Apologies for being later than I would have liked with this. I’ve actually been ill for the past several days, and unable to devote much time to my Ultima series. I’m doing so now, though, and presenting you with the fifth installment of the seminal RPG series, in which we begin to see the evolution of the series from one era of computing to the next.

Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny (1988): In a 1999 interview, when discussing Ultima V, Richard Garriott described thusly his intended premise for the game: “Now that we’ve shown everybody Avatarhood, let’s show them why it’s bad.” Although this concept could be applied, really, to just about any of the remaining games in the series, in this context he wanted to show everyone how easily even the most noble of causes could be corrupted into something horrible by those who misinterperet the meaning behind that cause. And from that concept he came up with a scenario in which Britannia would be, for all intents and purposes, hijacked by a ruler who was inspired by the Quest of the Avatar but who learned entirely the wrong lessons from it, deciding instead to force the people to adhere to the Eight Virtues rather than follow them of their own accord… which is of course never a smart thing to do.

Ultima V opens with you, now established as the Avatar, being summoned back to Britannia by your old friends Iolo and Shamino (two of your companions from Ultima IV). They bring you up to speed on what’s been going on in Britannia lately, and it’s not a pretty picture to say the least. Lord British has gone AWOL while searching a newly-discovered Underworld; his regent Lord Blackthorn, taking over the throne in British’s absence, has turned tyrant, using the Virtues as a blueprint to lay down tyrannical laws that pervert their true meaning; and three black-hooded figures that simply radiate evil are lurking around towns and castles, purpose unknown. Your mission, should you choose to accept it – and if you’re playing the game, you really have no choice in the matter – is to somehow sort this mess out, hook up with an underground Resistance movement working against the Blackthorn regime, and find some way into the Underworld, wherein you must find Lord British and restore the rightful monarch of Britannia to his throne.

You will notice that the seemingly obvious goal “destroy Lord Blackthorn” is not on the list of objectives. Remember, you’re an Avatar now, and are expected to maintain a higher standard. It is perfectly all right to oppose Blackthorn’s unjust rule, but killing him is not an option for you; Justice is a Virture, while revenge is not. Besides, it shakes out that Blackthorn’s just a puppet, and he has fallen under the influence of the real evil in Britannia – the Shadowlords, the three hooded figures previously alluded to, that represent the antithesis of the Avatar’s Virtues. They are the ones that must be destroyed to open the doors for Lord British’s return, not Blackthorn.

Ultima V introduces the concept of passing time to the world of Britannia, beyond even the Moongates in previous installments. Beginning with this game and continuing throughout the rest of the series, the days and nights pass by in a realistic manner, and every NPC you encounter has his or her own unique schedule based on the time of day. This had never been done before in a CRPG, and created yet another level of realism to the game’s world. The fact that the world map was, for all practical purposes, identical to the one seen in Ultima IV only further drove home the idea that Britannia was more than just another Generic Fantasy RPG Setting – it was a living, breathing, self-consistent universe of its own, that for all you knew could very well be an actual place. It is just this sort of attention to detail that gave Origin Systems their well-known slogan, “We Create Worlds.”

This installment in the series also expands upon the magic system introduced in IV, as not only are reagents necessary to cast spells, but you must also chant the name of the spell you want to cast. This takes the form of syllables (given in the manual), of which you type the first letter when you go to cast the spell. (For example, the name of the spell that cures poison is An Nox, so to cast it you’d type “AN” when prompted.) It does serve as a form of copy protection (you need the manual handy), but it’s unobtrusive enough to not bother most people - and the notion of looking up spells in a book only adds another layer of verisimilitude. The syllables actually make sense when closely analyzed; recurring patterns and a basic structure not dissimilar to Latin help further the illusion that you really are tapping into some ancient power of an old civilization. As always happens with the best fictional worlds, it is the little touches such as this, more than anything else, that help “sell” Britannia as being at least as real as the world outside your window.

One thing you will have noticed in these representative screenshots is the increased level of detail as opposed to the previous Ultimas. While still retaining the by-now trademark look of Ultima, there is now a great deal more detail in the little tile graphics; when your character passes over a chair, for example, he actually sits down in it. Beds work the same, though it does admittedly look strange for the Avatar to climb into and out of a bed when just passing through a room. Fountains bubble, fireplaces crackle, clock pendulums swing, and your reflection is even visible in mirrors.

In stark contrast to Ultima IV, V is a very dark game. For the first time in an Ultima, not everyone you meet in a town or is connected to your quest is necessarily your friend. And not in the sense of plot twists or hidden foes in a town, either; they simply support Blackthorn because they honestly believe he is doing the right thing to ensure Britannia lives up to the ideals of the Avatar. As you venture through the game, you will be tempted with the offer to join Blackthorn’s side. You can actually do this, it’s not just empty words in a pre-rolled scenario. You can join the Oppression, and in so doing gain some surprisingly useful items that protect you from being hassled by the Shadowlords and Blackthorn’s guards. Naturally, you can’t expect to win if you do this… but the option is open for those feeling adventurous, or just curious enough, to explore it.

In many ways, Ultima V was the last of the “classical” Ultimas. It was the last to feature 3D first-person dungeons, the last to be designed primarily for the Apple II (the limitations of which were becoming increasingly apparent by this point), and the last to have what had become the “traditional” look-and-feel of the series. Perhaps not coincidentally, this would also be the final Ultima for which Richard Garriott did a majority of the programming work himself; beginning with Ultima VI he would primarily act as a world designer, shaping the concept and what he wanted the game engine to be able to do while contributing some code in places, but for the most part leaving the actual programming to others.

Ultima V is a slight step down in quality from the masterpiece that was IV, but then again few RPGs of any caliber can be said to live up to that lofty standard… and V comes closer to doing it than many others have done. Go and play it, you won’t be disappointed.

Next: Suddenly, Gargoyles! Thousands of them! Find out why the Avatar may not necessarily be everyone’s hero…

If you liked that, try...

1. Retro-Active: The History of Ultima, Part VI: Prophet Motive
2. Retro-Active: The History of Ultima, Part VIII - Balance Game
3. Retro-Active: The History of Ultima, The Finale: Stark Raven Mad
4. Retro-Active: The History of Ultima, Part VII - Of Black Gates and Red Skulls
5. Retro-Active: The Better-Late-Than-Never History of Ultima, Part IX: Super Avatar Bros.?

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