Riven is generally considered to be the best and Exile the worst. The difference is mainly one of atmosphere generated; Riven presents a largely interconnected and non-linear gameworld with well-integrated puzzles. It seems more like a real world than the other games; the creators put a fair bit of effort into creating a distinctive language and culture for the peoples of the game.
Myst III on the other hand, is a bit of a cop-out. The worlds in the game are themed puzzle worlds, and the only excuse for the existence of the puzzles is that Atrus was goofing off designing puzzles. It's still a compelling game, but less immersive and a bit more twiddlewarey.
Myst is in between. Some ages (Channelwood) acheive great puzzle integration and a real sense of exploring an actual world. Others (Selenitic) are well-designed but don't give any sense as to what the puzzles are doing there.
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