So my end impression is a game more in keeping with Myst, than Riven, which I did find slightly disappointing. Exile will be high up my list of favourite games, but for me Riven remains the pinnacle. If though you preferred Myst, you may have a different conclusion. You can control whether panning is by a fixed cursor in the centre of the screen, or by moving to the edges, although you must use the latter to access the small inventory. You can also control the transition rate between scenes.
Ambient sound is excellent, as is the soundtrack.
You can choose to play with subtitles, but there is an aural puzzle. You can also play with optional hardware acceleration. Exile comes on 4 CDs and you must insert the first each time you start the game. However if you choose the full install option, you won't have to change discs at all, or insert any disc other than the first. Highly recommended if you have the hard drive space.