Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire Overview
Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire is a side story in the Ultima series, built on the same engine and presenting a similar seamless graphical world as Ultima VI. The gameplay prioritizes exploration, gathering information through conversation, and the discovery or creation of items over combat, which is turn-based. Players can freely traverse the world and interact with numerous objects, while also managing a party.
The narrative begins when the Avatar, a hero from Britannia, brings a black moonstone to Earth for analysis by Dr. Rafkin. An experiment involving the stone and reporter Jimmy Malone results in their teleportation to the Valley of Eodon. This strange land is inhabited by tribes with Mesoamerican and African traits, alongside Neanderthals, dinosaurs, and intelligent reptiles and insects. After the Avatar's ally Aiela is kidnapped and his companions go missing, his primary objectives become rescue and exploration, ultimately leading to uniting the local factions against a shared danger.
Certain systems are streamlined compared to its predecessor. Magic is less prevalent, relying on a single companion using special totems, and the number of spells is reduced. Character progression is limited, as most party members begin at high levels with little room for advancement. This title introduced cutscenes to depict key story moments within the series.
