Eschalon: Book II Now Available At Rampant Games

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 14, 2010

I finally got the chance to play Eschalon: Book II. And I’m kinda embarrassed about it, because I started giggling like a schoolgirl halfway through the character creation process. Okay, part of that was probably because I’ve been punchy from not getting nearly enough sleep this week, but still…  I was really in the mood to sink my teeth into a deep old-school RPG tonight, and I was expecting to load up an old favorite and play it for a bit. Instead,  Eschalon: Book II scratched that itch, and then some.

Turn-based combat? Check. Lots (and LOTS) of character creation options? Check. Depth of game system that doesn’t shy away from numbers? Check. Big, open world? Check. Engaging storyline? Check. Old-school mechanics that were fun once upon a time before being streamlined out (if some might be “optional” now, as they aren’t universally loved)? Check. Tons of polish? Check.

As a vet of the first game, the interface was pretty straightforward and familiar. There’s a lot to do here, but it’s not inaccessible to newbs, either. Yeah, there’s a LOT going on and a lot you can do, which makes for more than a couple of buttons / hotkeys.  But it’s pretty good about stepping you through the important parts early on.

I also enjoyed the explanation for how the game was starting you over back at level 1 again. If you played the first one, there was that whole thing with the amnesia due to a potion of forgetfulness? Apparently that stuff stays in your system, and has caused even more recent memories and skills to atrophy.

Anyway, I hope you can excuse me for getting a little bit giddy. From what I’ve played, it’s been worth the wait. You can check it out at RampantGames.com, or directly from the developer’s site at Basilisk Games, or whatever. Just support your local indie and give this one a try. If you are a serious CRPG fan – indie or no – you should at least be familiar with this game.

Currently, only the Windows version is available, but the Linux and Mac versions are coming very soon!

Download Eschalon: Book 2.

Filed Under: Game Announcements, Indie Evangelism - Comments: Comments are off for this article



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