I'm akways shocked to see "Thunderscape" on somebody's list besides mine! I loved this game, while most people I think despised it. It had a quirky 3D automap to be sure, and the combat could be a little repetitive. But what I like most about games like this is the "architecture". The way levels are built, the way buildings either make sense or not, the way the levels are tied together.
Two things I remember about the levels in Thunderscape. First, there were sooo many times in the game where you could tell somebody was shooting at you, but you couldn't tell from where. So you would look all around, high and low, and eventually... there he is! Some guy is WAAAAAAY the heck over there, at the top of this distant mountain or on a cliff. A few days later, after trudging forever, maybe even a few levels past where you are now, eventually you're standing where that enemy was standing, and now you're looking BACK at where you were... but like 2 days ago! Not like, say... Outlaws, where some dude is standing on the farside of the river, on a ledge that you will NEVER be able to reach, and in fact... there is NO WAY to get there. Thunderscape had a grandiouse level architecture that made sense and had a cohesive level designed that spanned every single level
And secondly, another case in point. I'll never forget one encounter with the river that runs through Thunderscape. You start the game on one side of the river, and have to cross a bridge (and talk to an orc or something). That river runs alllllll the way through at least the first 50% of the 24+ levels of the game (maybe more). Once while playing, and I was probably on like level 5 or 6, I was walking along the banks of this river, and accidentally fell in! BIG MISTAKE. This river has a current that is FAST and RELENTLESS. I couldn't catch on to the bank nor jump to the river's edge, despite having numerous places I thought I could reach. I was totally helpless. The river just kept sweeping downstream, taking me back, back, back towards the begining of this level, when all of a sudden... I hit the point where I entered the level, and the PREVIOUS level re-loaded itself. I CONTINUED to be swept downstream, allll the way through THIS level, the PREVIOUS level, the PREVIOUS level, and finally... all the way back to the very point where the game began. I was stunned... that a game would be so perfectly woven together, but also that the "system" would just work non-interactively like that!
I won't say Thunderscape is the greatest game ever, but it certainly had its share of very memorable moments for me. The architecture, the steady trudge upriver to get to the giant pass where you have trigger the magic gates, it was just a monumentally fun game for me. I doubt it would win many (any) converts this many years after its release, but if you like massive 3D action/RPG games and can tolerate a DOOM-era game (it was a 2.5D system) I think you might like it.
Especially if GOG carries it for only $6! It was an SSI post-goldbox game, set in the World of Aden. It was a Steampunk game, and I think Entomorph was another (entirely diffrerent kind of) game also set in WoA (it was more topdown Ultima6-style). Thanks for mentioning it!
