Ishar: Legend of the Fortress

An exotic island, a party of adventurers you assemble yourself, and a world in which your companions may simply walk out on you if they dislike your decisions. Ishar: Legend of the Fortress brought to the Amiga an RPG with its own distinctive identity and colorful, picturesque graphics that set it apart from the gloomy dungeons of the competition. It was a title that combined exploration of a more open world with classic party building.

In gameplay terms Ishar builds on a first-person view and step-by-step movement across a fantasy landscape full of towns, forests and mysterious locations. A peculiarity was the elaborate party system, into which you recruited characters with their own personalities. The members had their own opinions and relationships and could even refuse to obey, or leave the group, if they disagreed with your deeds. This social dynamic gave the game an unexpected dimension and set it apart from more mechanical rivals.

Ishar was created at the French studio Silmarils and followed on from its previous fantasy titles. The French development scene of the time had a reputation for creating visually inventive and distinctive games, and Ishar confirmed that reputation. The Amiga version stood out with richly colored graphics and finely painted environments that made wandering the island a visual experience.

The game left a cultural mark chiefly as the start of a successful series. Ishar received sequels and became one of the characteristic European RPGs of the early nineties, prized for its atmosphere and for the courage to come up with its own ideas instead of merely copying successful formulas.

Today Ishar recalls the variety of European game creation of that time and remains popular among fans of classic RPGs who are looking for something with a face of its own.

Why play: For a colorful fantasy expedition with a party that has a mind of its own, and for a distinctive European take on the RPG genre.