I agree with most folks that it brings back memories of Ultima 7 and Divine Divinity, but to say that this is an old school RPG isn't fair to Eschalon. The graphics are high rez compared to those old classics that we compare it to. The interface is as modern as any new game I have seen. I don't think I could deal with the interface and graphic quality of Ultima 7 or Ultima Underworld anymore. A lot has changed since those days including people's expectations about how an interface works.
I was extremely impressed with the Eschalon game engine. The lighting in particular was fantastic. Every location in the game had a fitting mood and setting. All the puzzles, traps, and riddles were all interesting without being tedious or annoying. Even the rare MOB respawn was handled perfectly. I can't think of any RPG ever that handled the scripted respawns better than Eschalon.
The monster balance was fine in that every fight could be completing as long as you have a plan. Unfortunately my plan often involved exploiting the zone boundaries. Even without the zone boundary exploit, I could have done the same thing with a Portal spell. The Taurax seemed a bit too strong. One Taurax was fine, but 2-3 would require some running which always felt like cheating.
Did I miss something or is the Lighthouse area incomplete? I never could use the boat. What's up with that place? A couple of the southern Crakamir zones felt a little rushed. I know its supposed to barren, but most people are gonna explore it anyway and it felt like mowing the grass trying to map it out. That got tedious, but I didn't want to miss anything!
I am dying to play the sequal to this game. I wonder when it will be out?