Ultima VII, part 2 is the second game in the Guardian Saga of the Ultima series by Origin.
If you want some general info about what kind of game Ultima VII really is, (graphics, gameplay, etc) then please take a look at my pages about Ultima VII, part 1.

Serpent Isle starts where Ultima VII, part 1: the Black Gate ended.
You've smashed the black gate ( if you've made the right decision ), you've prevented the Guardian from entering Britannia, but: where did Batlin go?
At the opening scenes of Serpent Isle, Lord British, our dear and loyal monarch, receives a messenger. He sent someone to go through Batlin's belongings to find a possible clue as to where Batlin went.
In these belongings of Batlin a scroll from the Guardian is found.
In this scroll the Guardian instructs Batlin to go to Serpent Isle.
Lord British asks you to follow Batlin to Serpent Isle.

This is where Serpent Isle starts. You find yourself, after a very strange sailing trip, on an island that has a long and complicated history.
Why is Batlin here?
What has all of this to do with your enemy the Guardian?
A long and very difficult task awaits you here.
What are all these strange ruins with those marks of a serpent?
Who were the Ophidians?
What about these strange storms that take away things and replace them with other items?
All of this is somehow related to the reason why Batlin came here in the first place.
Will you be able to stop Batlin from his definitely dangerous plans?
Plans that somehow threaten the entire world.

Serpent Isle has the same fantastic graphics and gameplay that the Black Gate had.
You must travel to cities, where each city has a different little quest waiting for you.
You must solve mysteries, fight strange enemies and then there are those riddles, like: "your friends will prove to be your enemies".
Your friends? They can't be talking about Dupre, Shamino and Iolo who accompanied you here, can they?
Where did Iolo's wife Gwenno go?
For some reason she was on the very same boat that brought Batlin to Serpent Isle.
All these questions must be answered before you can save this island and the rest of the world.

Serpent Isle is a very complex and at times difficult game.
The story unfolds very slowly and is very complicated.
It's almost as if there are two games in one.
First is the part of the game where you spend most of your time trying to recover your items that disappeared when you arrived on Serpent Isle.
This part of the game you'll visit the three major cities of Serpent Isle: Monitor, Fawn and Moonshade.
In each city you spend a lot of your time on the "side quests" that awaits you here.
Besides that: you must recover three important artifacts from the past: the Serpent necklace, the Serpent earrings and the Serpent ring.

The second part of the game starts when you finally go up north and will enter the temples and ruins of an old people that has once lived on Serpent Isle.
From here on the game becomes rather difficult and at times you may really need a walkthrough.

Although I did enjoy playing Serpent Isle, I do have one or two points of criticism.
I felt that especially the first part of Serpent Isle, took too much time. Serpent Isle might have been a better game if there would have been hints to the real purpose of your quest, earlier on in the game.

Second part of my criticism is that the second part of the game is at times so complicated and difficult, that it's almost impossible to finish the game without using a walkthrough. Maybe more hints could have been given about the steps you have to take to finish the game.

Still, for people that enjoy games that are rather difficult and complicated at times and who take the time to really "get into" the story, Serpent Isle is a very challenging game. Continue to play it does pay off, since especially the last part of Serpent Isle is very interesting and rewarding.

©Mieke Schotting

Links:

The following links take you to websites where you can get info, help and walkthroughs for "Serpent Isle" and it's add on: "The Silver Seed".

The World Of Ultima, is one of the best Ultima sites on the Internet.
This link takes you to the quick access page of that site. Here you can find many different helpfiles, walkthroughs, maps and other files for Ultima VII, part 2.
Go to: The World Of Ultima

Bootstrike.Com A great site with a lot of files/ information about Ultima VII both parts, Ultima VIII, Ultima Underworld I and II and Planescape Torment.
The creator of this site tries to collect any file out there on the internet about Ultima VII.

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