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Vengeance of Excalibur

Last updated: January 11, 2026

Overview

Vengeance of Excalibur is a role-playing adventure game developed by Synergistic Software and published by Virgin Games in 19911. The game serves as the second entry in Virgin Mastertronic’s Arthurian series, following the critically acclaimed Spirit of Excalibur from 19902. Unlike its predecessor, which remained firmly rooted in British Arthurian legend, Vengeance of Excalibur takes a bold creative departure by transplanting the Knights of the Round Table to medieval Spain during the tumultuous period of Christian and Muslim conflict around the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries3.

The game represents a unique moment in RPG history as perhaps the first and only title to feature Islamic Iberia as its primary setting4. Players control a party of up to four knights from the legendary Round Table as they embark on a quest across the Iberian Peninsula to recover stolen treasures from Camelot, including the legendary sword Excalibur and the Holy Grail5. The sequel boasts improvements over its predecessor in strategic elements, plot development, and dialogue systems6, while maintaining the distinctive hybrid gameplay that combines role-playing, adventure, and strategy elements.

Vengeance of Excalibur advances the Arthurian timeline approximately 500 years beyond the traditional period, creating what critics described as a peculiar historical mashup where “characters who shouldn’t be alive” venture to “a part of the world in which no Arthurian legend is ever set”4. Despite this unconventional approach to source material, the game features hand-painted backdrops and a mouse-driven interface that brought medieval Spain to life with what promotional materials described as “rich diversity” and “resplendent variety and beauty”7.

Story Summary

The game begins two years after the events of Spirit of Excalibur concluded8. Britain has been reunited under a unique king, Constantine III, who serves as King Arthur’s successor and peacefully rules over the realm after killing Mordred’s sons and their aunt, the evil sorceress Morgan le Fay. With the forces of darkness seemingly vanquished, the kingdom enjoys a period of relative stability and prosperity under Constantine’s wise governance.

However, peace proves fleeting. While power in Britain has been restored following the death of King Arthur and the destruction of Morgan le Fay, a terrible force has been unleashed9. The demonic Shadowmaster, a dark summoning spawned from the slain witch’s dying curse, emerges to terrorize Britain2. This malevolent entity proves even more dangerous than Morgan herself, as strangers manage to infiltrate Camelot’s castle, transform King Constantine into stone, and steal Britain’s most precious treasures—Excalibur, the Holy Grail, and the fair court enchantress Nineve5.

The quest to recover these sacred artifacts leads the Knights of the Round Table far from familiar shores. The trail takes them to medieval Spain, a land divided between Christian kingdoms in the north and Islamic territories in the south3. Players must navigate this complex political and religious landscape, set in Spain around the year 1000 AD, where the ongoing Reconquista creates both opportunities and dangers for foreign knights seeking lost treasures. The ultimate goal involves finding the Shadowmaster, returning the stolen treasures of Camelot to their rightful place, and transforming King Constantine from stone back to living flesh2.

Throughout their journey across the Iberian Peninsula, the knights encounter diverse cultures, forge alliances, and face moral challenges that test their chivalric code. The story weaves together Arthurian mythology with the historical reality of medieval Spain’s religious conflicts, creating a narrative tapestry unlike any other game of its era4.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Vengeance of Excalibur utilizes a mouse-driven interface inherited from its predecessor and the earlier War in Middle Earth (1988)10. The game presents the action from a top-down perspective on the main map screen, switching to side-view perspectives during certain encounters and interactions11. Players navigate through the game world using point-and-click controls, with keyboard shortcuts available for frequently used commands12.

The interface supports 256-color graphics, displaying hand-painted backdrops that bring medieval Spain to vivid life13. Rebecca Rohan, writing for COMPUTE! magazine, praised the visual presentation, noting that “The spirit of Excalibur lives again!” in the sequel’s improved graphical presentation13. The game utilizes Synergistic Software’s proprietary World Builder engine, which had been refined through multiple projects to deliver a polished hybrid gaming experience1.

