The Thunderscape game is basically a nearly endless dungeon romp with a set of random monsters on every level, from among the four or five types inhabiting each level. There are a total of around 30 levels in all. The graphics are pretty good for 1995 and create an eerie atmosphere. The stat system is the standard AD&D kill monsters -> gain xp -> advance levels -> improve stats, skills and spells.
One of the best parts of this game are the weapons and armor; the weapons and armor in the later stages are absolutely awe-inspiring and look cooler, even with the dated graphics, than weapons/armor in most of the newer games (like morrowind, FF9).
The story-line is very good, although it is more of a background since there is really no story-line advancement except that you have to kill the two main bad-guys. The voice acting is decent, although buggy at times. The highlight of this game, however, is the music. Like the other game set in the World of Aden (Entomorph), this game has a magnificent soundtrack that I kept listening to long after I got bored of the game. It dramatically enhances the atmosphere and pumps adrenalin into the combat. Speaking of which, the combat is interesting and turn-based, and doesn't get too monotonous towards the end, even though there way too much of it.
The game advancement is very linear, it's almost a NES stage by stage game. The
magic system, although good, was routine and predictable. Some of the spells were repetitive and some were totally ineffective, but some were really cool, and sort of made up for the lame ones. Besides, there was no clear division of race/class. Sure, you could start out with a dumb troll barbarian, but later you could find him casting lighting bolts. A mage can wear mithril plate armor and fight with two handed swords. Plus, the long range weapons are absolutely useless, since most of the game takes place in cramped dungeons where monsters can be on you in 2 seconds.
Overall I think Thunderscape was one of the best early games I played as a kid. It isn’t great but it is good, it’s still fun and I recommend playing it. The game can get a little boring over time but it’s one of those great classics to go back and play on those rainy days when you have nothing better to do. Recommended
