Exile: Escape from the Pit

The Good
I downloaded this shareware game five years ago and played as far as I could (being a college student at the time, I couldn't really buy the game). For an RPG in 1995, there was a lot of detail in the game. Items, people, quests, there was just so much to see and do. I actually bought it a year or so ago and I still enjoy it (of course I have that whole retro gaming thing, so maybe I'm biased...).

This game lets you start a party from scratch (or use a predefined one, but thats no fun <g>). There are no classes to chooses from, so you can make any of your characters anything. Of course you might want to make a fighter guy, and a thief person, and other standard characters, but its completely up to you. Once your party is made, you are free to explore the world you have just emtered. This has to be one of the most non-linear games I have ever played.

Combat (you can never have an RPG without some of this) requires a little bit of planning. No grand strategies, but you have to put more thought into it than him bad, kill. Magic can shorten up combat considerably, and a little rest in the outdoors can replenish your mana without wasting time going back to town.

The Bad
Even for a game of its age, the graphics were pretty bad. Even after a graphics upgrade, it is still a little rudimentary. Also the sound comes in little snippets. These aren't big complaints, but you should know that you are not in for a Baldur's Gate kind of visual experience.

The Bottom Line
This is a fairly good game for $25. If you like open ended RPG's, you may want to try this one.