Structure and Progression

The gameplay unfolds across seven distinct acts or episodes, each presenting players with specific objectives and challenges that must be completed to advance the narrative14. This episodic structure allows for varied gameplay scenarios while maintaining narrative cohesion throughout the adventure. Players can import their saved game from the original Spirit of Excalibur, bringing over characters with most of their statistics intact, providing continuity for returning players3.

  • Episode 1: Arrival and initial exploration of the Iberian Peninsula
  • Episode 2-3: Building alliances and gathering intelligence
  • Episode 4-5: Major confrontations and artifact recovery
  • Episode 6-7: Final push to confront the Shadowmaster and restore Constantine

At the game’s outset, players must select their party of four knights from a roster of 7-11 available Round Table members, including notable figures such as Lancelot and Bors15. This party selection significantly impacts gameplay, as different knights possess varying combat abilities, magical aptitudes, and moral alignments.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The game combines RPG elements with simple strategy mechanics and adventure-style puzzle solving14. Combat encounters can occur both in one-on-one duels and larger battlefield engagements, though some critics noted the absence of strategic large-scale warfare compared to similar titles16. The RPG components include character statistics, equipment management, and skill progression, while the adventure elements involve exploration, dialogue choices, and environmental puzzles.

One of the game’s most distinctive mechanics involves the chivalric code system. Knights will refuse to perform many evil deeds, such as attacking friendly characters13. If players force their knights to commit too many unethical acts, the knights can actually die from the moral corruption, adding a unique consequence system to player choices13. This mechanic reinforces the Arthurian themes of honor and virtue while creating meaningful gameplay decisions.

The game includes copy protection via a handbook word search system, requiring players to look up specific words from the manual to proceed at certain checkpoints13. Some players found certain puzzles frustrating, with one commenter noting that “2 puzzles of game are so shit”16, suggesting uneven puzzle design quality throughout the experience.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Vengeance of Excalibur received mixed reviews upon release, with critics acknowledging its ambitious scope while noting persistent technical issues. COMPUTE! magazine featured a positive review by Rebecca Rohan in April 1992, who praised the game’s atmosphere and moral choice system13. Computer Gaming World published a review by Stefan Petrucha in January 1992, providing detailed analysis of the game’s strengths and weaknesses.

The French publication Génération 4 was more enthusiastic, with reviewer Christian Roux awarding the game an impressive 89% score in February 1992. This represents one of the highest scores the game received from any publication, suggesting stronger reception in European markets.

Amiga Power offered a more critical assessment, with Matthew Squires giving the game 60% and describing it as “Another attempt at medieval adventure/RPG/strategy thing that shares exactly the same faults and strengths as its predecessor. Not awful, just uninspiring”15. The review specifically cited technical issues including slow access times, extensive disk swapping, and incompatibility with the A500 Plus model15.

Modern Assessment

Retrospective coverage has been generally lukewarm. The CRPG Addict blog, which systematically plays through historical RPGs, awarded Vengeance of Excalibur a score of 34/100 in a detailed February 2016 review4. The reviewer noted the game’s unusual historical setting as a point of interest while criticizing the departure from authentic Arthurian legend.

Aggregate Scores:

  • MobyGames: 62% (user rating)1
  • Abandonware DOS: 4.00/5.0017
  • HOTUD: 4.18/56
  • GameFAQs: “Good” (user rating)18

The game has found an appreciative audience among abandonware enthusiasts and retro gaming communities, who value its unique setting and ambitious design even while acknowledging its flaws6.

Development

Origins

Vengeance of Excalibur emerged from Synergistic Software’s successful Spirit of Excalibur, which had established a template for Arthurian-themed hybrid games combining RPG, adventure, and strategy elements10. Designer Robert Clardy, who had previously worked on War in Middle Earth (1988), sought to expand the series by taking the narrative in an unexpected direction10.

