Siege of Avalon

Siege of Avalon is a traditional fantasy RPG set in a war-ravaged imaginary land where the malevolent warrior Mithras seeks to conquer all, with only the fortress of Avalon standing in defiance. Players embody a customizable hero on a story-driven quest to thwart Mithras’s ambitions, navigating an isometric world filled with NPCs, action-based combat, and episodic chapters that blend mild class flexibility, spellcasting, and experience-based progression in a narrative-focused adventure.

Siege of Avalon: Review

Introduction

In the shadow of titans like Diablo II and Baldur’s Gate II, Siege of Avalon emerged in 2000 as a quiet rebellion against the era’s action-heavy RPGs—a digital novel disguised as a game, where the siege of a crumbling fortress becomes a canvas for human drama, betrayal, and quiet heroism. Developed by the short-lived Digital Tome, this isometric fantasy RPG invited players to inhabit a world on the brink, blending point-and-click exploration with a narrative depth that felt more like turning pages in a forgotten tome than grinding through hordes. Its legacy endures not as a blockbuster, but as a cult artifact for story enthusiasts, rekindled by 2021 re-releases on Steam and GOG that prove its timeless appeal. At its core, Siege of Avalon succeeds as an immersive “episodic computer game novel,” where the player’s journey from humble recruit to legendary savior underscores a thesis: in an age of spectacle, true RPG greatness lies in worlds that breathe, evolve, and remember your choices, even if the mechanics occasionally falter under the weight of ambition.

Development History & Context

Digital Tome, a small Houston-based studio founded in the late 1990s, crafted Siege of Avalon as their ambitious debut under the tagline “Played Any Good Books Lately?” Led by producer and original story writer Van Collins, with project manager James Shiflett overseeing operations, the team of around 37 credited individuals—including programmers like Allen Halsted and artists like lead Bradley W. Lewis—envisioned a narrative-first RPG that blurred the lines between interactive fiction and traditional gaming. Collins’ original story drew from epic fantasy tropes but emphasized psychological depth and moral ambiguity, inspired by the likes of Planescape: Torment yet executed on a shoestring budget. The game’s episodic structure—six chapters released progressively, with the first free to download—was a bold experiment in “pay-for-play” distribution, allowing players to sample the world before committing to paid unlocks via the studio’s website.

Technological constraints of the era shaped its form: built in Delphi 4 for Windows 98 compatibility, Siege relied on pre-rendered 2D isometric backgrounds and simple 3D character models to run on modest hardware (requiring just a Dual Core processor and 2 GB RAM in modern ports). This limited graphical flair but enabled vast, hand-crafted environments without the procedural generation of contemporaries like Diablo. Audio, handled by composer Bjørn Lynne, leaned on orchestral MIDI tracks to evoke mood without voice acting, a deliberate choice to preserve players’ imaginative freedom.

The 2000 gaming landscape was a golden age for isometric RPGs, dominated by Blizzard’s loot-driven Diablo II and BioWare’s dialogue-rich Baldur’s Gate II. Siege carved a niche by prioritizing story over combat spectacle, releasing amid a shift toward online distribution experiments (pre-World of Warcraft era). Published initially by Digital Tome themselves, with Global Star Software handling the 2001 Anthology CD (adding minor tweaks like intro/outro cinematics), it faced commercial hurdles: poor marketing and the episodic model’s novelty led to modest sales. Digital Tome disbanded soon after due to funding issues and publisher disputes, scuttling planned sequels like Pillars of Avalon (teased in the Anthology’s ending video). Yet, the studio’s 2003 open-sourcing of the first chapter under LGPL—now on GitHub—sparked a devoted community, leading to fan ports, HD remasters, and the 2021 SNEG re-release by General Arcade and Steffen Nyeland, which stabilized it for Windows 10+ with widescreen support. In context, Siege was a visionary underdog, prefiguring episodic models like The Walking Dead while highlighting indie RPGs’ struggles against AAA behemoths.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Siege of Avalon‘s plot unfolds as a gripping siege narrative in the war-torn land of Eurale, where seven uneasy kingdoms—Nisos, Aratoy, Oriam, Fornax, Elythria, Cathea, and Taberland—have coalesced around the Citadel of Avalon as their last bastion. The invaders, the nomadic Sha’Ahoul (a blend of human Sha’men barbarians and orc-like Ahoul), led by the shaman warlord Mithras, wage a genocidal holy war against “dirt-men” who defile the earth with farms and cities. Their religion venerates nature, viewing permanent structures as sacrilege, which fuels a crusade that’s ravaged Eurale for 12 years. Players embody a customizable protagonist—a young recruit arriving by beleaguered supply ship to inform their war-hero brother, Corvus, of their father’s death—thrust into this chaos. What begins as personal errands (delivering news, aiding refugees) escalates into a web of intrigue: foiling assassination plots, uncovering moles like the traitorous General Ovoron (who defects mid-game), and navigating royal politics among Avalon’s diverse inhabitants, from elves to dwarven builders (mentioned in lore books).

