Ultima V: Lazarus

Game: Ultima V: Lazarus
Platform: PC (using the Dunegon Siege engine).
Developer: Team Lazarus
Release Year: 2005
Stephen's Rank: 5/10 (1/10 for game engine, 8/10 for game)

Ultima V: Lazarus is a complete re-make of Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny using the Dungeon Siege engine. It's free to play if you own a copy of Dungeon Siege and was entirely developed by fans of the original game.

Basic Plot

I reviewed the original game back in October 2011. For an overview of the plot (which is the same in this re-make) check out my original blog post:

http://avideogamediary.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/ultima-v-warriors-of-destiny.html

Gameplay

Although the story and concept behind the game are the same as the original, the transition from 2D top down RPG to 3D RPG has changed the dynamic of the game significantly.

Firstly, the obvious. The original game was a 2D tile based game built for much older computers. The Dungeon Siege engine is a fully featured (although already out-dated) 3D game engine where the player is able to move the camera around the playable characters. The aeshetic is entirely different. Here is a comparison:

The original Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny.

Ultima V: Lazarus

 

Partly because of the change in game engine there were several spells from the original game which couldn't be ported to the re-make. There were a lot of other gameplay elements which were changed; for example there was no magic carpet, a lot of quests were added, etc.

One major difference is that a lot of the dialogue was re-written for the re-make to keep the same story but enhance the philosophical discussion of the virtues as well as to reveal more about the characters in the story.

Apparently there is an alternate ending where the Avatar can make sure Lord British never returns...

To be honest, I only spent a couple of hours with this game so it's hard for me to fairly assess the game engine. For one, it was heavily outdated even by the time it was released in 2005, and in my opinion the camera for one is hard work to use. There is no "follow cam" like you'd find in Neverwinter Nights, instead it seemed to me that you had to constantly adjust the camera to get the right view for each fight or activity.

Positives

For one, this is a fan re-make project which succeeded. I applaud Team Lazarus for their effort! This almost never happens, every project fails somewhere along the line.

The game world is beautiful. It's astoundingly crafted, and as I walked around Britannia I felt a huge wave of nostalgia and wonder. It was intense to see Britannia in such a vivid way.

Negatives

To me, the Dungeon Siege engine is the only weakness. It made the game unplayable for me. I found handling the camera and the interactions clumsy and a "chore" to work with. If it were not for this, maybe even just a nice follow cam, I may well have played this game through to completion, as I have always wanted to experience this story for myself (I was an infant when the original came out).

Memorable Moments

I only played it for two hours, but I was really sad the engine didn't suit me, as the game content itself looks incredible.