Myst 10th Anniversary DVD Edition

Once you have "won" the game, there is nothing new to experience. However, it will take you a good while to get there. If you compare this to other entertainments, for example, going out to movies, you realize that the hours you'll spend on the game, even if it does have an "ending," are well worth the price. Even after "winning," it is interesting once in a while to go back into the game just to take a look at the images again.


3 great games for less than the price of one.   March 15, 2005
Cool Breeze (Oregon)
104 out of 104 found this review helpful

First, I want to tell you that these games (all of them) are absolutely WinXP compatible. I've run them all on three different XP computers - including two laptops and none of them had any trouble. However you MUST set them to the proper compatibility mode before trying to run them. Get instructions from the ubisoft website or windows help for compatibility mode, it's not difficult. (be sure you set compatibility for the main program file, not just a shortcut)

Second, these aren't action games - they are puzzles and very difficult ones, if you get bored easily you won't like them. Very few people will win one of them in just one session, even if you have the time and patience to sit at the computer for a very long time. With hints they can be solved rather quickly, but that takes most of the fun out of them. Also they have almost no replay value as the puzzles aren't at all challenging after the first time you solve them.

The scenes are beautiful and strange, but most of the animation is slow and choppy at best, not bad enough to be frustrating - but you will definitely notice it. (quicktime version 6.5.2, the most current at time of this review, will run them without problems).

The Myst series is not your run-of-the-mill computer game. It's more like a set of graphic novels in which you have to solve puzzles in order to discover the next piece of the story. You can't change the story or the outcome in any way, you just help it move along.

If you enjoy a mental challenge, and complex storylines without graphic gore or violence and very little action, you might find these games quite enjoyable. Even if you think you don't like computer games you might find that you like these - they're very different.

I certainly like them, and I intend to buy Myst IV as well.

Finally, a few tips - but no spoilers.
Look at everything carefully, don't get in a hurry.
Check every direction in every scene.
Read everything.
Click on every button, lever, and light.
Look behind every door, from both directions.
Many of the puzzles involve providing power to a device before it will work, sometimes you have to complete an extremly complex series of actions before a device you encountered much earlier in the game will work.
There are a few places where you can actually lose completely if you do the wrong thing so don't forget to save, and then try everything, sometimes what seems wrong is actually right. Sounds are important too.
Breaking things isn't always bad.
Sometimes puzzles seem complete when they're not (did you miss a final button, switch or lever?)
And lastly - Be patient, take a break and let it rest for a while if you're stuck.


Only for Mac OS 9 & OS 10 (you have to have both on your computer)   December 19, 2007
Cheeriegirl (Atlanta, GA USA)
34 out of 34 found this review helpful

I purchased this product thinking that I could run the entire 3 CD set on my Mac OS 10 operating system. Unfortunately I had to buy it to find out that only Myst III (Exile) works w/OS 10. The other two CDs (Myst I - Masterpiece Edition & Myst II - Riven), will only work w/OS 9. I don't have OS 9 on my computer and it's no longer available.

The description section for Myst 10th Anniversary DVD Edition is definitely lacking crucial information. It needs to say that it will work with Mac, but only if you have OS 9 AND OS 10 installed on your computer. This way no one else will waste their money.


Horrifically incompatible - DO NOT BUY   October 29, 2005
Lasvik (Miami, FL United States)
32 out of 63 found this review helpful

This MYST DVD edition should be pulled from the market. The first game, the original MYST crashes 100% of the time it is played within 15 minutes of beginning the game. I have attempted to run it on a variety of PC's, from Pentium III, IV to Celeron and Pentium M chips. With a variety of high end and low end graphics cards including ATI, Nvidia and Intel embedded chipsets, from 32M to 128M of graphics memory. With and without "compatibility" settings for the executable; with and without various levels of video and audio acceleration. I tried it on HP, Dell, Micron and Compaq branded PC's and laptops. I have tried it various versions of Quicktime and DirectX, including the version provided on the DVD. For such a simple game (in terms of the graphics technology: simple 3D screen shots with the occaisional embedded animation), it is amazing how it could be so badly designed. There is no possible way the producer of this edition could have believed that this product would be compatible on a typical recent model PC. Therefore, I consider the release of this product an intential act of fraud.

I have nearly 20 years experience in computer technology. I was trained by IBM, Compaq & Apple on PC hardware and software, managed 1,000+ user highly-secure production networks and have Microsoft, Novell and Cisco certifications. I have served as an expert witness and consultant on technology-related lawsuits. THIS PRODUCT IS GROSSLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF SYSTEMS AND HARDWARE/SOFTWARE COMBINATIONS. BUY IT AT YOUR OWN RISK AND PREPARE TO BE DISAPPOINTED.

After such a obvious example of releasing a poorly "ported-to-pc" application, I am now certain I cannot trust UBISOFT or CYAN. I will carefully look at any future game and educational products to discern whether or not either of these companies are involved in any way. If so, I will not purchase the product.


Not compatible with current MAC OS at all!   September 27, 2005
Christopher Curtis (Concord, MA United States)
31 out of 38 found this review helpful

MYST is a wonderful game, and I was so looking forward to playing it again after many years, and experiencing II and III for the first time on a brand new ibook, but the claim of being compatible with Mac os X is patently false, in fact on new ibooks, this entire package, even III is useless. Do not bother.