Forum Discussion

RedFoxxie's avatar
RedFoxxie
Seasoned Ace
8 years ago

Re: Game Spotlight - The Ultima series

Ah, Ultima-series. My first game that really took me into RPG games, a game which taught me English when I was young, and annoyed my parents when I ended up asking silly questions like "Is Britannia the same as Great Britain ?" (In finnish, Great Britain actually is called "Iso-Britannia" which means "Big/Great/Main Britannia")

So, here's my answers :

1. Did you ever played an Ultima game?! If yes, which one was your first?

Yes, and my first were the Ultima I-III games. I unfortunately do not remember which I played first as to my child's eye they all looked very much the same and it's been too many decades since to know for sure. IV was the first I actually played while understanding what I am doing properly.

2. Which one is your favorite and why?!

I would have to say VII. Even though IV was the first game which got me into the series properly as a child and one I have huge nostalgia for, VII very simply is as a game the best out of the series in my opinion and definitely the high point of the series. Whereas IV symbolizes to me the beginning of an era, VII symbolises the end of an era after which it all started falling.. So both are equally as important to me, really, in the end.

Still, I say VII.

3. Your Ultima top games

IV - VII.

4. Would you like to see another entry in the series?

Definitely.

5. How did you stumbled on the series?

We had an old C64 in our household when I was a kid. My parents were teaching me since young age how to use computers and used the C64 for that purpose as it had long-lived its purpose already so even if I broke it, it wouldn't matter really. And the C64 happened to have some games on it, including the original Ultima I-III games. I didn't understand much of them back in the days, but it was my first touch to the series, regardless.

Eventually when I got an NES, I recognized that the Ultima III: Exodus I had on it was the same game I used to play back on the C64. It made me curious as to whether they ended up continuing this series if they ended up porting the game even so much later to the NES and I ended up finding the IV-VII series of games for the DOS which had come out by then. And through that I ended up playing the rest of the disappointments which came out later, and much later got into the Ultima Online, too.

1 Reply

Sort By
  • ivrognard's avatar
    ivrognard
    Hero+
    8 years ago

    I am missing the Ultima series so much. It was part of my childhood and my introduction in the RPG genre. I've played all the three big names of the era (Ultima, Wizardry and Might and Magic), but Ultima was the one that always gave me that awe feeling, as with every entry it came up with something new (and some of that stuff, you don't see it in the modern RPG's - stuff like housing, having your own business, the reactive world).

    I've played Ultima IX back in 2000, when i've managed to get my hands on the CD from the local retailer. Needless to say, i wasn't exactly impressed. What impressed me, though, it was the community's dedication, a dedication that led to that unofficial patch. When Ultima became available on GOG, i jumped right at it and bought the whole series. Sure, i have troubles replaying the old games, but Ultima VII - IX are still playable, especially if the graphics are not that important to you. And let's face it: RPG players were always easy to please in that department. 

    I still dream about a new entry in the series. I think that the franchise has the potential for a comeback. EA could do what Ubi did with M&M X: Legacy - a smaller budget game. And that actually met critical acclaim in the ranks of the old fans and was well received even by newer fans, people that did not played something older than M&M VI (the RPG and not the TBS - people tend to mistake one for another). I am pretty sure that if you can rebuild the fan base with the help of a smaller, lower budget game, that would lead, eventually, to a proper entry, made with a serious budget. And EA has bigger resources and more talent than Ubi, so it should be easier for them to revive a cult series.

About Origin for Mac

Discuss Origin for Mac and your favorite games, and meet other players in the Origin Mac community to play with.24,773 PostsLatest Activity: 2 days ago