Very under appreciated. Wasn't well understood when it first came out.
I took the game to the counter and i asked him 'Whats this game like, do you know?" He replied, "Um, er Its like Zelda". Just looking at the front of the box. So i grabbed it happily.
Playing it, i realized its not like Zelda at all, But whatever it was, i loved it anyway, With a steep learning curve, i finished it.
What I'm getting at is, during the time this game came out, Hardcore RPG's like this one weren't well known on the N64. It was pretty much the only game of its kind on the system, hence why the average scores. People didn't understand this game.
You play as Alaron, a squire, being trained under the knight Abrecan, in the Kingdom of Gwernia. You and your party soon get caught up in an adventure that soon threatens humanity.
The game plays out in full 3D exploring towns, open world map, and it is one giant world, which you would hardly find any other game on N64 that can do. The Battle system is turned based, you take you turn moving, and attacking, much like today's action RPG's like Valkyrie Profile. There are no Random battles, you see the enemies on the map, and run into them, or they into you. The Graphics are also pretty good for what the N64 could do, small details in armor, explorable houses, lens flare etc.
The game also has the usual RPG traits. Menu's, Stats, Equipment. Skills you can upgrade, Spells and classes. Characters you can recruit along the way, you can set up camp anytime to recover health, but you can be ambushed.
At times it is easy to get lost in the game, espaically since i was a kid when playing it, you get a compass to follow, and a map. But it is hard finding your way around the big world. As well as the battles can really tough early on, you need to level up pretty early on. The Camera can get in the way sometimes as well, but rarely, that's pretty much the minus's
If your a Hardcore RPG fan, have the patience, and looking for a game to add to your N64 collection, i would highly recommend you pick this up. Its a very under appreciated title, and not well understood when it came out, but looking back now, its a true gem and a very good, fun and enjoyable RPG game.