Ultima 3: Exodus

By Ultima 3, the series had discovered the magic of party-based adventuring. No longer a lonely trek, now you command a ragtag group of heroes who bicker only in your imagination. Exodus, the mysterious villain, is less a person and more a looming concept, but hey, that’s intimidating in its own way. This entry sharpened the series’ mechanics and made dungeon crawling more engaging. On the downside, prepare to spend quality time mapping labyrinths by hand, unless you enjoy wandering in circles. Still, the mix of exploration and strategy made Exodus feel like the leap from “ambitious experiment” to “serious RPG contender.”