The six-chapter structure amplifies the episodic feel: Chapters 1-2 and 6 drive the main arc, from your integration into Avalon’s garrison to the climactic breach of the outer walls and showdown with Mithras in the courtyard. Chapters 3-5 act as lore-expanding side stories, delving into subplots like the cursed underground city of ancient inhabitants (mutated “Cave Lurkers” blessed/cursed by the Astral Guardian goddess) or undercover missions in the Sha’Ahoul camp, humanizing the “Always Chaotic Evil” foes through dialogues revealing their cultural motivations. The narrative twists abound: your rising fame transforms Avalon from a somber refugee hell into a rallying hope, with NPCs gossiping about your deeds (e.g., resolving food shortages alters dialogues city-wide). Betrayals peak with Queen Nanesi’s role in framing you for treason, while optional quests—like purifying undead with the friendly skeleton Bones or allying with Lizardmen slaves—explore redemption and cultural clashes.

Characters are the beating heart, with hundreds of unique NPCs exhibiting personalities shaped by origin, role, and your actions. Corvus evolves from distant sibling to optional party member (a “Guest-Star Party Member” who’s outclassed by endgame you), while figures like the flirtatious kitchen maid Bonnie or the Amazonian Blood Roses in Chapter 6 add emotional layers. Dialogue, delivered via wall-of-text trees without voice acting, is reactive and memory-driven: NPCs recall interactions, unlocking new options (e.g., solving a rat infestation opens romantic banter). Writers Tucker Latham, Garth Sitton, and D.C. Green infuse humor, tragedy, and philosophy—hilarious guards banter amid plague-ridden slums, serious royals debate alliances, and Sha’Ahoul undercover talks subvert racism tropes, portraying invaders as zealots with valid grievances.

Thematically, Siege grapples with war’s toll: heroism amid scarcity (Adam Smith Hates Your Guts, as merchants hoard steel over gold), the illusion of choice in scripted fates (your decisions ripple socially but not globally), and blurred morality (all myths are true, from soul jars to immortal mutants). It critiques fanaticism—Mithras as a demigod-aspirant whose body vanishes, hinting at sequels—while celebrating resilience: from noob recruit to “beacon of light,” your arc mirrors Avalon’s shift from despair to defiance. Yet, “huh?” moments linger, like unresolved threads (e.g., the End… Or Is It? finale), underscoring its unfinished potential. Ultimately, the narrative’s immersion—quests tying to overarching plot, player-shaped world reactions—elevates it beyond fetch quests, crafting a tale of inspiration in a crapsack world.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Siege of Avalon‘s core loop revolves around story-driven exploration and combat in a Diablo-esque isometric framework, but with a narrative leash: quests propel you through Avalon’s labyrinthine castle (secret passages, warp whistle maps for intra-citadel travel) and besieged outskirts (forests, caves, enemy camps), blending mainline progression with side activities like diplomacy or artifact hunts. You start with character creation—choosing Fighter, Scout, or Mage (classes overlap fluidly, affecting only starting stats and prestige quests, like holy knight Xander for Fighters)—and build via skill points earned from kills/quests, no traditional levels. Progression is flexible: pump melee for tanking, magic for spells (e.g., shadow boosts stealth), or hybridize (fighters cast fireballs). Party system allows recruiting up to four companions (dismissible, for backpack space and healing), but AI flaws make them “Reckless Sidekicks”—they charge foes ignorantly, often dying or friendly-firing.

Combat is real-time action: click-to-attack yields “click on an enemy and hit until dead” simplicity, with auto-pathing and basic moves (one melee swing, limited spells like heal or fireball). It’s repetitive—plenty of mook slaying, from Sha’Ahoul hordes (15+ via Conservation of Ninjutsu) to Goddamn Bats like insane Cave Lurkers—but mixable with stealth (high investment enables one-hit kills, though dump stat for most) or ranged arrows (Annoying Arrows, lethal from afar). Enemies exhibit Artificial Stupidity: suicidal charges, no retreats (except shamans/bosses self-healing), and cheating detection (spotting through shadows). Bosses like Mithras demand strategy—dodging minions, exploiting weaknesses—but overall, it’s functional yet unexciting, lacking Diablo‘s depth.

