Beautiful scenery, haunting sounds, clever puzzles, and a dramatic story secured Myst's place in the top-seller charts for years. Myst was a real phenomenon, the Pokémon of its day, and Myst spinoffs such as books, calendars, and T-shirts popped up everywhere. There were even rumours of a movie. Riven: The Sequel to Myst was also a success and expanded the story of the world-writing D'ni and the convoluted family history of Atrus, the old man from Myst. However, aside from a 3-D remake, the years since Riven have been Mystless. But that's about to change.

Myst III: Exile takes place 10 years after the events in Riven. Atrus and Catherine, the danger-prone victims in the first two games, are now living in their new home called Tomahna. They have a baby daughter named Yeesha, and all seems well until the appearance of a new villain, played by actor Brad Dourif. Dourif's as-yet-unnamed character is seeking revenge. Atrus's mad sons destroyed his world and now it's payback time. The game features five new ages to explore, filled with beautiful graphics and mind-numbing puzzles. A new interface and more up-to-date technology round out the advances you'll see when you next enter the enchanting world of Myst. --Andrew S. Bub