Windwalker - A Tale From Moebius

Year 1989. Origin Systems has Ultima V behind them and is preparing for the sixth installment. In the midst of this, they release something completely different — a game set in the world of the French comic Moebius, where instead of medieval fantasy you get a philosophically-tinged Far East full of tyrants, monks, and moral dilemmas. Windwalker confused me back then in a way I couldn't quite name at the time.

The story throws you into a world dominated by an evil warlord who has conspired with a powerful alchemist. The result? Islands that once knew peace now live in fear. Guards terrorize the helpless, thieves and murderers roam freely, and the Emperor, the only one who could turn the tide, simply doesn't show up. You're the one who steps in — and Windwalker makes it clear from the start that you're not saving the world with a sword in hand like a knight in shining armor.

The game combines RPG elements with a combat system inspired by martial arts, which was truly unusual for PC gaming in the late eighties. Battles take place in a side view and depend on timing and movement choices — not on stat numbers. Outside of combat, you move across the map of islands, collect items, talk to inhabitants, and complete quests that sometimes have an adventure game feel to them. The controls are typical of the era: keyboard-centric, with an interface that will require some patience from you in 2024, and probably a guide as well.

What I remember most about Windwalker is the atmosphere. Origin knew how to build worlds that breathed back then — and even though Windwalker was more modest compared to the Ultima games, that quiet, oppressed Oriental setting had its own rhythm. The graphics fulfilled their purpose by 1989 standards, and the music on Sound Blaster faded into the background just right. What hasn't aged as gracefully is that combat system — in practice it becomes repetitive over time, and navigating the world can be tediously drawn-out without a modern map or waypoint system. The game simply won't hold your hand. Not at all.

Today Windwalker suits those who want to see how Origin thought outside the box — and who have enough patience to work through an interface that assumes you've read the manual. It's fairly accessible in a browser via DOSBox Online, but I wouldn't start it without a guide at hand. For fans of Moebius aesthetics, it's a historical curiosity worth at least a brief visit.