Fifty Shades Of White
In Ultima II, the world faces a threat from Minax, an evil sorceress whose influence spans both time and space. At the request of Lord British, we embark on a quest through multiple eras of Earth's history to ultimately end her reign of terror and restore peace to the troubled lands. So, grab a sword and let's go!
This was released shortly after the ST's 1985 launch and developed by Robert Heitman. Yes, he of Sierra On-Line games such as Leisure Suit Larry and King's Quest. Sadly, Ultima II is remembered as one of the worst games, mainly because of its reliance on GEM, which frustrated ye olde established fans. I imagine using the mouse-driven GUI probably seemed like a smart idea at the time. Surely, it's not all bad?
Of course, not. The game may have disappointed many, but it is still Ultima II. Therefore, it's a classic RPG that ST gamers need to play. Well, I don't want to be one of "those people" who criticise something without actually playing it. So, I've taken a break from my wonderful Ultima IV adventure to take a look at this old RPG. Sadly, the problems were quite significant, ranging from the peculiar to some serious bugs.
From my personal experience, these are the things that irk me:
- The GEM interface seems like a nice idea, but it's clunky and unnecessary. Essentially, it provides an immersion-busting experience - not what you want in a game like Ultima!
- The screen's background is glaringly white, which strains the eyes over time. Not only that, but your worldview is limited by a narrower window. It's almost like they didn't want the new ST to embarrass the 8-bit computers of the era. Makes you wonder whether it was intentional.
- Another issue is the lack of keyboard control; it was replaced by the mouse, which slows you down with all the repetitive clicking. But perhaps that is more a matter of personal taste?
I might be wrong, but Ultima II feels more like a strange 1985 experiment in GUI-driven design rather than a polished product for a new computer. Long story short, it simply doesn't feel like Ultima...
Light at the end of the dungeon
Thanks to a beardy Atarian we all know and love, I've been playing with Ultima II "Special Edition", which is an upgrade by the French Gemdos Crew. Having already spent a lot of time with the original release, I found it simply too tempting not to download this newly patched version for a quick playtest!!
This release features a proper title screen, an attractive new tileset used in Ultima III, and perhaps best of all, the eye-popping white backgrounds have been banished. In their place is a darker palette that feels more in keeping with the Ultima series. The user interface has also received a bug-fixing makeover, and the addition of stunning background music breathes new life into this ancient adventure.
The effect of these changes is remarkable. What was once a bright and sterile-looking conversion suddenly feels more apt for an Ultima experience. The darker presentation gives the world its proper atmosphere, while the "new" graphics make exploration visually far more appealing. Sadly, one issue remains: character movement is still handled with the mouse rather than the keyboard, which is a shame I must admit.
Regardless, the French Gemdos Crew have done brilliantly. Ultima II genuinely feels like the game our Atari ST deserved back in 1985. I hope you guys check it out. If so, let me know in the comments... Enjoy!
Your eyes will pop if you look at this image for too long.
Ahh, that's better. Darker, repurposed graphics, rich colours, bigger log, and more...
No disrespect for the original. After all, the ST was only a few months old...
...but the FGC version rocks. Come on, look at the difference. Wow!!
