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Definitely not a Bungie game...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 20 / 24
Date: November 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I'm not new to the Myth universe. When the world was ranting and raving about Starcraft's build-it-as-big-and-as-fast-as-you-can mentality, I was a Myth nut and proud of it. That said, Myth 3 falls short of the greatness which was Myth 2 and Myth: TFL in a number of ways.
First, the Myth 3 single-player experience sucks. Defeating the single-player levels in the previous two installments required taking the terrain into account during every step of the way. No other RTS was as enviromental as Myth, and Bungie exploited this for all it was worth, resulting in very rich gameplay. Myth 3 does not develop upon strategic use of terrain. Most of the battles are on flats and meadows; they're pretty boring compared to the rolling landscapes and hazards of the first two. And as stupid as it may sound, the voice acting fails to get me Myth-ified in this one.
The second thing that bugged me was the graphics. The addition of polys (instead of sprites as was the previous norm) is a nice touch. But anyone who remembers the first two Myth games is scarred for life by the spectacular dwarfen/wight explosions and the limbs which would fly everywhere as a result. This special effect has been preserved....it looks two or three years old and it shows. When an explosion blows someone to pieces, it looks like a bunch of random body parts fly from where the person used to be. Even Myth 2, based in sprites, produced a much more convincing blast. I know it's a small caveat, but it's a ton of the little details such as this one which bring this Myth universe down from magnificient to merely average.
Admitedly, I never tried the Myth 3 multiplayer. If it was simply carried over from the first two games, I'd be content. It'd be hard to improve upon the perfection of the first two in terms of all the options, units, maps, etc, and I acknowledge this.
A valiant effort, but it is painfully evident that the legendary Bungie was not behind the development of Myth 3. It's too bad that Bungie lost the Myth franchise when they were purchased by Microsoft. This game could've been great--it simply lacks the polish.

Better, but not enough improvements

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 15
Date: February 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The release date of Myth III: When I came out of school I rushed to the local gamesshop. I had been waiting for this third part of my favorite game all time for so long...

I was glad to pay the $40 for the game... I would've payed the double amount too. I had always been a big fan of Bungie's first two parts of the game, which were my favorite games that time.

So I came home, and read the manual while installing the game. Not much new. I already knew Take2 and Mumbo Jumbo had taken care of this game instead of Bungie. It was too sad to see Bungie go down, taken over by Microsoft. When this happened, the Myth II community died. No more patches for SoulBlighter. (Myth II)
The Myth community has always been very strong. Patches, MODs, and A LOT of third party maps... that made the game so great and never boring.

The game was installed. I started up, and chose a 1024x768 resolution with all eyecandy turned on. It didn't run very badly, but not very smooth either. I switched to 800x600, still with all the extra options at max. On my Pentium III 500 with 128 mb of ram and a poor-performing GFX card: A TnT2 M64 (which was a really bad version of the TnT) that was not really unexpectable. The game is not for the low-end computers any more though. That's a pity. Also a bit weird, because actually, when I started playing, I did not really see a lot of differences with Myth II, which DID run on a much lower-end machine back in those days.

Anyway, I played whole day. I sure did like the game, but the gameplay didn't feel perfect... The units respond a bit late, and don't always do what you want. The controls haven't changed much, but that's good because they were perfect. Why change the winning formula, eh?

I am a spoiled gamer. I buy a lot of games. I am never satisfied with a game, and I think not much games of the last 5 years really have a good, addicting gameplay. I even quit playing Max Payne after an hour of 10 of playing... Never touched it again :)

I wasn't totally satisfied on this point with Myth III either, although it certainly isn't bad. After 2 weeks, I quit playing, but installed it again 2 weeks ago. Playing now, my opinion about the game is totally different.

In that first week, I tried online play, but not a lot of people online. This is not weird, because I bought the game at the release date, which might be a bit early so there just were no online players yet. :)

When I went online those 2 weeks ago, there were not much players either. The community of Myth III is still too small, but increasing slowly. Reasons why people didn't play online: GameSpy server is too laggy, they said. Nonsense. You host your own games, GameSpy is only for chat and NOT laggy at all. In game, I played games with 6 people with ping 50. It's just the person serving the game... not GameSpy.

Second point: Bugs, especially online.
Ok, they were there. The patch, which has recently come out fixes most of them though. The game really improved after the patch! So most people can now play bug-free.

Third point: No ranking system. True, but it's going to come! Yes people, it WILL be there soon... the ranked rooms are even up already but not yet in use...

