Eschalon: Book I

This game harkens back to old-school RPGs. The game is turn-based, heavy on stats, and it's not afraid to let the player work things out for themselves. Unlike some classic RPGs the game doesn't offer much in the way of characters, story or branching questlines. There is a story, and it's enough to keep you interested, but that's not where the game's real strength lies. No, the game's real strength lies in its fantastic open-world exploration and its multifaceted combat system. Simply wandering around the world, fighting monsters and finding treasure feels like a fantastic adventure. Exploration is all the more engaging thanks to the addition of survival elements like thirst, hunger, as well as a "cartography" skill which determines your character's ability to draw maps. The combat itself is comparatively simple and fast moving for a turn-based game. It does however off a lot of tactical flexibility when approaching an encounter. Simple choices, like whether or not it's better to carry a torch or a shield in your off-hand, can greatly effect your chances of victory, making for a very tactically engaging game. This is the first game in the trilogy, and it does have a few small flaws which were subsequently remedied in the sequel. But none of these flaws detract from the overall experience. For a small indie company, Basilisk Games have produced a remarkably high quality game that should be of interest to any serious RPG fan.

Old school, pre Baldurs Gate. Gameplay is mostly combat and exploration, both of which work fine. The areas and terrain are consistant and make sense. There's a whole lot of options in developing your character. Specialization is a key to success, but I did fine with a swordsman with some healing spells and buffs. Bunch of people to talk to, but not much to say. They give missions, you go do. Definitely roleplay light. The plot is likewise light, but pretty good anyway, not completely straightforward. Graphics are decent, functional. Would have been great for a 2001 game, poor for a modern one. Character and monster animations are better (subjective) than in Baldurs Gate or Fallout, while backgrounds are not. Recommend with reservation. It's not a deep involving roleplaying game, but a bit of exploration and journeying in dungeons and great outdoors. Plenty of traps and combat. If that's something you think you'd like, then you'll probably love Eschalon.

Thusfar, Eschalon book I is proving to be an incredible find on GOG. The premise is generic, seemingly:you awaken after a nightmare with amnesia in a ruin amidst woodlands. A mysterious note directs your path to a nearby town . So far so good in terms of genericness, right? Well, the truth is far different, you need to be careful going around. Though you can beat them, most enemies can equally swiftly dispatch you. Resting is essential after almost every encounter that way. Yet the difficulty curve isn't what sets this game truly apart from the rest. The pool of skills has profoundly unique ones amidst it that really do make a difference. My favorite among these rare ones thusfar is cartography. In most games maps fill in on auto. Not so here, if you have the skill, your minimap gets filled in as you explore. If you invest points into this skill, your minimap will also become more detailed. Since there's a very diverse pool of skills one might think a wrongly placed point might have dire consequences... Not so, though it does up the challenge a bit this game is designed for balance. Still, there are some things you might want to keep in mind: some ranged weapons/magic come will come in handy. Since healing costs a lot, avoiding contracting diseases from foes is a must in the beginning. Whilst I don't want to spoil the fun too much, I would say that anybody who likes the IWD or BG should look into this game.

A very, VERY good turn-based RPG which I thoroughly enjoyed to the very end. Eschalon is tough, in that "oldschool" way it wants to emulate. There is almost no hand holding; your character is what you build it, and you've a lot of freedoms in doing so. The story definitely isn't this game's strong point, but that's not to say it is bad by any means. While linear, (that doesn't bother me as much as it seems to others) it was well written and enough to keep me interested. I'm docking one star for the completely nonsensical hit probability. This is one of "those games" where 80% "ToHit" rating means you can still miss 25 times in a row. My best advice to newcomers (playing a melee) is do NOT neglect your Dexterity, and dump a LOT of points into the weapon of your choice (swords, cleaving, bludgeons, bows, whatever you plan to use), else be prepared to miss. A lot.