DESCRIPTION

Origin Systems and Looking Glass Studios follow up their 3D Ultima offshoot, Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, with an adventure in which no one accuses the Avatar of kidnapping, murder or any other non-heroic deeds. In fact, Lord British is celebrating the recent victory over the Guardian by throwing a grand feast for the Avatar's achievements.

Suddenly, the Guardian re-emerges from his presumed defeat and encases the entire castle in solid Blackrock. You, as the Avatar, have no choice but to descend into the sewers of the castle, find another Blackrock gem, teleport throughout realms controlled by the Guardian, and slowly break his fearsome grip.

Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds contains more character interaction than the original title since the people of the castle are willing to talk to you instead of trying to hang you. Character portraits, along with the rest of the game's graphics, are presented in 256-color VGA and are designed to accent the underground nature of the game. The interface is the same as that of its predecessor with a catchall area on the right side of the screen, a running text description along the bottom, and an area for various items, including a compass, just above it.

Gameplay is similar to Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss in that the combat system relies on a system of attack placement and dodging, modified by weapons and armor used, and the spell system uses various combinations of runes to produce desired effects. Unlike the original, though, conversation becomes nearly as important as combat at times since revisiting characters in Lord British's castle opens up certain areas. Music and sound effects, Ad-Lib and Sound Blaster compatible, enhance the feeling of exploring underground caverns and other foreign outside realms.

Questing to remove the Guardian's massive evil spell is never an easy task, something the Avatar learns as the journey progresses. In order to restore peace to the castle, the Avatar must prevail. Besides, he certainly needs your help to get back to his roast boar dinner! ~ Drew Hunt, All Game Guide