Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds

Set one year after the events of Ultima VII: The Black Gate, Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds follows the Avatar as they celebrate the Guardian’s defeat in Lord British’s castle, only for the villain to strike back by encasing the castle in a massive blackrock gem. Discovering a teleporter gem in the castle sewers that links to diverse worlds under the Guardian’s control—including icy realms, alien Talorus, and the Ethereal Void—the Avatar must journey through these labyrinthine dimensions, battling foes and solving puzzles in a immersive first-person 3D environment to break the spell and liberate the castle.

Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds: Review

Introduction

Imagine being trapped in a crystalline prison, a dome of impenetrable blackrock sealing you away from the world, with only whispers of alternate realities to guide your escape. In 1993, Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds plunged players into this scenario, not as a mere dungeon crawler, but as a revolutionary immersive simulation that blurred the lines between role-playing depth and real-time action. As the sequel to the groundbreaking Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992), this title from Looking Glass Technologies built on its predecessor’s innovations, weaving a tighter narrative into the sprawling Ultima universe while pioneering emergent gameplay that felt alive and unpredictable. Released amid the early 1990s RPG renaissance—flanked by isometric epics like Eye of the Beholder II and top-down masterpieces like Ultima VII—Labyrinth of Worlds stands as a pivotal artifact of gaming history. Its legacy endures not just in its technical wizardry but in its bold vision of player agency in a reactive world. My thesis: This game refines the immersive sim genre’s foundations, delivering a narrative-rich adventure that elevates the Ultima saga while influencing decades of 3D RPGs, from Deus Ex to The Elder Scrolls, proving that true freedom emerges from simulated chaos.

Development History & Context

Ultima Underworld II emerged from the chaotic brilliance of Looking Glass Technologies, a studio founded in 1990 by Paul Neurath and Doug Church, fresh off the success of the original Underworld. Published by Origin Systems—the Richard Garriott-led powerhouse behind the Ultima series—this sequel was greenlit in April 1992, mere months after the first game’s release, under intense pressure to capitalize on its acclaim. Warren Spector, producer and Looking Glass’s liaison to Origin, orchestrated the nine-month development cycle, a grueling sprint that Spector described as a “rush job” with corners cut due to Origin’s demand for a sub-year turnaround. The team, including lead designer Tim Stellmach, programmer Doug Church (who doubled as project leader), and writer Austin Grossman, aimed to address the original’s criticisms: limited scope, underdeveloped lore ties to Ultima, and occasional technical jank.

The era’s technological constraints shaped the game’s DNA. PCs in 1993 were dominated by 386 and 486 processors, with VGA graphics as the gold standard and sound cards like the AdLib or Sound Blaster as luxuries. Looking Glass reused and enhanced the proprietary engine from the first game, a custom 3D renderer that supported true texture mapping, variable heights, sloping floors, and dynamic lighting—features that predated Wolfenstein 3D by months and outshone its flat corridors. Innovations included a 30% larger viewing window, an expanded color palette (from 256 to richer gradients), and digitized sound effects replacing synthesized audio, courtesy of composer Dan Schmidt and newcomer Seamus Blackley. They composed the score in Blackley’s apartment over a single week, embedding variations of a heroic main theme across worlds to evoke emotional depth without overwhelming hardware.

The gaming landscape was fertile but fragmented. RPGs were evolving from grid-based turn-based systems (Wizardry, Might and Magic) toward real-time hybrids, with Dungeon Master (1987) as a key influence on Looking Glass’s vision of “sophisticated three-dimensional simulation.” Origin’s Ultima VII: The Black Gate (1992) had just redefined top-down RPGs with living worlds and mouse-driven interfaces, but Underworld II pushed first-person immersion further, predating System Shock (1994)—ironically, Looking Glass’s next project, born from burnout on this game’s rushed testing phase. Playtesting lasted two-and-a-half months, plagued by bugs and complaints, forcing Church to compile the final build on his laptop in Spector’s office just before Christmas 1992. Delayed from a holiday release, it shipped in January 1993 for DOS, with later ports to FM Towns and PC-98 in 1995. Priced at around $60, it retailed on 3.5″ floppies (up to 13 MB installed), demanding a mouse and keyboard for its nuanced controls. This context birthed a game that was ambitiously over-scoped—Grossman drew from Dungeons & Dragons‘ Tomb of Horrors for one level—yet constrained by era limits, resulting in a masterpiece that felt ahead of its time.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its core, Ultima Underworld II is a tale of interdimensional incarceration and redemption, tightly integrated into the Ultima canon as the bridge between Ultima VII: The Black Gate (1992) and Serpent Isle (1993). One year after thwarting the Guardian’s Fellowship cult, the Avatar attends a celebratory feast at Castle Britannia, only for the fiend to encase the castle in a massive blackrock dome, severing it from Britannia and stifling all magic. This setup, voiced in a chilling Guardian monologue promising amnesty for servants and doom for resisters, thrusts players into a claustrophobic siege narrative. Descending into the sewers, the Avatar discovers a secondary blackrock gem—a portal to eight parallel worlds under the Guardian’s thrall—each a “center” of his multiversal power. The plot unfolds nonlinearly: weaken the gem by liberating these realms, uncover a traitor within the castle, and shatter the dome before the Guardian invades via champion Mors Gotha.

