • "迷霧之島3" - Chinese spelling (traditional)
  • Myst III: הנקמה - Hebrew spelling
  • ミスト III: エグザイル - Japanese spelling
  • 神秘岛3:放逐 - Chinese spelling (simplified)

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Videos

See any errors or missing info for this game?

You can submit a correction, contribute trivia, add to a game group, add a related site or alternate title.

Credits (Windows version)

180 People (150 developers, 30 thanks) · View all

Game Studios Marketing (uncredited)
Executive Producer
Producer
Assistant Producer
Creative Director
Writer
Designers
Modelers
Texture Artists
Lead 3D Animator
3D Animators
Additional Artists
Lead Programmer
Technology Programmers
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 77% (based on 47 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 85 ratings with 5 reviews)

If you’ve waited until now to play one of the Myst games, don’t 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, here’s a basic synopsis.

Creating worlds simply by writing them in a journal – sounds like the ultimate Sim, doesn’t it? Atrus creates worlds, or “Ages”, 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 “exiled” survivor bent on revenge against Atrus and his family. You’ll be exploring some of his first Ages – the ones he created to help his two sons learn. Each one is unique in itself with it’s 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 – 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 can’t 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 couldn’t 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
It’s 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.

  • Pixel Hunting. The cursor doesn’t help you find all the “hot spots” and walkways. (Remember this and look everywhere all the time.)
  • Disk Swapping – Disk 1 must be inserted each time you start. (No biggy, just needless.)
  • No earth-shattering advances in technology or interface. (This is not necessarily a bad thing. There was nothing wrong with the first Myst engine, so why change it?)


  • The Bottom Line
    Don’t 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 – 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, you’ll 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 (75956) · 2001

    An essential game

    The Good
    This game is so rewarding! I was able to solve the puzzles after a decent amount of thought, but I wasn't too frustrated. The puzzles were reasonably difficult. For me that's perfect. I don't want to spend 40 hours on a game, for goodness' sake! I have a life. The game looks fantastic. The rollerball/rollercoaster ride was off the hook, if I'm permitted to use a black-sounding colloquialism. And, if I'm not mistaken, there are four different endings, as follows: 1) You return through the linking book, Saavedro follows you and whacks you on the back of the head. This gave me a bit of an adrenaline rush. You lose. 2) You turn on the force-field and turn it off. This upsets Saavedro, who is teetering on the brink throughout. He comes up the stairs and whacks you upside the head. You lose. 3) You get the book from Saavedro and leave him stranded. You win, sort of. 4) You get the book from Saavedro and release him. This is the most winning win. Saavedro is Wormtongue in Lord of the Rings, by the way. I thought that was kind of cool.

    The scenery is amazing. This world was immersive. You could look in all directions, which I thought was ok. The first two games were essentially interactive powerpoint presentations. Dang fun ones, but that's what they were. This one is too, but you can look in all directions.

    The Bad
    I couldn't solve the puzzle that turns on the electric generator. Dang my hide, it's my fault, not the game's fault. The cd swapping game is pretty tiresome as well. Only a minor fault.

    The Bottom Line
    This is a worthy addition to the Myst trilogy. Riven was so original, the island setting, all that. I loved the huge tree. And Myst is Myst, the original and a ton of fun. Exile incorporated the best of both games and added a few elements that were completely original. Buy it!

    Windows · by Thohan (17) · 2003

    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

    [ View all 5 player reviews ]

    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.

    Analytics

    MobyPro Early Access

    Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!

    Related Games

    Myst IV: Revelation
    Released 2004 on Windows, Macintosh, Xbox
    Myst
    Released 1994 on Windows 3.x, Windows, 1995 on PlayStation...
    Myst Trilogy
    Released 2002 on Windows, Macintosh
    Riven: The Sequel to Myst
    Released 1997 on Windows, PlayStation, 1998 on SEGA Saturn...
    Myst: Masterpiece Edition
    Released 1999 on Windows, 2000 on Macintosh
    Myst V: End of Ages
    Released 2005 on Windows, Macintosh
    Uru: Ages Beyond Myst
    Released 2003 on Windows
    Myst: The Collection
    Released 2006 on Windows, 2007 on Macintosh
    Myst (Desktop Edition)
    Released 1998 on Windows, Windows 3.x

    Related Sites +

    Identifiers +

    • MobyGames ID: 3520
    • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

    Contribute

    Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

    Contributors to this Entry

    Game added by Grant McLellan.

    PlayStation 2, Xbox 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 January 21, 2024.