The third in the Ishar series, Ishar 3 does a great job of picking up the plot line where the second in the franchise left off. Created and distributed by Silmarils in the middle nineties, Ishar 3 features an awesome plot surrounding a very fun medieval fantasy theme. It was originally created for the Amiga, but was ported to the DOS based personal computer, and can also be run in a Windows format. It is a role playing game that plays in real time from the first person perspective, and features tons of action in combat form.
The plot of Ishar 3 revolves around the defeat of the evil being Shandar, which actually took place in episode two. His spirit, following his defeat, rose into the astral plain and utilized the Portal of Time where he has attempted to gain control over the last of the Great Black Dragons, Sith. In Ishar 3, the gamer will have to enter the Portal of Time and locate Sith, assuring that he has been destroyed before Shandar can reach him and use his might to wreak havoc on the Citadel and the rest of the magic lands.
During this main quest, the user will embark upon a great many side quests. Each unique allied character that the gamer will meet comes with
his own agendas, and the user will always have something worth doing, aside from pursuing Sith. The character sprites all look very unique, and in truth, one of Ishar 3’s greatest features is the awesome graphic display. Weaponry and items also appear to be well-crafted with an individual look. Moreover, characters can also be imported from either of the previous games in the Ishar franchise, giving the user the option of yet another unique character within the game.
To encompass all of the side quests, Ishar 3 features an exceptionally large gaming world. As with the rest of the things in Ishar 3, the backgrounds are very well done. The mazes, however, are very complex. The game itself is actually quite hard and features some very powerful enemies and anti-heroes. The user does not begin as an especially powerful hero, making the game all the harder. These are just a few of the challenges the RPGamer will face if he chooses to tackle Ishar 3. It is a deep game that is so large and offers so many choices of things to do, that it will not suffice as a mere rainy day time waster. This one will require an investment bigger than most, as it is a gaming gem bigger than most!
