Old School Classic - Siege of Avalon

Siege of Avalon was released for the PC in 1998, which was a bad year to come out because if anyone can remember, that was when Baldur's Gate was taking the RPG genre by storm and D&D fans were going crazy. It didn't help that Siege of Avalon has many similarities with Baldur's Gate, with a medieval theme, 2D isometric view, and the inclusion of NPC party members; so people probably thought it was just another clone. Unfortunately for the people who passed this game up, Siege of Avalon is a completely unique role-playing experience that any fan of the genre can enjoy.
The game takes place in the fortress of Avalon and the lands surrounding it. Avalon is the last stronghold standing against a hoard of Sha'ahoul forces led by an evil warlord called Mithra. You enter the story as a commoner arriving by ship to Avalon to give your brother news of your family and help in the fight against the Sha'ahoul. The game is divided up into 6 chapters that revolve around the completion of a specific main quest; the character is allowed to explore once prohibited areas and gain access to better weapons and armor as the chapters progress.
Siege of Avalon is everything that modern day RPGs are not, and that's what makes this game great. It is medieval grit at its best and doesn't sugar coat that time period like games do now. Avalon is besieged by forces that are trying every method to infiltrate the fortress, and the game does a great job of portraying how soldiers and commoners stuck in the castle would feel at the time: bored, hungry, anxious, scared, and some even contemplating betrayal to end the war early.
One of my favorite aspects of the game is the inventory system. The player is given limited space in their backpack to sort and organize loot to maximize how much they can carry back to sell at the market. It's really fun to going into the occupied village outside Avalon, kill a bunch of enemy warriors and carry their armor and weapons back to the market, making enough gold to get a new cuirass or hauberk.
One interesting feature in Siege of Avalon that I rarely see in games is that armor can be equipped and layered on your avatar. For example, you can buy chainmail, which would go on the first layer, then you could get a hauberk, which would go on top of the chainmail, then you could equip a cuirass, which would cover some of the hauberk, and to top it all off you can equip a cloak on the outer layer of your character. So not only are you increasing defense with each layer, but it is reflected on your character and I am all for having armor and weapons show up on the avatar. The items in the game stay somewhat true to the medieval time period; discrepancies in armor defense and bonuses are based on the quality and materials of the item, you won't see any longswords+1 or Morningstar of the Giant's Fury that adds +5 strength, for example.
Being that the game was made in 1998, the graphics aren't something to rave about, but they get the job done. Small details like the suits of armor that stand by gate entrances, coat of arms that adorn the wall signifying royal families, or the bread and vegetables spread across the mess hall kitchen give the player a fairly immersive RPG experience given the age of the game. And while the sound quality is similar to that of a free ringtone, the music itself is fairly pleasant in the background and also enhances that medieval theme. The only glaring flaw in the game is the terrible level of AI. Your NPC team members shouldn't be relied on in the clutch; sometimes they may stand there without attack, or simply run away from the battle. There have been more than a few times when right after defeating the last enemy from a horde of Sha'ahoul, my character was killed by a stray lightning bolt let loose by my mage; I wish there was a way to turn friendly fire off.
Bottom line: This game is not to be missed, but given that it's over a decade old, it won't be that easy to find, last time I checked the official website doesn't even exist anymore, but that never deterred anyone who really wanted a game worth playing.