Exploring the world is a simple enough matter of selecting a group and sending the people out to see what’s there. Non-player characters with something to say make themselves known, and the preview maps had a gently structured feel to them that guided the player without penalizing attempts to roam free. Day and night, cloud shadows, rain and other weather effects give a lively dimension to the landscape’s appearance. Monsters and bandits roam, as always, to keep you on your toes and to provide experience for your forces. Battling them is a tactical to-and-fro playable either in real-time or with the benefit of the pause button.

Regenerating mushrooms provide first aid to injured fighters, while glowing shrines confer ongoing healing to anyone bathed in their radiance. Anyone not ordered to hold position will aggressively run into these to restore his life force. This is a useful AI characteristic welcome to anyone who’s ever juggled an inventory full of healing potions. Weaponry and armor is there to be found, automatically picked up and brandished by anyone in the party who needs it.