Ultima VII - Serpent Isle is part two of the Ultima VII set. Yeah, Ultima VII actually comes in four seperate pieces, namely Ultima VII - The Black Gate with the addon "Forge of Virtue", and then Ultima VII - Serpent Isle with the addon "The Silver Seed".

Many think the two games are almost exactly the same, and at first glance it would indeed seem so. You start right where "Black Gate" left off, following Batlin and his followers to New Sosaria. New Sosaria is the place where the people who opposed Lord British as ruler now make lives. You start on the shore, ship all messed up after a storm, and soon all your gear is stolen away by some magic storm.

The engine appears to be the exact same, and it is, although with a few changes and additions. Now, for instance, the character inventories have paperdolls where you see the equipped gear. This is one a few the changes to the engine itself.

Still thinking it's just a direct sequel to "Black Gate", and then of the same type, you wander south along the shore. You're then greeted by a person who gives you some introduction and tells you that you're the hero that's going to save the world. You'll also notice the bigger and much more detailed character portraits here.

Still basically the same, other than the fact that you just wandered in on a new world, and you're already supposed to save the world...

Well, if we're not talking engine and item functionality, the similarities end here. The story in "Serpent Isle" is very much different from "Black Gate" in more than a few ways.

Almost from setting foot on the shore, you're entangled in an epic quest to save the world. Soon after you're entangled in a local political dispute. Then something else, and something else. In that order. And it goes like that - no exceptions, almost - for the rest of the game. While "Black Gate" was very non-linear and open ended. "Serpent Isle" is the opposite.

You can explore, yes, but you'll quickly find that you're limited to certain areas. You'll have to complete certain tasks and talk to certain people to "unlock" new areas. Of course, it's made in a way so that you don't just "get item, open area", but rather in a way so you do a series of quests, all linked together, which will give access to new options and possibilities.

Despite the lack of free exploration, this game is anything but boring. The plot line is well crafted, the NPCs interesting, and the quests challenging. Unlike "Black Gate" with several minor and insignificant side quests, "Serpent Isle" seems to have a lot of quests, all building the main quest. Most you will simply have to do, and in the correct order. It really is "a -> b -> c -> d" and not "a -> d etc.".

Generally, more NPCs get involved in your quest, while still adding to the general atmosphere and world. There aren't as many people that just live their lives as in "Black Gate".

Then there are your companions. In "Black Gate" they mostly just followed you around and attacked monsters when you did. You could talk a little with them, and they'd pop up with a witty remark from time to time, but in "Serpent Isle" they're often involved in the story itself. One is getting Iolo out of jail after he's been arrested for being an enchanter.

There are many evil villains, evil schemes and characters that really look and act great. The dialogue is great, much like in "Black Gate", but much work has gone into linking just about everything.

The way the game is built also makes room for a shitload of cutscenes and scripted events. You almost can't help doing most in the order, and it's fairly easy to find hints for what to do next. You won't get it fed to you, but it's definately more obvious than in "Black Gate".

There are a few places where you get to a point before you really should've been there, then the place is closed in some way. You go back somewhere else and do some seemingly unrelated task, and when you go back again, the place is open, or a new event pops up. Of course, the task you needed to do was probably lain on you earlier if you spoke to the right people. As said farther up, the game might be linear, but is in no way one you just breeze through.

One thing a little different from "Black Gate" is magic. Basically it still works the same way, with the same spells and a few new ones, but here you have scrolls. You can find and cast spells from scrolls, or you can write them into your spellbook. And there are a few really useful new spells.

One thing that annoys me about "Serpent Isle", though, is that they suddenly started throwing in all kinds of puzzles. We're talking the kind where you have to play with buttons or levers or find hidden passages all over. You'll get by, as there are plenty of the good puzzles where you have to think, and use what people tell you.

When it comes to items, such as keys and quest related gadgets, there are even more in "Serpent Isle" than in "Black Gate". You'll have a shitload of different items, most of which you have no idea what to use for. Players of "Black Gate" have had a taste of this, only on a smaller scale.

In "The Silver Seed" you travel back in time to perform different quests. They're pretty entertaining, and they'll give you some really nice items, like a key ring and a ring of reagents. Instead of statistic boost to the Avatar, you gain nifty items, much to the same end. More power. And it's actually quite nice not having to carry around a million reagents. The key ring keeps track of all your keys, which is a VERY nice thing, especially since there are so bloody many keys in "Serpent Isle". Of course, playing With Exult will make this last bit redundant.

Engine and functionality wise, this game is much like "Black Gate", but when it comes to plot, story and how they're built up, the similarities end. Maybe they're both called Ultima VII, but they are two different games entirely.

It does keep the general Ultima feeling intact, and I can warmly recommend it to any Ultima fan. Or rpg-adventure fan, for that matter. If you're playing this one right after "Black Gate", expecting the same theme, you'll probably end up being a little disappointed.

"Serpent Isle" is a worthy sequel to "The Black Gate" despite being so different.