The narrative’s brilliance lies in its dual structure: the external quest across dimensions and an internal “soap opera” of castle intrigue. Worlds vary wildly, from the goblin-overrun prison of Fyrna (where you rescue resistance leader Bishop) to the ethereal, mapless Void of floating pathways. Killorn Keep floats in a stormy sky, home to Trilkhai (feline aliens anagramming Kilrathi from Origin’s Wing Commander), while Talorus hosts purpose-bound energy beings (Talorids) in a hive of specialized drones. The Ice Caves evoke a ghostly elegy to a fallen civilization, ruled by spectral Beatrice; Scintillus Academy tests arcane prowess amid slain mages; the Pits of Carnage train Guardian’s armies; and the Tomb of Praecor Loth—Grossman’s Tomb of Horrors homage—buries a warrior-king in trap-laden depths. Each realm ties to the Guardian’s lore: he mocks the Avatar in dreams, revealing his conquests, while blackrock shards siphon power back to the dome.

Characters breathe life into this multiverse. Recurring Ultima staples like Lord British (retreating to his chambers post-speech), Nystul (enchanting shards), Iolo (reporting sewer vermin), Dupre (axe-training drunkard), and the loathsome Mayor Patterson (the traitor, his “reform” a facade) populate the castle, their dialogues revealing post-Fellowship Britannia: Buccaneer’s Den’s piracy resurgence, Skara Brae’s desolation, Paws’ shuttered shelter. New faces like sorceress Altara (allied with Bishop, providing a spy-killing dagger) and ghost Beatrice add pathos, while Easter eggs—shouting “I am not a slave!” to goblin guards (nodding The Prisoner) or claiming to be Abraham Lincoln—infuse whimsy. The traitor subplot, culminating in Lady Tory’s murder, builds tension through accusatory dialogues and mood-shifting events, like the Guardian’s taunts.

Thematically, the game explores isolation, belief, and resistance against tyranny. Parallel worlds mirror Britannia but diverge via inhabitants’ convictions—e.g., Talorids’ rigid roles symbolize dehumanizing control—echoing Ultima‘s virtues versus the Guardian’s “anti-virtues.” Treachery (Patterson’s betrayal) contrasts heroism, with the Avatar’s choices (optimistic vs. pessimistic dialogue) shaping empathy. Multiple-choice conversations reveal personalities: Iolo’s wit, Syria’s curtness, Feridwyn’s resentment. Underlying is a critique of simulated realities—the Guardian as multiversal overlord prefigures modern VR fears—culminating in a climactic battle and the Horn of Praecor Loth shattering the dome. This narrative elevates Underworld II from dungeon romp to philosophical epic, demanding 20-40 hours of investment.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Ultima Underworld II refines its predecessor’s real-time, first-person action-RPG loop into a symphony of emergence, where systems interplay for nonlinear problem-solving. Core gameplay revolves around exploration, combat, and interaction in a physics-simulated world. You create the Avatar (gender, class from eight Ultima IV professions, initial skills like diplomacy or blacksmithing), starting in Castle Britannia before portaling to realms. Progression is skill-based: gain experience from quests, kills, and discovery to level up (boosting HP/mana) and allocate “skill points” via NPC trainers (e.g., Dupre for axes, Nystul for mana). Unlike the first game’s shrines, training feels organic, tied to lore—up to 20 skills from weapon proficiencies to bartering.

Combat is visceral and skill-dependent: click to attack (thrusts/slashes via mouse position), hold for power strikes; right-click blocks. Enemies like goblins, trolls, and golems require tactical positioning—flank for bonuses, dodge poisons (a notorious early-game killer). Magic uses runestones for verb-noun combos (e.g., “Open” + “Field” for “Unlock”), collected and combinable for spells up to Circle 8. Mana drains realistically, encouraging conservation. The inventory’s “paper doll” system lets you equip/repair gear, which deteriorates over time—blacksmithing or buying fixes adds survival depth. Hunger/thirst mechanics demand foraging (fishing minigame included), while torches burn out, heightening tension in shaded dungeons (delete shades.dat for “daylight mode,” but it ruins immersion).