Looking better, I must say the graphics DID increase a lot... Nice shadows, lotsa limbs, more polygons and details, more colors, bigger maps and more blood. Effects like wind and snow really show their results: snowy maps, waving trees, molotovs who are blown away by the wind, and slower moving units when it snows.

The gameplay is still not totally satisfying, but it feels more comfortable now. I got used to the game again (Myth II was long ago for me :)) and I like it now, and I can play quite a nice game right now online with my skills... The gameplay just needs getting used to, but after that it'll feel like you used it for your whole life.

About singleplayer. The campaign is great, with varied missions, a nice plot and nice "big bosses". (giant units which you have to fight) Some missions seem a bit rushed though.

Nice thing about Myth is, you really focus on strategy. Your unit count is always less than the enemy's, so you really need to use tactics to overcome them. Sneaking, surprise attacks, high-ground-placed bowmen, etc.

I can write a lot more about the game, but I'll stop after a list of pros/cons:

Pros:

* The graphics have improved a lot
* The campaign/plot is great
* Great 3rd party development because editor is included
* A lot of bugs were fixed with the patch
* A lot of online maps and units for much variation
* Game is really difficult, even on the easiest level
* Myth III is addictive, just like the other Myths
* All the units have their own taunt :)

Cons:

* Still some nasty bugs left, especially with Windows XP
* You need a higher-end system now if you want the graphics settings turned high.
* Campaign still has some rushed maps.
* The future of the game is unsure because Mumbo Jumbo is gone
* The game is addictive, but not as addictive as the old parts
* The game is not more than an improved version of Myth II (just like Myth II was an improved version of Myth I)

My advice: buy it, and play it. You'll love it! It's really not like some people who are just Myth haters say, the game is great. It's also really cheap on this site, only 25 bucks I believe? That's a shame... it should cost 50...

Now let's blow up some limbs!

Yes, but it deserves a chance

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: November 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

As indicated by a previous reviewer, Myth III is a work in progress. Mumbo Jumbo pushed the product out the door and sacked the development team since it had no new project lined up for them. The initial releases possesses a few bug (to be addressed by a patch within a few days of this message), but none which significantly hammpered play. The graphics are lush and the single-playter is an improvement over the previous Myth titles. Once the development team (working from home now) puts out the Vengeance editor, then a large number of mods should appear. The extremely poor ratings come mostly from die-hard fans of the Myth series who in part feel betrayed by Mumbo Jumbo's failure to carry through on all of its promises. Ironically, similar rhetoric appears in Civ 3 forums (although Civ 3 had fewer bugs).

Anyone interested in a different gaming experience will find this truly enjoyable.

Work in Progress

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Myth 3 is of course the 3rd installment in the popular series started by bungie, an independent developer/publisher now owned by Microsoft, who is also responsible for the anchor Xbox game Halo. The rights to develop this myth game went to Take2 in the bungie sale, and they in turn handed it to Mumbo Jumbo to turn it into the game you are considering buying now.

Mumbo Jumbo was under a hard and fast deadline by the publisher T2 to produce this game, some 11 months. It shows. But given that some of the Mumbo Jumbo developers were also hard-core myth 1 & 2 players in their day, they were going to pour heart and soul into this. That also shows. As I write this, it has come to light that Mumbo Jumbo as a company was dissolved/fired/whatever from their jobs very soon after the release of the game. There is also speculation that this was planned in advance by the publisher, akin to a cold, calculated hit, so the firing appears to be a monetary thing, not due to the job Mumbo Jumbo did. Despite all this, one or two of the developers who were also myth players have continued to work on patching the game, simply because of their love for it and the community who play myth. All this while being jobless and having families to feed. Now thats dedication. These guys have taken a long list of concerns/bugs submitted by those oldtimers who play online and are sincerely doing everything in their power to correct these issues with an upcoming patch. They even can be found lurking around multiplayer now and then, checking on things and taking in other bug reports.

As for the game, I didn't know what to think at first. I have played both myth 1 and myth 2 from the very beginning, and had extremely high hopes for this game. There were a number of little issues and bugs, especially in multiplayer that while not ruining the game completely, sure didn't help it. Some of those issues are imbalance problems in the multiplayer game. You can't draw on the map in multiplay nor click on the map to send your units somewhere. Crashing out of multiplayer, while not frequent, happens just enough to frustrate you. Some people were also having a problem getting it to run at all, depending on their hardware configuration. The first 2 levels of the single player experience were disappointing, and basically were more of the same old stuff from m1 and m2. You get the picture.

