Gameplay: I find this extremely hard to talk about because the hint of any kind of 'gameplay' is almost non-existent. On the whole however, I've seen a more effective use of plot and characterization in games like Super Mario Bros.

Admittedly, Brad Dourif (That's Child's Play Chucky in case you're curious) and a reasonably hot English actress whose name escapes me play their respective roles effectively, and there's one or two moments of drama in there that had me occasionally curious. Nor does it provide any real motivation towards completing the game. The plot's rather pointless in the end, as it just serves as a device to actually get you to move from world to world, and has no bearing on what you see, what you do, or how you react. To do so, you have to chase the bad guy through various other ages before finally cornering him for a most cold-hearted ending. The Brad Dourif character Saavedro has stolen Atrus' latest Age (loose translation: this one guy's book that also happens to be a world in and of itself), and its up to the player to get it back. Story: Apparently a really big deal, the story breaks down to nothing more than a tale of revenge. And while that sort of concept may appeal to a broader sect of people than myself, I am almost immovably certain that Myst III: Exile will not appeal to the console audience in the least. It's all about the experience of enjoying great visuals, an ethereal soundtrack, and an hour or two of cheesy FMV acting in a make-believe world. Truth be told, Myst is no more a videogame than this bottle of Calistoga that sits to my left. Take away the surrealistic still images and the enchanting soundtrack and all you had was a point and click slideshow with an occasional remedial puzzle.

Myst 3 release date