Sometime in the distant past, the initial rumors appeared about a remote realm called the Land of the Feudal Lords. With the launch of Ultima Online: Samurai Empire, which is slated to happen later in the year, this domain, which was first referred to in the property's original title, will take on more tangible form as the Tokuno Islands, an exotic Asian- and particularly Japanese-inspired environment. When the expansion pack was announced last month, a number of facts and features were revealed. For instance, players can expect to discover terrain that ranges from swamps to mountains, forests, jungles, deserts, tundra and more. While exploring, you'll encounter some 15 new creatures such as oni (demons), elementals, an undead spirit known as the Lady of the Snow, and the Hai Riyo, a daunting dragon that, once vanquished, can be tamed and ridden.


The theme will also be reflected in the implementation of two new classes. One is the Samurai, a melee fighter trained in Bushido, the way of the warrior. This path offers the chance to learn lethal special abilities like the swift and ferocious Lightning Strike, and Honorable Execution, which attempts to eliminate an adversary with a single blow, although the penalties for failure can be harsh. The other is the stealthy Ninja who can master the art of Ninjitsu. Among other skills, its practitioners can be taught the creation of smoke bombs, the use of Animal Form to appear as harmless fauna to their foes, and Mirror Image to confuse them by creating up to four likenesses of themselves. Assuming these elements were the tip of the iceberg, we got hold of EA producer Anthony Castoro to tell us more.