Crystals of Arborea is a fantasy role-playing game developed by Silmarils and released in 1990. Set in the magical world of Arborea, the game blends real-time combat with character progression and exploration. Players assemble a party of heroes tasked with recovering powerful crystals that maintain balance in the realm, facing dark forces and dangerous creatures along the way.
Gameplay combines overhead exploration with strategic battles that occur in real time. Players recruit companions with different skills, manage equipment, and train characters to improve combat abilities. The world features towns, dungeons, forests, and castles, each filled with enemies, quests, and secrets. Resource management and character development play a vital role in survival and success.
As one of the early entries in the Ishar series universe, Crystals of Arborea introduced innovative mechanics for its time, including a blend of action and RPG elements. Its fantasy atmosphere, tactical combat, and party-based system make it a classic experience for retro RPG fans on Windows systems using compatibility tools.
Features:
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Fantasy real-time RPG combat
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Party-based character system
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Overhead world exploration
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Character training and progression
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Equipment and resource management
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Towns, dungeons, and castles to explore
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Tactical enemy encounters
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Story-driven crystal recovery quest
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Early entry in the Ishar universe
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Classic 1990s RPG design
System Requirements:
Minimum:
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OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/10 (DOSBox recommended)
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Processor: 386/486 or Pentium CPU
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Memory: 4–8 MB RAM
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Graphics: VGA compatible display
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Storage: 20 MB available space
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Sound Card: Sound Blaster compatible
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Keyboard and mouse required
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DOS-compatible environment or emulator
