DESCRIPTION

Origin Systems' Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle marks a first for the series — a game without a number of its own. As the storyline is nearly an immediate continuation of the plot from Ultima VII, though, the designers obviously felt a Part Two was justified.

The Avatar's quest to hunt down the villainous Batlin, the leader of the Fellowship (an organization determined to bring the evil Guardian into the world of Britannia), continues. Batlin has fled to Serpent's Isle in an effort to escape persecution brought about by his nefarious schemes. Apparently he intends to once again try and bring the Guardian through to the world — thus, your quest to stop him is just as important as ever.

As this is the first Ultima game to take place outside of Britannia since Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress, environments and people seem strange. From the courage-based city of Monitor to the love-based city of Fawn, the populace of this unknown land follow Lord British's espoused virtues but, at the same time, reject him as a "beast," further complicating your quest. Loyalty to Lord British is frowned upon and can lead to trouble.

Aiding in your quest is an assortment of people willing to join you in addition to your usual companions Dupre, Iolo and Shamino. Dozens of weapons and varieties of armor are available to help you wage war against the insidious Batlin and the evil denizens of Serpent's Isle.

Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle uses a modified version of its predecessor's 256-color VGA engine and slightly tilted top-down display. Modifications include an overhauled "paper doll" inventory system with each equipped item now showing on the paper doll itself, not in a space next to the slot. The world screen takes up the entire play area and employs pop up game menus. Conversation menus are similar, with NPC and Avatar portraits appearing next to their respective word choices. Music is supported by the Ad-Lib sound card and sound effects are Sound Blaster compatible. ~ Drew Hunt, All Game Guide