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Ultima: Exodus

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After the defeat of the evil wizard Mondain and his mistress Minax in the previous two Ultimas, peace has returned to the land of Sorsaria. Times passes and eventually geological disruptions and a resurgence of the monster populace occur, and it is soon learned that Mondain and Minax had conceive...

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Developer
Newtopia Planning

Released on
1987

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Role-Playing

Publisher
FCI

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

After the defeat of the evil wizard Mondain and his mistress Minax in the previous two Ultimas, peace has returned to the land of Sorsaria. Times passes and eventually geological disruptions and a resurgence of the monster populace occur, and it is soon learned that Mondain and Minax had conceived a child named Exodus before their death. Now that child has become an adult with the power to avenge the death of his parents. Obviously, it falls upon the hero from Earth to find and stop him.

The third title in the Ultima series was the first to feature a party of adventurers instead of a single player character. The party is created at the beginning of the game by assigning various class combinations and determining the characters’ attributes. The game has larger and more detailed towns, populated by NPCs the protagonist can converse with to obtain clues. Like in earlier Ultima games, exploration is divided between top-down overworld locations and first-person 3D dungeons. This installment introduces separate combat screens where player-controlled party fights multiple monsters in a turn-based tile-based system.

Ultima: Exodus

Overview & History

Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988 by FCI, Ultima: Exodus (Ultima III) brought Richard Garriott’s sprawling computer RPG epic to a console audience, fundamentally reshaping the console role-playing genre. Set in the fractured fantasy world of Sosaria, the game tasks players with defeating the malevolent deity Exodus, an entity that is neither mortal nor machine, lurking in the fiery depths of Fire Island. Unlike its predecessors, Exodus introduced a revolutionary party-based system allowing simultaneous control of a four-person squad. The NES port overhauled the original PC interface, replacing tedious text commands with intuitive menu wheels, upgrading the graphics to vibrant 8-bit sprites, and adding an iconic chiptune soundtrack composed by Kenji Kawai. While heavily modified from the computer original to fit the constraints of the NES hardware—including the removal of thievery mechanics and the addition of a final boss battle—it stands as a pivotal milestone that laid the groundwork for JRPGs on home consoles.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Players begin by visiting the Limbo character creation tent, building a customized party of four adventurers by choosing from ten distinct character classes (such as Alchemist, Ranger, and Paladin) and races like Elves, Dwarves, and Bobbits. Movement alternates between a top-down overworld map of Sosaria, dangerous multi-tiered dungeons viewed from a pseudo-3D first-person perspective, and hostile towns. Combat shifts automatically to a dedicated tactical grid whenever enemies ambush the party. Unlike many of its contemporaries, positioning and turn order are paramount; characters must maneuver around obstacles, manage narrow hallways, and utilize ranged magic spells or physical melee strikes depending on their weapon's specific attack range. Resource management is crucial, as the party must monitor food supplies to prevent starvation while traveling, purchase transport vessels like frigates to cross treacherous oceans, and acquire specialized items such as the Mark of Kings to unlock the endgame.