#Myst 3 exile amateria weight series

Exile might possibly be the easiest game to finish in this series, as it takes most players about 6-10 hours to complete, a similar structure and difficulty level to Myst, with the difference being that Myst had four ages branching off from its hub before the ending stuff happens, and this has three (slightly larger) ones.Įxile is more accessible to newcomers than most Myst games, loved even by some who had issues with the series in general. And none of them is so brain-bustingly difficult that it greatly impedes progress. Returning to Myst's formula of a hub age with a set of other ages branching off from that, and not making any age as massive to traverse as Riven was, is a good decision for puzzle design, and the puzzle sequences in each age feel distinct because of the themes of these ages. Edanna's puzzle design is a little far-fetched at times and just navigating the place is a minor puzzle in itself, but the reality is that the structuring of puzzles mostly is smartly handled. Puzzles: (8.3/10) Ranging from really well balanced to in spots confusingly odd, Exile's puzzles mostly do well overall. Whatever the case, Exile was only a somewhat modest success despite what it did well, and perhaps stood as a warning sign for the prospects of the series going forward. Or maybe the game's weak aspects harmed it - like the fact that it wasn't directly developed by the creators of Myst and Riven, or the simple reality that gaming options were way more diverse with far more promising options to choose between in 2001 than in the mid-90s. Maybe the fact that Exile launched four years after Riven led people to forget about the series and lose track of it, by the time it arrived. It might have been that Riven alienated players due to its difficulty curve and they didn't come back. It sold around 1.5 million copies, topping sales charts the month of release, but not dominating the charts for an entire year like Riven. We can debate why Myst III saw middling sales. It is often seen as the last 'genuinely good' Myst title, the moment before Uru and Myst 4-5 offered their mixed bag of good and bad design decisions. Most players can finish it without asistance in roughly 10-18 hours.Įxile may lack a bit of the intricacy and authenticity of Riven but is definitely a more approachable game, with a personal, relatable narrative. Despite some confusing navigation in spots and a few fairly oddly designed puzzles, it's not an especially difficult entry to beat by Myst standards. Myst III: Exile is a favorite of many players who only are somewhat casually interested in Myst. UI wise, Myst III took a half-step towards realtime 3d, by giving players freedom to look around, but not to walk - using a panoramic 2.5d game engine. The balance of the two mostly worked really well in this game. His approach blended big dramatic cues at key moments, with the sort of subtler, more atmospheric textural backgrounds that previously the series had made standard. On top of the visual art, the storytelling, and the puzzles (admittedly a bit tacked on due to a story conceit) the soundtrack was fresh - an orchestral, bombastic creation by legendary video-game composer Jack Wall, who would go on to make soundtracks for over a dozen other notable games from Mass Effect to Portal and Portal 2, to Starcraft 2. The story they told through these spaces wasn't flawless but at least capable, and definitely elevated greatly by the presence of a more sympathetic and arguably complex antagonist in Saavedro (played by Academy-award winner Brad Dourif). The worlds they created were absolutely lovely, a joy to explore even if they lacked the sheer depth and credibility of the age of Riven. Presto Studios, the creators of the Journeyman Project series, were chosen to lead development of Myst 3 by Cyan, and with Cyan's support pushed the series back towards the familiar 'diverse set of worlds' format of the original Myst, rather than Riven's decision to set 70% of the game in one single sprawling age location. They took on a consulting role assisting Presto Studios in their effort to create a third singleplayer Myst title. While Cyan pursued the shift of the Myst series into realtime 3d with a first test (RealMyst) and ultimately a Myst MMO (Uru)

Myst III: Exile was not developed by Cyan but by Presto Studios, the creators of the Journeyman Project series.

Myst 3 exile amateria weight