But now, I have been playing it for 2 weeks or so, both single and multiplayer. Somewhere in those 2 weeks, it has started to completely grow on me. Its true, if you have a decent system, the graphics turned up to max are astounding. I play sometimes just to look around at the scenery. Also, after those first 2 levels I spoke of earlier, the single player game gets MUCH more interesting and challenging. Lvls 3,4,5,6 (which is where I am at the moment) are beautiful to look at, unique, and not the same old same old repackaged stuff from the earlier games. And the long bug/issue list for the multiplayer game is being addressed very very soon, and I have no doubt it will improve things tremendously.

All in all, I am completely impressed with the job Mumbo Jumbo did in the short time they were given to complete the game. Unfortunately they were forced to release early by Take 2, and didn't get to polish it up to Bungie-like standards. But the dedication they have shown to make the game better is worthy of admiration. I don't like being a beta-tester for software, but under the prevailing circumstances I don't mind. And I know the game will continue to get better as more 3rd party community tools and maps become available. Give Myth 3 a chance, especially if you played myth 1 and myth 2, it will grow on you too.
Biscuit ~MCC

they ruined it!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: November 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Not as good as the first 2 games - gone are the anime cutscenes we loved and all of the cool voices and sound effects. they are replaced by some really cheesy new voice actors and shoddy movies. It's obvious Bungie had really hardly anything to do with this - they would never have dreamed of releasing such a poorly put together project. Bring back Bungie!

Could anyone make a game less fun?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: November 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

How could they have gotten it all so wrong? Playing this game is less entertaining than work! Myth I and Myth II were fun. Myth III is tedium. In Myth III, the camera height isn't adjustable, the time can't be slowed or sped up, and it's difficult to move troops around. Overall, it is an excersize in frustration. If you buy this game, you will not be happy with your purchase.

Myth III, a pretty great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

As a huge fan of the original Myth and it's predecessor, Myth II, I was tempted not to buy the third installment based upon some of the lackluster reviews on this site.

I disagree with the naysayers on the enjoyment of the single player game. I liked it very much. I would agree that it is not quite as good as the originals, but it is still an excellent game. Anyone who enjoyed either Myth I or II, should be very pleased with this game. It even inspired me to go back and replay the originals. I fully recommend this game.

AVOID THIS PRODUCT

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: November 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This product is defective. After hours of effort, I cannot get the game to boot up. If you bought it based on love for the other two Myth games, you are in for a shock. This is not a Bungie.com product. They are gone. In the wake left behind their departure, the game comes with disclaimer referring to two known problems. It references a website that does not respond. My disappointment knows no bounds. I plan to return it.

Not like the first two by Bungie

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: June 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This one is not much of a comparison to the previous two Myth games released by Bungie. The Graphics are good but sound is inferior. Weapon and arrow hits are barely audible. A good sound track is over 50% percent of the game. It can be the deciding factor in the success or failure of a game.

What happened to the terrain mesh deformation when a wight exploded. That wasn't included in Myth III. Maybe the original programmers decided to not release that with the engine. Its not that difficult to do. Why didn't the Myth III programmers include it and other surprises.

I have only gotten to the 3rd map and am not very impressed. Maybe it will get better but I anticipate not. The first two maps were very dark and the camera controls under those circumstance made play less to be desired.

I gave this game 3 stars as opposed to one becuase the grphics are very good. Play is not as fun as the first two and multiplay is none existent. Lucky to find 12 players on Gamespy. What happened to Bungie's servers? Did they completely dump the game? It was easy to get a game on their server but that was a few years ago.

Tedious

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: November 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've been a huge fan of the Myth series. I was a huge fan of Marathon as well (another ground-breaking Bungie game series). So, I was really looking forward to Myth III.

Unfortunately, I found that while the graphics were somewhat upgraded, the gameplay suffered tremendously with the transfer of the game to Mumbo Jumbo. It was just no fun.

Everything is a slog-fest. Keep playing the levels over and over and you'll eventually get through, but there is no subtlety, no style, no real interest. No fun. I quit after level 5.

Everything runs ponderously on my machine, too, even though I have decent hardware. I think the move to a fully 3D engine cost more than it benefitted the game.

I hope Bungie does great things for XBox. It would be a real shame if their light is gone from the world of gaming.

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