UI shines in accessibility: tabbed interfaces (inventory, skills, journal) avoid sub-menus; grid-based inventory (Tetris-like puzzle, items vary in shape/size) encourages management, with layering for armor (e.g., multiple cloaks) and 200+ unique gear (loot ogre loincloths or lich clubs). Spells assign to right-click for mid-battle use, and tomes (equippable lore books) grant buffs. Flaws include no tutorial (dumping players in medias res), technical hiccups (crashes on XP+, fixed in re-release), and grindy repetition (level grinding for points, Loads and Loads of Loading between areas). Innovations like reactive world (deeds alter NPC moods/quests) and class prestige (e.g., Scout’s rogue skills, though “useless” per reviewers) add replayability, with 30+ hours for full completion. It’s a mixed bag: intuitive for veterans, flawed for newcomers, but the loop’s story integration keeps it engaging.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Avalon’s world is a richly textured siege-scape, transforming from a dark, defeated refuge—muddy Peasants’ Bailey with hidden children, plague-ridden slums—to a vibrant hub as your heroism inspires optimism. Eurale’s lore, via 100+ fictional documents (rivaling Elder Scrolls), details seven kingdoms’ alliance against Sha’Ahoul zealots, with sub-worlds like cursed underground cities (All Myths Are True: profane a temple, sink your realm) or Naga-infested caves adding depth. Exploration rewards: optional areas yield side quests (e.g., freeing Lizardmen slaves), secret buildings brim with items/enemies, fostering a “living breathing world” where bystanders gossip about events like food crises. Atmosphere evolves dynamically—somber greetings lighten post-victory—making Avalon feel shaped by you, not static.

Art direction favors charming 2D isometric visuals: pre-rendered, detailed backgrounds (on par with Arcanum) evoke Scenery Porn, from flickering sconces to vast forests, though dated by modern standards (pixelated edges, hard-to-spot interactables). Character models impress—clothing layers visibly alter appearances (order matters for layering), looting strips corpses dynamically (e.g., vanishing armor). Spell effects dazzle simply, but Concealed Customization hides hair/beards under helmets. No 3D flair, but hand-crafted maps avoid Diablo‘s endless feel, emphasizing natural progression.

Sound design supports immersion without overwhelming: orchestral MIDI score (Lynne’s work) shifts from soft, warm castle themes to tense, scary night prowls, fitting the mystic fantasy vibe—repetitive yet atmospheric, occasionally skipping on loads. Ambient effects (clanging swords, eerie cave echoes) enhance tension, but no voice acting (a pro for book-like imagination, avoiding disruptive gruff tones). Overall, these elements forge a cohesive, heartfelt experience: visuals and sound immerse without distracting from the narrative’s emotional core, turning a besieged fortress into a palpable, evolving home.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, Siege of Avalon garnered mixed critical reception, averaging 68% on MobyGames (17 reviews) and 3.7/5 from players (12 ratings). Praised for its “amazing storyline” and “immersive world” (90% from Movies Games and Tech, 85% GamersHell), it was hailed as a “welcome breath” for narrative depth (80% GameSpy, GiN), with reviewers like Gonchi noting its book-like quality and Matt Neuteboom comparing it to Fallout for character interaction. The episodic model was innovative—”risk-free” entry (77% WomenGamers)—but flaws drew fire: repetitive combat/AI (60% Old PC Gaming, Save Or Quit), technical issues (lockups on XP), and “öde” fights (58% GameStar Germany) led to lower scores (40% CGW: “if I want to read, I’ll visit Barnes & Noble”). Commercially, it underperformed—modest sales via downloads/CDs (Anthology ~$10-20), overshadowed by Diablo II‘s loot frenzy—contributing to Digital Tome’s closure.

Reputation evolved into cult status: open-sourcing in 2003 birthed fan mods, HD ports (2017 German community fixes for 1080p), and ports (2019 Delphi updates). The 2021 SNEG re-release (Steam/GOG, $3.99) earned Very Positive (87% of 248 reviews), lauded for “classic charm” and stability, though dated graphics persist. Influence is subtle but profound: prefiguring episodic RPGs (Telltale games), reactive worlds (The Witcher), and narrative hybrids (Dragon Age), it inspired lore-rich indies emphasizing player agency over polish. No direct sequels ( Pillars canceled), but its open-source ethos empowered communities, ensuring Siege‘s place as a historian’s footnote—a flawed pioneer reminding us RPGs thrive on stories, not just swords.

Conclusion

Siege of Avalon weaves a tapestry of war-weary heroism, where a player’s modest arrival blooms into legend amid Avalon’s crumbling walls, bolstered by reactive NPCs, lore-laden tomes, and a world that pulses with consequence. Its strengths—immersive narrative, flexible progression, charming art—outshine dated combat, AI quirks, and technical relics, delivering 30+ hours of book-like satisfaction. Yet, as Digital Tome’s swan song, it aches with unrealized potential, its episodic heart unfinished. In video game history, it claims a vital niche: a testament to indie ambition in 2000’s RPG renaissance, influencing story-driven design while proving gems endure through community passion. Verdict: Essential for narrative RPG fans—a 8/10 cult classic, worth sieging for its enduring soul.