I'm interested in trying out the Ultima series for the first time. I need GAF to recommend a good starting point for the series and maybe give me a clue as to what I should expect. I've heard great things about these games, but I'm not even completely sure what they're about, save for being a semi-freeroamish RPG.
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Ultima Series: Where to start?
- Thread starter Tomat
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Sentenza
Member
The Ultima saga started being unique and relevant with Ultima IV.
I love pretty much all them, but today... I would say that Ultima VII is pretty much the only one that holds up well for modern standards about UI, controls, graphics, etc.
There are also two very enjoyable remakes of Ultima V and Ultima VI as Dungeon Siege's mods (they are called Lazarus and Archon).
DeliciousDoc
Member
The first one I played was ultima 7 and that is the one I liked the best. It`s basically the game bethesda wished they could make.
protonion
Member
I've only played 9. I bought it just to test my new PC. It blew my mind technically and I enjoyed it to the end.It is more Zelda than TES.
However when I replayed it at a later time I didn't like it at all... Bad controls , glitches...
The soundtrack is awesome though!
Don't bother with it.
However when I replayed it at a later time I didn't like it at all... Bad controls , glitches...
The soundtrack is awesome though!
Don't bother with it.
djplaeskool
Member
IX
VII, for me, is handily the apex of the series
XANDER CAGE
Member
Online
hee hee hee
hee hee hee
airmangataosenai
Member
Online.
djplaeskool
Member
It's odd. I was way into the old Gold Box D&D games back then and never played the older Ultima games.
The Savage Frontier series, rounding out with NWN for AOL, owned my life.
Serious question though, is it worthwhile to go back and play the older ones?
No, ignore this bit of advice, unless you like really shitty isometric jumping platformers. The rest is gold tho.
No. They were horrible even back then. And I beat U3, ugh.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=421656
one of my favorite GAF threads. that game was (emphasis on was) seriously the best.
Lemming_JRS
Member
You can safely ignore 1-3. They're all pretty much grindfests with little in the way of the nuance and character of the later games (although the scope of Ultima II was amazing for its time).
IV is an all-time classic, and you should definitely check it out (for free at the link above), just know that some of LB's design decisions are still holdovers from previous games (e.g. you can only attack in the cardinal directions, the conversation trees are only in their first incarnation, etc). The final dungeon is still suitably epic.
V is probably still my favorite of the bunch. While it doesn't have the graphics of VI or VII, it's the one that still feels the most (for lack of a better word) open insofar as how you approach your goals.
You can safely ignore 8, too. I never played 9.
toddhunter
Member
Personally I would start with ultima 4. Play it for a while (since it is free), get a sense of what they are trying to do, and then move on.
The game play doesn't stand up today. The ideas? You may find them very interesting especially if you are more used to the modern take on what an rpg can be.
Jump forward to 6 then. This is probably my all time favourite game. Sure 7 was better in a lot of ways, but the things you can do and the sense of exploration in 6 is pretty much unmatched.
You may or may not love this game, I hope you do. When you consider you can make a mouse carry around a halberd, well how can you go wrong?
7 is generally considered the peak of the series. There are some rough, unfinished parts here and there (the peak is not an exaggeration, you could see the cracks appearing) but graphically it is still great and has some interesting ideas. To me, it was just a little too streamlined after 6 and a move in the wrong direction (something that still happens to this day).
8? Well it hardly seems like an ultima game. The first hour or so is really the best part of the game, with the rest bordering on the generic. I would almost skip this one.
9 got a lot of criticism when it came out and rightly so. However the first moment I sailed into bucaneers den in 3D is still a high moment in gaming for me. I would get it, play around a bit, but don't dig too deep.
In terms of spin offs, I found the two U6 "expansions" really quite interesting to play. If you get into 6, give these a good go as well. It's a shame that these worlds were not more fully explored in later titles, as there were some interesting gameplay mechanics, especially related to the dinosaurs.
I never really enjoyed ultima underworld as much, but they also get a lot of love. 2 was certainly a lot better than 1, so give that a good go too.
Enjoy! I have been waiting for ultima X all these years. Most likely i don't want it anymore, considering what it would become. But you can still have weeks to months of fun in some of the most beautiful and interesting worlds every produced.
The game play doesn't stand up today. The ideas? You may find them very interesting especially if you are more used to the modern take on what an rpg can be.
Jump forward to 6 then. This is probably my all time favourite game. Sure 7 was better in a lot of ways, but the things you can do and the sense of exploration in 6 is pretty much unmatched.
You may or may not love this game, I hope you do. When you consider you can make a mouse carry around a halberd, well how can you go wrong?
7 is generally considered the peak of the series. There are some rough, unfinished parts here and there (the peak is not an exaggeration, you could see the cracks appearing) but graphically it is still great and has some interesting ideas. To me, it was just a little too streamlined after 6 and a move in the wrong direction (something that still happens to this day).
