To the wiser of players, they would recognize this game for what it is: a re-imagining of the pieces used in the venerable game of chess, but nothing more substantial.
Yet, this re-imagining is particularly fun to watch. Each type of chess-piece has been replaced with an 8-bit model that is just endearing to watch in action, even if they happen to be on the receiving end of an attack.
In fact, some players would be tempted to just send pieces pell-mell after those on the other side of the board regardless of strategy, if only to just watch them engage each other in battle and even if the outcome of the battle is pretty much certain. Every possible combination of pairs of opposing pieces has its own two sets of animations (one for either pre-ordained outcome). All of the animation sets are hilarious to look at; a notable example is the fight between the Queen and Knight pieces that would end in favour of the Queen.
Sound effects accompany these animations, though as a game made before the 1990s, it does have rather simple beeps, bleeps and honks. Nevertheless, they do serve to give the chess pieces personality.
As for the gameplay of the game, there isn't really much to say about it. It plays just like classical chess, if the player discounts the frills. However, the game does not appear to have any bugs with the execution of the rules of chess, so this reviewer supposes that the game does deliver on its gameplay - even if it added little if any to the standard rules.
The game has very few match types. The player can either play with the barely competent AI, or choose to play with another person that has to be physically close by. There is no online play, but then this was a 1988 game, before the advent of the Internet. Online play support was only available in its sequels.
What the PC version had over the original Amiga version is apparently VGA graphics and a musical score, both of which only adds to the ambiance of the game, but with little else that takes advantage of the PC platform's advantage in sophistication over the Amiga.
In conclusion, Battle Chess seems like an attempt to re-skin chess in a much more attractive manner than resin/metal pieces ever could, but with no significant contribution to the board game. However, if its intention was exactly this, then it certainly did a really good and amusing job at doing so.