Eschalon:Book 1 Short
Released in 2007, Eschalon: Book 1s main aim appears to be to snatch up the Baldurs gate audience. With DnDs move toward a more 3d style in Neverwinter Nights 2, many missed the isometric design of the past. In regards to the looks, Basilisk Games did a great job. The areas are beautiful and varied with dungeons, forests and desert among the locations.
Getting round these places isn't simple though. There are a limited number of waypoints and some areas don't allow fast travel. This means that I spent a lot of time just walking so I could sell items or complete a quest.
Assigning skills feels like a balancing act. Without a party you must play as fighter, healer, thief and mage to varying degrees. I played a paladin like build, able to fight whilst casting heal and warding spells. It largely worked but restrictions on weapon weight meant I was constantly re-equipping gear.
It doesn't quite match up to baldurs gate. The world is third the size, character creation isn't forgiving and the story isn't as interesting but it's still great because of it's flaws. The challenging character creator made me want to try a new build, and the shorter playtime made me think I could go back to try other options.
The game is available from
http://basiliskgames.com/purchase-games/