UI innovations shine: an automap auto-draws levels with notebook annotations; a larger view window (30% bigger) enhances navigation. Mouse-driven HUD icons handle looking, talking, using objects—freely movable for fluidity. Interactivity is key: manipulate 3D physics (push crates, swim, jump bridges), solve puzzles multiply (e.g., Talorus’ logic gates via Talorid dialogues; Scintillus’ rune trials). Nonlinearity reigns—revisit areas stronger, choose quest order—fostering emergence like using diplomacy to avoid fights or bartering for aid.

Flaws persist: controls can frustrate (WASD-like but with awkward “look up/down” on 1/3 keys; no above-ground exploration), repetition creeps in vast dungeons, and high system reqs (486 recommended for smooth play) alienated 386 users. Poison’s lethality and linearity in some dialogues irk, yet these are outweighed by genius like infinite healing “debris” exploits (throw potions, reuse shards). At 70+ levels across nine worlds, it demands patience but rewards mastery.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The game’s world-building crafts a multiverse of atmospheric dread and wonder, starting in a reimagined Castle Britannia—cramped halls, ankh rugs, flickering hearths—encased in blackrock gloom. Sewer vermin infest tunnels; armories tempt with locked temptations. Portals lead to diverse realms: Fyrna’s goblin prison evokes Ultima‘s oppression; Killorn’s stormy fortress drips with gothic menace; Ice Caves shimmer with frozen ruins, ghosts whispering regrets. Talorus pulses with alien hives; the Ethereal Void’s glowing paths defy mapping, a psychedelic limbo. Each ties to Guardian lore—shards linking back to the dome—while Britannia’s post-Fellowship scars (Paws’ poverty, Jhelom’s violence) ground the fantasy.

Visuals, enhanced from the original, use textured polygons for sloping terrain, bridges, and multi-level dungeons—true 3D predating Doom. Larger portraits and animations (e.g., fire, water) add life; improved scrolling feels cinematic on capable hardware. Art by Denis Loubet (box cover) and team (sprites by Jeff Dee) blends Ultima whimsy with horror—golems lumber, Trilkhai prowl.

Sound design elevates immersion: digitized effects (clanging swords, dripping caves) via Miles Sound System; no voice acting, but orchestral score by Blackley/Schmidt varies per world—heroic marches in Britannia, eerie drones in the Void. The title theme’s transformations build tension, though repetitive drums fatigue. Overall, these elements forge a tangible, moody universe where light fades, echoes bounce, and every step feels consequential.

Reception & Legacy

Upon release, Ultima Underworld II garnered critical acclaim, averaging 92% on MobyGames from 16 reviews. PC Player (Germany) hailed it “Best Game of 1993,” praising refined 3D and puzzles; Génération 4 (94%) called it RPG “must” for its interactivity. PC Zone (94/100) marveled at “virtual reality” freedom, though noting looser pacing; Computer Gaming World was mixed, lauding atmosphere but critiquing linearity and frustration (unscored, but “high-quality with reservations”). Players averaged 3.8/5, loving immersion (“best game ever,” per J.S.) but griping repetition and poison. Sales hit ~250,000 units (half the original’s, per Neurath), hampered by post-holiday timing and hardware demands—yet it won PC Player‘s top award and entry in 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die.

Reputation evolved positively: retrospectives like PC Gamer UK (2004) deemed it “new and exciting in half a dozen areas,” ranking it in top-100 lists (5th in 1994, 98th in 2011). Burnout led Looking Glass to System Shock (1994), streamlining Underworld‘s sim elements; rejected sequels inspired spiritual heirs like Arkane’s Arx Fatalis (2002, pitched as Underworld III) and OtherSide’s Underworld Ascendant (2018). Influence permeates: Deus Ex, Thief, BioShock owe physics, emergence, nonlinearity. In Ultima, it canonized Guardian lore, bridging to Serpent Isle. Re-released on GOG (2011), it remains a modding darling (RTX Remix incompatible, but editors abound). Commercially modest, its legacy is monumental—pioneering the immersive sim, proving RPGs could simulate belief and choice.

Conclusion

Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds is a tour de force of early 3D design, blending Ultima‘s moral depth with Looking Glass’s sim genius to create a multiverse of peril and possibility. From its rushed development yielding graphical leaps, to a narrative probing tyranny across dimensions, to mechanics fostering emergent heroism amid flaws like clunky controls, it captivates through interactivity and atmosphere. Art and sound paint a vivid, echoing tapestry, while its reception cements a legacy of innovation over sales. In video game history, it occupies a hallowed niche: the immersive sim’s refining crucible, influencing 3D RPGs’ evolution toward player-driven worlds. Definitive verdict: Essential masterpiece—play it to witness gaming’s future in 1993’s past. Rating: 9.5/10.