Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Name: Ishar + Ishar 2
Item: Ishar + Ishar 2
Author: Retro Replay

The Ishar collection delivers a deeply strategic, party-based RPG experience rooted in the early 1990s, combining first-person dungeon crawling with a real-time overland map. In Ishar: Legend of the Fortress, you assemble a team of up to five adventurers drawn from rival clans, each with unique skills and personalities. Combat unfolds in a turn-based fashion, where positioning, spellcasting and careful resource management are crucial to surviving encounters with orcs, trolls and dark sorcery. Movement through dungeons and forests happens in grid-based steps, evoking the feel of classic tabletop sessions translated to pixel art.

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Building on its predecessor, Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom expands party tactics by introducing a clan rivalry system that affects character loyalty, morale and special abilities. You’ll frequently rotate party members to keep alliances strong or to exploit certain skill sets—thieves for trap disarmament, mages for crowd control, warriors for frontline defense. Inventory management and equipment choices take on heightened importance in Ishar 2, as late-game encounters demand optimized loadouts and judicious use of rare magical artifacts.

Both titles feature an open-ended quest structure that encourages exploration, with hidden side-quests, branching paths and time-limited objectives. In the first game, you race against the clock to gather the five keys of Ishar before the fortress succumbs to evil, while Ishar 2 presents roaming “Messengers” that must be tracked down across multiple islands. These timed elements inject a constant sense of urgency and replay value, motivating you to learn optimal routes, memorize puzzle solutions and adapt strategies as you uncover more of the world’s geography.

Graphics

Ishar: Legend of the Fortress employs a 256-color VGA palette that, even by modern standards, still charms with its moody atmospheres and richly detailed dungeon corridors. Each location—from mossy stone walls to torchlit chambers—feels distinctive, with atmospheric shading and occasional animated effects such as flickering flames or drifting fog. Character portraits and spell icons, while pixelated, convey enough personality to make each party member feel unique, and the battle interface is elegantly laid out to display health, mana and key status effects at a glance.

In Ishar 2, the Silmarils team refined their visual style with smoother transitions between zones and more elaborate environmental details. Outdoor areas showcase windswept beaches, volcanic caverns and enchanted ruins, rendered with subtle parallax scrolling that gives depth to distant horizons. Spell animations receive notable upgrades: fireballs trail sparks, lightning arcs crackle with intensity and healing glows pulse beneath character sprites. These enhancements heighten immersion without sacrificing the retro aesthetic that defines the series.

Although neither game competes with modern 3D engines, their hand-crafted backdrops and consistent art direction deliver a timeless charm. The UI remains intuitive, with clear icons, responsive menus and an automap that fills in as you explore. If you appreciate the pixel-perfect detail of early RPGs, both Ishar titles stand as shining examples of what VGA hardware could achieve in the hands of artists devoted to world-building and mood.

Story

Ishar: Legend of the Fortress casts you as an amnesiac adventurer who washes ashore the eponymous stronghold, only to discover that an evil sorcerer named Morgoth has wrested control from the rightful ruler. Your quest to restore order hinges on locating five legendary keys scattered across perilous islands, recruiting allies from hostile clans and piecing together fragments of your own forgotten past. Along the way, party members spar with each other, reveal personal vendettas and occasionally betray or abandon you, adding tension to both combat and narrative progression.

With Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom, the saga continues as dark omens foretell the return of an even greater threat. As a new champion of Ishar, you must chase down emissaries of doom who scurry between islands, disseminating curses and sowing discord. The plot unfolds through in-game journals, NPC dialogue and a handful of cut-scene illustrations, weaving a tapestry of political intrigue, arcane prophecy and personal sacrifice. Character arcs deepen here: companions bear grudges from past defeats and alliances can fracture if you prioritize one clan over another.

Across both games, the world-building remains a highlight. Silmarils populates their islands with evocative lore—forgotten demigods, ancient curses and legendary beasts roam the margins of your map. Although exposition is often text-heavy, it rewards patient readers with glimpses of hidden quests, puzzle solutions and hints at where the keys or Messengers might hide. The sense of a living, breathing frontier where every NPC has motives and grudges helps the Ishar saga endure as a classic of the genre.

Overall Experience

Playing the Ishar collection today is a journey back to the roots of computer RPGs, offering dozens of hours of intricate party management, exploration and tactical combat. Both titles preserve a deliberate pacing—battles rarely feel trivialized, puzzles demand careful thought, and every journey between taverns, shrines and underground lairs carries a risk of ambush. For fans of methodical progression and richly interwoven narratives, this duo delivers a satisfying blend of challenge and reward.

Replayability is baked in: you can experiment with different clan combinations, pursue various side-quests and learn speed-run routes to complete time-sensitive objectives. Completing Ishar 2 with a fully optimized party offers a palpable sense of mastery, as you deploy spell synergies and strategic positioning to overwhelm foes that once posed a formidable threat. Even the first playthrough feels ripe for multiple re-visits, since minor detours can lead to entirely new encounters or alliances.

Technical hurdles are minimal thanks to modern DOSBox and ScummVM support, which simplify installation and compatibility across Windows, macOS and Linux. A handful of fan patches improve sound playback and tweak difficulty curves, ensuring that newcomers aren’t discouraged by unforgiving resource scarcity. Considering the modest price point for a two-game bundle, Ishar + Ishar 2 represents exceptional value for RPG enthusiasts seeking a deep, old-school quest with enduring appeal.

In the end, Ishar and its sequel stand as testaments to the creativity and ambition of early ‘90s CRPG designers. While they demand patience and a willingness to embrace retro conventions, the payoff is a sprawling world teeming with secrets, strategic depth and narrative twists. For anyone eager to experience a seminal series that influenced countless modern RPGs, this collection is an indispensable addition to your library.