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3 great games for less than the price of one. 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.