Combat is in real time, meaning a lot of micromanagement on your end. Magic is useful and, since most classes get specific spells, you don't need to focus too much on it. Still it can be extra costly thanks to expensive potions to cure your characters and refill your magic. The very “high fantasy”-looking bestiary is well endowed and the general monster design very nice. A cool feature regarding combat in Ishar is the possibility to create a tactical formation for your group, protecting your spellcasters behind your more resilient warriors, for example. While a bit crude, attacks and spells are entirely animated. Curiously, enemies don't chase you but, since the game is really hard, that's a relief.

The sense of scale is probably one of the things that Ishar does best. Kendoria is a vast land and navigating through its wilderness takes some time. Cartography becomes vital as you step through miles and miles of marshes, forests and open plains. Silmarils has worked a long time on Amiga and excels in creating beautiful lush nature that make long strolls enjoyable. Strangely enough for a CRPG, there is only a handful of underground dungeons but each one is memorable. Spending most of the game outside makes dungeons feel claustrophobic and deadly since you can't avoid enemies anymore. Civilisation is also present through scattered villages and one gigantic city.

Adventure and dangers dwell within towns with packs of thieves and bandits, but those places also offer rest for our weary adventurers. Inns, smiths and various shops are a good way to recruit fresh blood, train your merry band or hear rumours. Additionally to the main plot, various side-quests are available through specific NPCs. For example, one of them allows you to even cross the path of the former heroes of Crystals of Arborea, the prequel to Ishar.