The decision to set the sequel in medieval Spain represented a bold creative choice, advancing the Arthurian timeline by roughly 500 years and relocating the action to the Iberian Peninsula. The development team drew upon the historical background of the Reconquista—the centuries-long conflict between Christian and Muslim kingdoms in Spain—to create a setting that was both historically grounded and fantastically liberating3.

Production

Development was led by designers Robert Clardy and Alan Clark, working with John Conley on the design team1. The game was built using Synergistic Software’s proprietary World Builder engine, which had evolved through several previous projects to support the hybrid gameplay the studio had become known for1.

The script was crafted by Carol Manley and Ivan Manley, who developed the narrative framework that would take the Knights of the Round Table from Britain to Spain. Music composition was handled by Christopher Barker, who created the medieval-themed soundtrack that accompanied the adventure1.

Development Credits:1

  • Designer: Robert C. Clardy
  • Designer: Alan B. Clark
  • Designer: John P. Conley
  • Script: Carol Manley, Ivan Manley
  • Composer: Christopher Barker

Technical Achievements

The game featured hand-painted backdrops depicting the diverse landscapes of medieval Spain, from the Christian kingdoms of the north to the Islamic territories of the south14. The vast map was designed to portray “the rich diversity of medieval Spain in all its resplendent variety and beauty”7.

The World Builder engine supported multiple graphical modes, including MCGA and Tandy graphics on IBM PC platforms19. The mouse-driven interface represented a refinement of systems developed for earlier Synergistic titles, offering accessibility to players unfamiliar with complex command-line interfaces13.

Technical Specifications

DOS Version:20

  • Minimum CPU: 10 MHz
  • Minimum RAM: 640 KB
  • Graphics: 256-color (MCGA), Tandy
  • Media: 3 x 3.5” DD (720kB) floppy disks19
  • Input: Keyboard, Mouse1

Amiga Version:

  • Disks: 4 floppy disks
  • Players: 1
  • Compatibility: OCS/ECS (Note: Not compatible with A500 Plus)15

Technical Issues

The Amiga version suffered from several technical problems that impacted the user experience. Matthew Squires’s review for Amiga Power specifically noted “slow access time” and “extensive disk swapping” as significant annoyances15. Most critically, the game was not compatible with the A500 Plus, limiting its audience among Amiga users who had upgraded to newer hardware15.

Version History

VersionDatePlatformNotes
1.01991DOS, MacintoshInitial release1
1.01991DOSModified disk 1 with updated GAME.CFG19
1.01992Amiga, Atari STEuropean platform releases1

Easter Eggs and Trivia

  • The game uniquely allows importing saved characters from Spirit of Excalibur, maintaining continuity of statistics and achievements3
  • Vengeance of Excalibur may be the first and only RPG to feature Islamic Iberia as its primary setting4
  • The game advances Arthurian legend approximately 500 years beyond its traditional setting, a decision that puzzled purists
  • Knights’ moral alignment affects gameplay—forcing knights to commit evil acts can cause them to die from corruption13

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

While specific sales figures are not available in the historical record, Vengeance of Excalibur marked the end of Virgin’s Arthurian game series. The game’s mixed reception and the challenges of its ambitious hybrid gameplay formula may have contributed to the decision not to pursue a third installment. The title found continued life in the abandonware community, where it remains available for preservation purposes6.

Collections

Vengeance of Excalibur has not been officially re-released in any major digital collection or compilation. The game remains primarily accessible through abandonware archives and preservation efforts21.

  • Game Manual: Included comprehensive background on Arthurian legend and medieval Spain, plus copy protection word lookup system13

Critical Perspective

Vengeance of Excalibur occupies a curious position in RPG history. Its attempt to merge Arthurian mythology with the historical reality of medieval Iberia created something genuinely unique—a game that took familiar characters and placed them in an entirely unfamiliar context. The CRPG Addict’s observation that “We’ve left Arthurian legend far behind” captures both the game’s ambition and its central tension4.

