The focus of the game is a narrative told through character dialogue and cutscenes.
Gameplay consists of battles that take place in wide open scenes, where you and your party face armies of monsters that attack several at a time, with more spawning off-screen as they're slain until the entire army is defeated. Both monsters and allies use a complex AI that finds, follows, and attacks a target character.
Your job is to help fight with fire magic that deals damage over time, and keep the team alive with a healing spell that uses mana, which regenerates over time. You also have a magic ring that can either empower your attacks or grant you self-healing.
Every character type has different stats and abilities. Some characters are melee attackers, while others shoot from a distance. Some have shields that block incoming attacks, and others can dodge attacks while they're moving.
After you win a battle, your score is counted for the monsters you've fought and the allies you've healed.
There are 3 unique bosses: a gnome that summons skeletons to fight for him, a huge dragon that spews fire and magma, and the final boss Theroth.
The game frequently saves your progress, including both before and after battles. If you fall in battle, you restart from the prior save point. You can jump to any save point in the story at any time.