Ambermoon is the second game in the never completed “Amber trilogy”. Unfortunately, the game was a huge flop sales-wise, closing the doors of German developer Thalion even before they could port the game or finish translating it.

Luckily, an official English version was later leaked and made freely available, as all of Thalion's games became public domain after its demise.

That said, let's look at the actual game. Taking place decades after Amberstar, system-wise the game is roughly identical – the same turn- and grid-based combat, inventory and dialogue system. The two exploration view modes remain: isometric for houses and wilderness, plus a first-person view for towns and dungeons – though now in 3D. As such, Ambermoon's design is similar to Albion (1995), a better-known game later developed by former Thalion employees.

Ambermoon is huge, sprawling with locations to explore, though these are done in a somewhat linear fashion, with gates between areas – as opposed to the mostly free overland map of Amberstar. However, the charm, wit and storytelling of that game are still present. We play as the grandson of the earlier protagonist, who receives a quest from his dying grandfather. From there, the game is about travelling, finding companions for your party, solving quests, puzzles and fighting a diverse range of opponents.

It's standard RPG fare, but done with a certain warmth and elegance, competent gameplay systems and with lots of opportunities for exploration and immersion – even if the game's combat is somewhat slow and challenging in the first few hours. Returning players can also witness how the lands and its people fared since Amberstar, when a moon crashed into the planet, changing it into a fragmented post-apocalyptic fantasy world.