SE box cover
Savage Empire title page


Worlds of Ultima I - The Savage Empire

History:
Savage Empire was the first attempt of Origin to make some extra cash out of the Ultima 6 engine. The graphics are worse and the party is a little smaller. The interface is almost the same, character generation takes place in the hut of an indian shaman instead of a gypsy, there are even clones of famous NPCs like Iolo, Shamino and Dupre. You start the game with Triolo the shaman who is the only one who can cast a bit of magic. Besides this, the links to the Ultima world are only marginal and mostly involve the moonstone which can open gates to other worlds.

Aiela the native girl starts a romance with the Avatar in this game.
The party encounters a friendly triceratops.


Background:
The game is a mixture between Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park and is set in the prehistoric valley of Eodon. Your quest is to unite several indian tribes against a race of fierce insect men, the Myrmidex. To do this you will have to solve several sub-quests. There are many different human races living in tribes as well as lizard men and Neanderthals. Some can even join the party. One indian tribe has a large city which reminds of Aztec cities. The area between the tribes is populated by dinosaurs and large animals. Fortunately the game allows a lot of item interaction and you can easily construct some makeshift weapons to defend yourself.

The shaman in your party looks suspiciously familiar.
The huge stone city of the Aztec-like Nahuatla tribe.


Recommended Version:
There is a console version of the game but it seems to be available only in japanese. Clearly the PC version is the best choice.

A lava river blocks your way to the east.
The mysterious ruined city of the Kotl race.


Statistics:
  • Party with 1 created character and up to 6 NPCs.
  • 9 different magic spells
  • Dungeons/Outdoors/Buildings 2D
  • On-Screen-mapping: No

Building the ultimate drum to unite the tribes in the area.
The showdown in the dark caves of the ant-like Myrmidex.


Morale:
It is interesting that the Avatar manages to unite all native tribes against their common enemy, something that has never happened in reality. Reminds me of the old indian prophecy, "when the red man unites, all other races will follow."

Eodon