Gameplay-wise, it's nothing to write home about. Single combat is either automated, or performed manually via a very rudimentary quick thrust or slow overhand blow. Broader battlefield combat is strictly a numbers game-- if you have superior numbers, you win.
But this game kindled my love of Arthurian Legend because it goes surprisingly deep with its lore. It's also set on an open world map which, for a 1990 game was virtually unprecedented. Although each location exists as little more than a single screen, there are a TON of castles, cities, and smaller hamlets.
The true game is in micromanagement of your various knights. You have to send them individually, or in small groups in several different directions at once in order to accomplish every task in the game, and for people that have that fastidious nature of several events taking place concurrently, and having to oversee all of it, it does scratch an itch.
You have to pay attention to the text-based narrative, as you're expected to follow clues from location to location in order to complete the quests laid out across the game's five chapters. Spirit of Excalibur takes place in the wake of the Battle of Camlann, and the new ruler, Constantine, is trying to pick up the pieces of the kingdom after Arthur's demise. The story is surprisingly adept for such an early adventure game.
If you like Arthurian Legend, or are interested in learning about it on a moderate level, this is a great game to get you going. The sequel is not nearly as good, but this game is worth it, as long as you understand it's NOT about the combat (which, again, barely exists).