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Any recently released games in the style of Exile/Avernum/Eschalon?

V_K

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Having a short vacation this week and looking for something to play. Currently I'm in the mood for a classic-style high fantasy RPG that fits the following criteria:

- reasonably large (several cities/towns) and reasonably open gameworld;
- coherent setting (not goofy/silly/whimsical) and at least somewhat sensible geography (silly, but that's what put me off Bludgeons&Krakens);
- relatively minimalistic writing: not overwritten (like e.g. Pillars) but not underwritten either (like e.g. M&M games);
- exploration-focused;
- completable in under 30-40 hours. I only have 4-5 days to play it.

Basically, as the title suggests, I want something in the vein of Exile/Avernum or Eschalon.
I'm pretty sure I've played all of the old ones, but I was wondering if anything like that was released recently and flew under my radar. I've tried Nox Archaist but found the visuals (mostly the text rendering really) rather off-putting and the first 30 minutes failed to hook me.
 

Darth Canoli

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Not that recent but Exiled Kingdoms.

I recommend Wizard main character or Healer with tank companion (fighter from the second village or healer later on), it's hard early on but more interesting on the long run, quest design is quite good if you don't count town hall proc. generated ones.
 

V_K

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Lurking is the closest thing I can think of. It plays quite a lot like Ultima III-V, and therefore a lot like the Exile games.
Yes, I concur.
I'd started playthroughs of both games, and got reasonably far in the second, but both times life happened and I finished neither.
 

curds

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I'm guessing since you mentioned other Spiderweb games that you have already played Geneforge. If you haven't, I recommend it.

There's also the more recent Avadon games, but I've heard they aren't quite up to scratch.
 

vazha

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You could try Antharion maybe? High fantasy, large world, turn based combat. Has its flaws too, but still worth checking out.
 
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Thac0

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I'm very into cock and ball torture
First thing that comes to mind is Balrum, but as I never played that someone else has to tell you if it hits all criteria.
 

Falksi

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I'm guessing since you mentioned other Spiderweb games that you have already played Geneforge. If you haven't, I recommend it.

There's also the more recent Avadon games, but I've heard they aren't quite up to scratch.

I've still not played Geneforge yet.

On the list, but can't decide whether Mutagen is worth a pop. Is it?
 

V_K

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I'm guessing since you mentioned other Spiderweb games that you have already played Geneforge. If you haven't, I recommend it.

There's also the more recent Avadon games, but I've heard they aren't quite up to scratch.

I've still not played Geneforge yet.

On the list, but can't decide whether Mutagen is worth a pop. Is it?
Geneforge is great, one of the best RPG series ever. And I haven't played Mutagen extensively, but it seems like an actual improvement over the original G1 - more interesting creation system and nothing else streamlined/simplified.

Maybe Balrum? It's kinda like Eschalon, but with a farm.
I've played most of the first map. It's not a bad game, but it's not really open world and it's waaay to slow.
 

curds

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I'm guessing since you mentioned other Spiderweb games that you have already played Geneforge. If you haven't, I recommend it.

There's also the more recent Avadon games, but I've heard they aren't quite up to scratch.

I've still not played Geneforge yet.

On the list, but can't decide whether Mutagen is worth a pop. Is it?
I played the original version, so can't speak for Mutagen, but Geneforge is awesome and totally worth playing. Great exploration-focused RPG with a really interesting and cool pulpy science-fantasy setting.
 

Decado

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Adding my two cents to this thread, since I am also looking for similar games to play while I'm at the in-laws for Christmas.

I just bought Exiled Kingdom based on this thread.
 
Last edited:

Darth Canoli

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You could try Antharion maybe? High fantasy, large world, turn based combat. Has its flaws too, but still worth checking out.

I just tried it, it has fast travel, which is very nice and exploration speed is just right.
It's not without flaws like no encounter design and items with level requirements but overall, it's decent/good and it doesn't waste the player's time.
 

V_K

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This looks like a pure dungeon crawler, not what I had in mind.

Anyways, I've bought Realms of Anquity and it seems more or less what I had in mind, in case anyone was following this thread for similar recommendations. Seems a lot more palatable QoL-wise than Nox, even though it's also written for an ancient PC and runs in an emulator.
And if that doesn't work out, there's the Ambermoon windows port.
 

OSK

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Is Eschalon good? I love the Avernum/Exile games, but I remember reading that Eschalon wasn't great, maybe mediocre, so I avoided it. Is it actually similar to Avernum/Exile?
 

V_K

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Is Eschalon good? I love the Avernum/Exile games, but I remember reading that Eschalon wasn't great, maybe mediocre, so I avoided it. Is it actually similar to Avernum/Exile?
It's a mixed bag. It's single-character, so combat is not as interesting by definition (not that combat in Vogel's post-Exile games is anything to write home about itself). And the setting is more standard high fantasy. But on the plus side, it has better character building and arguably better exploration, with some nice puzzles and secrets (or at least I liked it more than in Exile/Avernum). I suggest trying Book 2 first, it's the best of the series and since the stories in the games are pretty perfunctory, it doesn't matter much that it'll spoil you Book 1's plot.
 

Decado

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This looks like a pure dungeon crawler, not what I had in mind.

Anyways, I've bought Realms of Anquity and it seems more or less what I had in mind, in case anyone was following this thread for similar recommendations. Seems a lot more palatable QoL-wise than Nox, even though it's also written for an ancient PC and runs in an emulator.
And if that doesn't work out, there's the Ambermoon windows port.

Realms of Antiquity is great. I was playing it earlier this year and then I had a kid so it dropped off. But I have been meaning to get back to it. The creator posts here on the Codex, IIRC.
 

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