The game’s hybrid gameplay, combining RPG mechanics with adventure puzzles and light strategy elements, represented Synergistic Software’s continued experimentation with genre boundaries. While not entirely successful—the absence of strategic large-scale battles disappointed some players, and certain puzzles proved frustrating—the game demonstrated a willingness to take creative risks that deserves recognition16.

The chivalric code system, wherein knights could die from moral corruption, anticipated later games’ emphasis on meaningful moral choices. This mechanic, however imperfect in implementation, showed thoughtful engagement with the themes of Arthurian legend even as the narrative departed radically from traditional source material13.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores:

  • Not currently available for digital purchase

Download / Preservation

Series Continuity

Vengeance of Excalibur serves as the direct sequel to Spirit of Excalibur, continuing the narrative of the Knights of the Round Table in a post-Arthur world. While Spirit of Excalibur dealt with the immediate aftermath of Arthur’s death and the conflict with Morgan le Fay, Vengeance expands the scope dramatically by relocating the action to Spain and introducing the Shadowmaster as the primary antagonist2.

The game allows players to import their saved characters from Spirit of Excalibur, maintaining statistical continuity and rewarding players who completed the first game3. This feature, unusual for its time, demonstrated Virgin’s commitment to treating the two games as a connected narrative experience rather than standalone titles.

No third game in the series was produced, leaving Vengeance of Excalibur as the conclusion of Virgin’s Arthurian saga2.

References

Footnotes

  1. MobyGames – Vengeance of Excalibur – credits, release dates, technical specs, publisher/developer info, ratings ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15

  2. GameFAQs – Vengeance of Excalibur Walkthrough – series context, plot summary, gameplay objectives ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. Wikipedia – Vengeance of Excalibur – historical setting, platform information, character import feature, designers ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  4. CRPG Addict – Vengeance of Excalibur Review – Islamic Iberia setting uniqueness, final rating, critical analysis ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  5. Giant Bomb – Vengeance of Excalibur – plot details, stolen treasures, character import ↩ ↩2

  6. MyAbandonware – Vengeance of Excalibur – HOTUD rating, platform releases, predecessor improvements ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  7. Video Game Geek – Vengeance of Excalibur – map description, medieval Spain setting ↩ ↩2

  8. Tropedia – Vengeance of Excalibur – timeline placement, narrative setting ↩

  9. ClassicReload – Vengeance of Excalibur – Shadowmaster emergence narrative ↩

  10. CRPG Addict – Spirit of Excalibur – War in Middle Earth connection, Robert Clardy design ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. MyAbandonware – Vengeance of Excalibur Play – perspective information ↩

  12. Play Classic Games – Vengeance of Excalibur – mouse-driven interface, keyboard shortcuts ↩

  13. COMPUTE! Magazine – Vengeance of Excalibur Review – Rebecca Rohan review, chivalric code system, copy protection, 256-color graphics ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  14. Internet Archive – Vengeance of Excalibur – seven episodes structure, hand-painted backdrops, hybrid gameplay ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  15. Every Game Going – Amiga Power Review – Matthew Squires review, 60% score, knight selection, technical issues ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  16. Lemon Amiga – Vengeance of Excalibur Comments – puzzle criticism, strategic warfare absence ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  17. Abandonware DOS – Vengeance of Excalibur – 4.00/5.00 rating, platform list, genre classification ↩

  18. GameFAQs – Vengeance of Excalibur Amiga – user rating, game length estimate ↩

  19. Internet Archive – Vengeance of Excalibur Preservation – disk specifications, graphics modes, SHA1 hashes ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  20. PCGamingWiki – Vengeance of Excalibur – minimum specs, World Builder engine, series info ↩

  21. Wikidata – Vengeance of Excalibur – distribution format, platform releases ↩

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