Avernum 3: Ruined World

I've just played all three re-remakes of the Avernum Games now in a row (Escape from the Pit, Crystal Souls, Ruined World) so this is a bit compilation of all three.

From an RPG standpoint, all three are absolutely great games. EFTP is a great fresh exciting experience, Crystal Souls is one of the better actual sequels I've seen and then Ruined World rewards you with an amazingly different experience after getting to the "end" of the Journey.

I know a lot of people have nostalgia for the studio and look on the remakes fondly as they remember the old games - but honestly (as a person who didn't play the old games /w no nostalgia), they really do hold up in terms of pacing and satisfying storytelling.

I'd highly recommend playing all three, in order, to anyone - even modern RPG players looking for a new fix after Baldurs Gate 3 and so on - they might look old, but you give them a bit of time and they really, truly grow on you.

Finally, after more than 2 decades I was able to finish this game!
Exile 3, later to become Avernum 3 and then Avernum 3: Ruined World, managed to fill my teenage years with wonder while trying to find a deep and engaging RPG game for my Pentium 200 MHz PC.
While not graphically intense, it certainly was able to grab one's attention thanks to its great lore and world building.
Now, I only wish to be able to complete A1 and A2 as well - hopefully before another decade passes along.

Had it sitting in my library for ages. It was a fun game and I am glad i played it. Thank you for making it.

One of the best PC RPGs ever made. I've spent thousands of hours playing the series (originally called Exile), since the mid 90s. Once you're hooked, you're hooked.

My favorite game in the Avernum series. The world feels even larger and more immersive than the first two entries, with the large open world above ground now to explore. The biggest change is the addition of time triggered events. As time passes, things happen and emergencies will pop up that require your intervention. This isn't some anxiety inducing timed event where it's easy to mess up, you are given ample time to complete the tasks, and ample warning.
If you want a world on the scope of Elder Srolls games, but with turn based isometric gameplay, this is the game for you.

This is a remake from a shareware Exile III from the late 90's. Its fun and funny and huge. If you like crawling through dungeons and unraveling a continent wide conspiracy, this game is for you.

Ok, for whatever reason a save game got lost, so I'm using that as an excuse to make a strategic retreat from Avernum 3. But I have thoughts.

The good:
First, I enjoyed the story a lot more than Escape from the Pit.
It'll run on a potato.
Some minor art by OG comic book artist Phil Foglio.
A fun little game for coffee breaks at work.
Some might say the turn-based combat is too simplistic, but it's not too bad.

The meh:
No real improvements over Escape from the PIt in regards to graphics, UI or gameplay.
It's still teeny-tiny character models.
Your party is still bland and personality-free.
Levelling up only provides vague and unsatisfying incremental stat improvements.
Better sounds and music would have helped.
Quests were kinda meh.

The verdict:
If that saving snafu hadn't happened, I'd probably have stuck with Avernum 3 a bit longer. With a little imagination, you can have a bit of fun. But you really have to come prepared with the mindset that this is a pre-Balder's Gate CRPG, and you do have many more entertaining options available on Steam for the same price.