Retroview - Exile III: Ruined World

Official Site: http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/exile3/winexile3.html


I don't exactly remember how I came across Exile 3 for Windows, but I recall looking for a game similar to Ultima.  When I was playing the game, it was a shareware that limited the player in content.  Despite that, the game provided hours of gameplay nonetheless.  The player would create a party of 6 with unique abilities, traits and characteristics that made them pivotal to the team composition.  The player could choose to go anywhere they wanted, do want they wanted and when they wanted.  There are random encounters and events that change the game up a bit which is one of the driving factors in which made the replay value much longer.  I had nearly forgotten about the game until I was recently backing up some save files for my games and came across the folder "Exile3" and realized I had played this game years ago.  The game was unforgiving with all sorts of misfortune that would kill off your entire party, poison them, curse them, or some other situation that doesn't favor them.  There weren't that many animations other than some spells or projectiles moving as most of the art assets are static images.  As far as I know, the game is developed by a man and his wife and have been making these types of games for years now with bought assets.  I unknowingly bought a game made by them called Avadon (I have still yet to play the game).  It has similar mechanics in creating a party, equipping them with items, balancing the team with different classes, and a free roaming RPG experience.  A lot of their other games did not really interest me when looking at them, but now that I know they're made by the same person as Exile 3, I'm rather intrigued by how his experience in RPG development has changed.  Avernum: Escape from the Pit was one of them.  I see actual animated characters, effects, and think it might even have music in it (or it could be just specifically for the trailer).  I wanted to revisit Exile 3, create a new party, and explore the dungeons once again, but sadly the game isn't compatible with Windows 7 and won't even allow me to install the game.  For those who still use Windows XP, the game is free now and can be downloaded and played right away.  Just click the top link and click download.  I guess it's time for me to move on and check out the new games this developer has made.