Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Ultima Trilogy: I ♦ II ♦ III offers a deeply rewarding blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and turn-based combat that laid the groundwork for modern role-playing games. In Ultima I, you’ll spend hours navigating winding caverns beneath Sosaria’s overworld, battling monsters one tile at a time. The controls remain straightforward and intuitive, with simple keyboard commands that feel nostalgic yet responsive on the FM Towns port.

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With Ultima II’s Revenge of the Enchantress, the series broadens its scope—planetary travel by spaceship introduces new mechanics alongside classic dungeon crawling. You’ll juggle town visits, wise NPC encounters, and logical puzzles that push you to think beyond hack-and-slash. The FM Towns version preserves the original’s challenge while smoothing out minor pacing issues, ensuring that travel and combat flow without long pauses or frustrating input delays.

Exodus: Ultima III refines party management and tactical depth. You recruit up to five companions, each with unique skills and spell lists, then deploy them in grid-based encounters that demand careful positioning. The trilogy’s careful progression teaches you foundational tactics in I, expands strategic options in II, and then delivers full-blown party warfare in III. For both new adventurers and franchise veterans, the compilation strikes a satisfying balance between old-school grit and modern accessibility.

Graphics

This FM Towns edition boasts re-vamped graphics that bring the earliest Ultima titles up to the visual fidelity of Ultima IV’s overworld and towns. Gone are the simple vector lines of the original ports—you’ll now see richly colored terrain tiles, detailed town walls, and lifelike sprite animations that rival later 16-bit classics. Exploring the countryside feels vibrant, whether you’re trudging through misty forests or trudging across sun-baked deserts.

Dungeon environments receive especially impressive treatment: each corridor, chamber, and staircase is drawn with a level of detail approaching the graphical polish of Ultima V. Shadows, brick patterns, and atmospheric lighting effects lend a tangible sense of place to your subterranean journeys. The FM Towns port also adds new introductory cutscenes for each game, showcasing crisp art and smooth transitions that set the tone before you even issue your first command.

The upgrade extends to character portraits and spell effects as well. You’ll marvel at the ornate runes that swirl around a casting mage or the gruesome fangs of a freshly spawned monster. While the style remains faithful to the series’ roots, these enhancements make each encounter feel fresh and visually engaging for modern audiences. In short, the graphics breathe new life into classic content without compromising the originals’ charm.

Story

Across these three foundational chapters, you assume the role of the Avatar—an emerging hero whose destiny intertwines with ancient evils and cosmic mysteries. In Ultima I, you chase a rogue wizard through dangerous caverns to restore peace to Sosaria. The narrative is straightforward but compelling, driven by exploration and the mystique of forgotten tombs.

Ultima II expands the plot to a galactic scale: the nefarious Enchantress Minax has warped timelines, prompting you to traverse multiple worlds and epochs in pursuit of vengeance. This installment blends fantasy with sci-fi flourishes, offering quirky NPCs and askew logic that challenge traditional RPG storytelling. The FM Towns version presents these episodes with a fresh sheen, yet leaves the witty dialogue and charming world-building intact.

Exodus: Ultima III delivers the trilogy’s most cohesive and emotionally resonant narrative. When the exiled sorcerer Exodus invades Britannia, you must gather allies, unite varied races, and delve into his impregnable fortress. The stakes feel higher, the characters more developed, and the resolutions more satisfying. Combined, the stories chart the Avatar’s evolution from fledgling adventurer to legendary champion, creating a rich tapestry that still captivates decades later.

Overall Experience

Ultima Trilogy: I ♦ II ♦ III on FM Towns is an essential purchase for any RPG enthusiast or retro gaming aficionado. This compilation not only preserves the depth and complexity of the original releases but elevates them with enhanced visuals, CD-quality music, and atmospheric intros. Whether you’re revisiting Britannia after years away or tackling these adventures for the first time, the package remains immersive and surprisingly accessible.

While some modern players may find the turn-based combat and low-resolution world map quaint, the sheer breadth of content and the historical importance of these titles more than make up for any perceived rough edges. The new graphics and audio polish breathe fresh excitement into every dungeon crawl, town visit, and spellcasting sequence. Each title feels lovingly restored and thoughtfully presented.

Ultimately, this trilogy stands as a testament to the origins of role-playing games. By combining groundbreaking gameplay mechanics with a newly minted audiovisual flair, the FM Towns version ensures that Ultima’s early chapters continue to inspire and challenge. For collectors, newcomers, and returning fans alike, the Ultima Trilogy: I ♦ II ♦ III offers countless hours of strategic depth, narrative wonder, and old-school charm.

Retro Replay Score

8.1/10