DESCRIPTION

Origin Systems struck CRPG gold in the early 1980s with the success of Ultima I, followed by Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress, which, in turn, garnered enough interest for yet another sequel. In the previous games, the main character travels through space and time and kills the mad wizard Mondain and then his protégé Minax respectively.

After all that time travel, perhaps your character deserves a rest — no such luck, however, as no sooner does Minax get defeated than trouble begins plaguing the land of Sosaria once again. The first clue to the Sosarian trouble is revealed through the game's manual. It explains how a ship recently came into port in a local city, completely barren of any life with absolutely no signs of struggle on board and the single word "Exodus" written across the deck in blood. Needless to say, something is rotten in the kingdom of Sosaria.

Ultima III: Exodus is different from its predecessors as there seems to be no pressing need to travel back in time. In fact, time travel is not a significant option in the game as the technology level stays soundly in the medieval era. Unlike previous Ultima games, you are not alone in your quest. You can create a total of 20 characters and carry up to four of them into the world of Sosaria at the same time. And, you'll need them since the solitary beasts that once roamed the land have been replaced by rampaging hordes of creatures at every turn.

All the monsters, as well as the towns and castles in Sosaria, are presented in a top-down CGA view. The dungeons, as in the previous efforts, are monochromatic first-person wire frame affairs, though some specific encounters in the dungeon are more graphically advanced than in the preceding games. While several versions of the game contain music (e.g., the Commodore 64 and Atari 800XL), this version does not utilize the PC speaker for music but only for sound effects.

Action in Ultima III: Exodus focuses heavily on the medieval atmosphere but some technological elements still appear in crucial quests, particularly the ongoing quest to determine exactly who or what Exodus is. During the adventure, besides the usual aid from Lord British, the party encounters a mysterious entity known as the Time Lord who presumably has taken notice of all the activity throughout time in the previous games and decides to get personally involved.

The fate of Sosaria in Ultima III: Exodus is in your hands since, while Mondain and Minax seemed content with merely ruling the world with an iron hand, Exodus seems intent on destruction. With the aid of the Time Lord and the blessings of Lord British, take your group of adventurers and run to ground the strange malady that has befallen this troubled land. ~ Drew Hunt, All Game Guide