DESCRIPTION

Lord British, long a centerpiece of the Ultima universe, has mysteriously disappeared. In his absence, a mysterious man, the malevolently named Lord Blackthorn, assumes control of the country. Under his rule, the primary virtues (love, truth and courage) have been replaced (hate, falsehood and cowardice) and this perversion is slowly spreading to the populace of the realm. It's up to you to intervene — if you fail, Britannia will never be the same again.

As the Avatar, you'll have help from familiar faces like Iolo and Shamino who accompany you throughout the adventure. Lord British bestows his wisdom on you in the form of dreams that help guide you in your effort to restore him to the throne and eliminate the woes inflicted on the world by Lord Blackthorn.

While fighting against the evil Lord Blackthorn and his Shadowlord minions, dozens of weapons and styles of armor are made available. The magic system uses a combination of spell components (reagents) and power words to form various effects, some quite devastating. Your travels take you to a variety of dungeons, most named after a virtue they lack such as "Shame," "Despise" or "Covetous."

The Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny graphics are EGA-based, though CGA is supported. Similar to previous titles in the series, the interface screen consists of a menu bar on the bottom, character interaction menu on the right and the game world filling up the remainder. Underworld and combat screens are presented through a top-down perspective but with characters viewed from the side. PC speaker effects are prevalent throughout but there is no music, unlike the Commodore 64 and Amiga versions.

Determining where to find the misplaced monarch is only part of the challenge in Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny, as Lord Blackthorn and the Shadowlord army attempt to stop your efforts at every turn. With the aid of the virtues, will you be able to establish order in Britannia and restore Lord British to his throne? ~ Drew Hunt, All Game Guide