Avernum 4

Avernum 4 is an old-school role-playing game developed and published by Spiderweb Software, a studio long recognized for creating sprawling adventures that favor storytelling and player agency over technical spectacle. As the opening chapter of a new saga within the Avernum universe, the game introduces players to a troubled era beneath the surface of the world. Rather than relying on familiarity with earlier entries, it presents a fresh conflict centered on mysterious invasions, political unrest, and a growing sense that something is deeply wrong within the underground realm. Its presentation may immediately reveal its age, but beneath the modest visuals lies an experience designed for players who appreciate depth and patience. The game's setting remains one of its greatest accomplishments. Avernum is a vast underground nation carved into endless caverns and illuminated by strange fungi and magical light. Civilization has adapted to life beneath the earth, and every settlement has its own concerns, histories, and personalities. The narrative revolves around unexplained attacks carried out by bizarre creatures and shadowy forces that threaten the stability of the realm. Spiderweb …

I bought the second Avernum trilogy extremely cheaply on sale and only because I wanted to play 6 which I hear is the most mechanically sophisticated of the series, so I am not upset about it but this game is extremely poorly optimized - there is no reason that a game this old should chug and load and be impossible to navigate with mouse when in certain screens (leveling, character creation, anytime you finish or receive a quest or item, anytime you are selling or buying). I think there's an updated version with skill trees and I would recommend that instead. I started playing Avernum back when 2 was released and this game has even more charm, it's even more engaging and actually quite breezy to play when the entire thing isn't dying. And no, it isn't my system, I'd literally have to travel back in time to find a computer that should have a hard time running this. I hear the updated version dumbs down the skill selection a bit but honestly, small price to pay for not chugging through this. The sad part is that the game itself is so good that I might even keep playing it. My only major design complaint so far is that the hotkeys are from a different century, and also just a pet…

https://youtu.be/cGHo8hYu4wU Twenty years later this version is technically playable but not the easiest to play out of the Avernum franchise.

I love the Avernum games - except for Ruined Worlf - the day/night timeline kinda made me nervous and it was hard to see. The mouse controls in Avernum 4 are "sticky" and I don't like how when you select something on the gound it just hangs there - better to automatically go into the pack. That's it - these games are addictive and FUN. The story would be an amazing TV series.

I wish there were more Jeff Vogel games being made... a great installment of the Avernum (Exile) series

it's bad in grapghics but really good story