Isometric View Games: 1998 (LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Baldur's Gate, Goemon's Great Adventure, Banjo-Kazooie, RE 2, Medievil and Half-Life are released)
1990|1991|1992|1993|1994|1995|1996|1997|1998|1999
Brandish 4: Nemureru Kami no Tou (PC, 1998)
Subgenre: ARPG
Perspective: Isometric
Some platforming
Ancient Evil (PC)
Subgenre: Diablo clone
Perspective: Isometric
Outliers:
Baldur's Gate (PC, 1998)
Subgenre: WRPG (in-depth character creation, dialogue trees, many side quests, persuasion, stealth and thieving) w/ Real-time w/ pausing combat (auto-pause options)
Perspective: Isometric view
Other: No platforming, MP co-op campaign mode, Hub map, Can't avoid encounters on the world map (Fallout), Time limits on some side quests
-Tons of interesting spells (know alignment, summon, teleport, mirror image, invisibility, transform, charm, buffs and debuffs, etc.)
-Open ended world but mostly linear in terms of the main quest
-Save anywhere outside of battle/while a spell is in effect on screen or ambush areas, Auto-save before travelling between areas
-Rest anywhere in the wild (at your own risk since you can get ambushed)
-Good environment interaction overall
-Some party conversations (pretty basic compared to the sequel)
-On the fly adjustable difficulty
-Decent moral+reputation systems and evil player characters get some unique quests as well as a different set of recruitable characters to mess with (there are fewer quests for evil chars though)
-All party NPCs can be replaced/removed
-Limited spellbook provides a strategic element
-Export your character into the sequel (means you can keep using the same one through two games plus their expansions which makes for a looong quest)
-Basic AI scripts (character behaviour in battle)
-Many mods (adds replay value, fixes most inconveniences and bugs - larger item stacks, non-randomized HP growth etc., you can even play the game using the sequel's game engine, widescreen and high res mods, unfinished business mod)
-Teleport and highlight interactive objects codes (need to change the .ini file, still can't highlight item containers though)
-Optional dungeons in the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion with some minor puzzles and additional lore respectively
-Speed options this (can mess with voice clip timing if set too high)
-Basic journal feature (improved in the enhanced edition)
-Drink at inns to hear rumours (you can get drunk but it only has negative effects)
-Some NPCs fight alongside your party
-Sometimes permanent death occurs when characters are critically hit and the player char can't be revived
-While you can mix between alignments in your party there will probably be infighting and/or constant complaining - Chars can also leave permanently depending on your reputation
-Basic formations (party won't stay in formation while moving though)
-Going into the inventory unpauses the game in SP - Doesn't happen in MP though and you can play a MP game alone
-Can only see how injured an enemy is in Enhanced Edition and the sequel
-Party members found later on tend to have been built poorly by the game (non-recruited characters level up with you)
Mini Review
Magic & Mayhem (PC, 1998) - RTS w/ RPG elements, Isometric View, No base building, Flight spell, PvP MP and Skirmish/bot modes
-Have to keep your wizard starting unit alive
-Resource points (mana)
-Large scale environmental effects from some spells (AoE spells also grow upwards)
-Some physics (parts of buildings can fall on units, levitated units that fall back down take fall damage)
-Partially non-linear structure in SP
-Difficulty options
Brandish 4: Nemureru Kami no Tou (PC, 1998)
Subgenre: ARPG
Perspective: Isometric
Some platforming
Ancient Evil (PC)
Subgenre: Diablo clone
Perspective: Isometric
Outliers:
Baldur's Gate (PC, 1998)
Subgenre: WRPG (in-depth character creation, dialogue trees, many side quests, persuasion, stealth and thieving) w/ Real-time w/ pausing combat (auto-pause options)
Perspective: Isometric view
Other: No platforming, MP co-op campaign mode, Hub map, Can't avoid encounters on the world map (Fallout), Time limits on some side quests
-Tons of interesting spells (know alignment, summon, teleport, mirror image, invisibility, transform, charm, buffs and debuffs, etc.)
-Open ended world but mostly linear in terms of the main quest
-Save anywhere outside of battle/while a spell is in effect on screen or ambush areas, Auto-save before travelling between areas
-Rest anywhere in the wild (at your own risk since you can get ambushed)
-Good environment interaction overall
-Some party conversations (pretty basic compared to the sequel)
-On the fly adjustable difficulty
-Decent moral+reputation systems and evil player characters get some unique quests as well as a different set of recruitable characters to mess with (there are fewer quests for evil chars though)
-All party NPCs can be replaced/removed
-Limited spellbook provides a strategic element
-Export your character into the sequel (means you can keep using the same one through two games plus their expansions which makes for a looong quest)
-Basic AI scripts (character behaviour in battle)
-Many mods (adds replay value, fixes most inconveniences and bugs - larger item stacks, non-randomized HP growth etc., you can even play the game using the sequel's game engine, widescreen and high res mods, unfinished business mod)
-Teleport and highlight interactive objects codes (need to change the .ini file, still can't highlight item containers though)
-Optional dungeons in the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion with some minor puzzles and additional lore respectively
-Speed options this (can mess with voice clip timing if set too high)
-Basic journal feature (improved in the enhanced edition)
-Drink at inns to hear rumours (you can get drunk but it only has negative effects)
-Some NPCs fight alongside your party
-Sometimes permanent death occurs when characters are critically hit and the player char can't be revived
-While you can mix between alignments in your party there will probably be infighting and/or constant complaining - Chars can also leave permanently depending on your reputation
-Basic formations (party won't stay in formation while moving though)
-Going into the inventory unpauses the game in SP - Doesn't happen in MP though and you can play a MP game alone
-Can only see how injured an enemy is in Enhanced Edition and the sequel
-Party members found later on tend to have been built poorly by the game (non-recruited characters level up with you)
Mini Review
Magic & Mayhem (PC, 1998) - RTS w/ RPG elements, Isometric View, No base building, Flight spell, PvP MP and Skirmish/bot modes
-Have to keep your wizard starting unit alive
-Resource points (mana)
-Large scale environmental effects from some spells (AoE spells also grow upwards)
-Some physics (parts of buildings can fall on units, levitated units that fall back down take fall damage)
-Partially non-linear structure in SP
-Difficulty options