Anvil of Dawn is a real-time grid-based RPG. It's closest relatives are games like Lands of Lore and Stonekeep, the most streamlined games of the genre. Anvil is definitely not an RPG for min-maxers, looters, or role-players. Instead it offers puzzles and dungeon exploration for both newbies and experienced players alike. Anvil is a bit of a mixed bag and doesn't quite reach the level of Lands of Lore. Anvil is good-looking, it has the best auto-map I've probably seen in any RPG, it has a very nice variety of environments, it's very easy to get into, and it has a very effective, oppressive atmosphere. On the other hand, it is poor at prompting (expect some aimless wondering), the music is mediocre, the puzzles and fighting somewhat repetitive, the inventory management is poor and some spinner puzzles are the most aggrevating I've ever seen. Probably the most annoying aspect for me personally was that you can't rest in the game, and your health and magic points regenerate reeeeaaally slooowly. You'll get a healing spell at the beginning of the game, but it's ridiculously ineffective until very late in the game. Especially in the beginning dungeons I had to leave the game running alone once in a while to regenerate my character. Needless to say this really killed the pacing of the game. Anvil of Dawn was, for me at least, a reasonably fun but a little underwhelming distraction. I did like it better that Stonekeep, but Lands of Lore is better by far despite being older.
