ChangeNode (who maintains his projects on GitHub as synthwave-pixel) is back. You may recall the name, as he released a modernized version of LairWare’s Ultima III: Exodus port back in October. Now, he has posted a new video on YouTube, with a matching write-up on Reddit, about a TypeScript-based engine that allows you to play Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny with a gamepad on a range of modern platforms.

The project’s README says the engine is “like OpenMW for Morrowind.” It ships none of the original game and relies on you having your own copy instead. You’ll need the original DOS data files files (GOG’s Ultima 4+5+6 pack works), and they are kept locally on your device even when playing the browser-based build. That browser-based version is also available as an installable web app, and there are standalone builds for Windows, Mac OS, Linux (AppImage and Flatpak, with Steam Deck support) and Android.

Full controller support is the headline feature. Menus cover just about every action, so the d-pad, A and B are enough to play. There’s also:

• character creation and a quest journal,
• auto-mapping and a world map based on the cloth map,
• snap combat and loot-all,
• translated runes,
• Modern, Apple II and PC tile sets,
• new music and sound.

Modern, Classic and Story rule sets, plus optional cheats, let you decide how far from 1988 you want to stray. Classic input, classic rules and the original DOS release tileset are each one setting away.

Under the hood, the rules follow u5d, a reverse-engineered version of the DOS source. The modern features follow those present in ChangeNode’s Ultima III port. On Reddit, he describes the engine as:

based on the original PC DOS code, with bug fixes picked up from the Apple // version

As noted above, you can play this remake in your browser right now, or grab an installer from the GitHub releases page. I’ve also created a brand new project entry here at the Codex, though I can’t promise that this will always point to the latest available builds.