8? Well it hardly seems like an ultima game. The first hour or so is really the best part of the game, with the rest bordering on the generic. I would almost skip this one.
9 got a lot of criticism when it came out and rightly so. However the first moment I sailed into bucaneers den in 3D is still a high moment in gaming for me. I would get it, play around a bit, but don't dig too deep.
In terms of spin offs, I found the two U6 "expansions" really quite interesting to play. If you get into 6, give these a good go as well. It's a shame that these worlds were not more fully explored in later titles, as there were some interesting gameplay mechanics, especially related to the dinosaurs.
I never really enjoyed ultima underworld as much, but they also get a lot of love. 2 was certainly a lot better than 1, so give that a good go too.
Enjoy! I have been waiting for ultima X all these years. Most likely i don't want it anymore, considering what it would become. But you can still have weeks to months of fun in some of the most beautiful and interesting worlds every produced.
Versipellis
Member
Even though I understand that if you can't stomach IV's interface then V is skippable, I must say that the story in the fifth chapter is so interesting (because it stems directly from the one in IV, but in a totally distorted way) that's a real pity the game is not as playable as it was when it came out (ok, the game is still the same, it's us gamers that changed). The remake is good, but I don't think it retains the original charm.
For the games you don't want to play, I suggest watching Spoony's reviews to get a glimpse of what they are.
Here's the U4 remake: http://xu4.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html
And the U7 engine: http://exult.sourceforge.net/
I don't believe that U5/6 got upgrades unfortunately. U5 had a remake in the Dungeon Siege engine (yes really), with all the ugh that implies.
And the U7 engine: http://exult.sourceforge.net/
I don't believe that U5/6 got upgrades unfortunately. U5 had a remake in the Dungeon Siege engine (yes really), with all the ugh that implies.
toddhunter
Member
Oh I agree 100%. Ideally the best thing to do is play all of them, all the way through. All are still great.
The multi-layered quests of 5 and 6 are great to this day. It isn't just find dragon, there is the dragon, kill dragon, you have to really put some effort into finding the different parts to save the day.
is that still around?
magicalsoundshower
Member
I too thought 9 looked mind-boggingly impressive when it came out -- and it still does an open world better than Bethesda's latest offerings in some ways. It's considered largely unplayable these days, though. I'd only recommend it if you can really appreciate games as a product of their time. I honestly still think some parts of it are enjoyable and well-thought out (particularly the dungeons) but this might very well be due to my nostalgia for the game.
There's also a Let's Play for it going on on the Something Awful forums which is still receiving sporadic updates but it's mainly built around the gimmick that it makes the game look as if it has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
I gotta say I also liked 8 OK as a kid and beat it several times. While it may not be the most complex game out there, it still has atmosphere in spades and even these days I'm still impressed by its exceptionally organic-looking isometric landscapes. If you decide to try it, make sure you get the official patch for it which fixes the wonky jumping mechanic.
I confess I was never able to get into 7. I can't stand games with jerky scrolling because they give me headaches and I don't really like the feel of the Exult engine, either. Another thing that seems really annoying is the combat with your companions rushing up to enemies like crazy and getting killed in seconds. Maybe one day it'll finally "click" with me.
Be sure to play Underworld 1 and 2, though. They are amazing, exceptional games.
There's also a Let's Play for it going on on the Something Awful forums which is still receiving sporadic updates but it's mainly built around the gimmick that it makes the game look as if it has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
I gotta say I also liked 8 OK as a kid and beat it several times. While it may not be the most complex game out there, it still has atmosphere in spades and even these days I'm still impressed by its exceptionally organic-looking isometric landscapes. If you decide to try it, make sure you get the official patch for it which fixes the wonky jumping mechanic.
I confess I was never able to get into 7. I can't stand games with jerky scrolling because they give me headaches and I don't really like the feel of the Exult engine, either. Another thing that seems really annoying is the combat with your companions rushing up to enemies like crazy and getting killed in seconds. Maybe one day it'll finally "click" with me.
Be sure to play Underworld 1 and 2, though. They are amazing, exceptional games.
Either 4 or 7. Maybe 6.
4 if you're okay with archaic graphics and some fairly esoteric controls.
7 is a full friendly mouse interface. It's also one of the finest RPGs ever made.
6 has graphics closer to 7 but still closer to 4's controls.
(5 is stylistically very like 4, but a larger, more intricate quest. 4's probably a better entry point than 5, though)
Left-field suggestion: Ultima Underworld. Either would do, really, they're both excellent. That's if you're after a more actiony dungeon crawl RPG.
Playing in order does allow you to build up a suitable level of resentment towards Smith.
I've played 7, 8, and 9 before.
Definitely play Ultima 7.
8 and 9 aren't that good. The entries before 7 are probably too dated though.
Hardcore Gaming 101 has a nice writeup about the series
Definitely play Ultima 7.
8 and 9 aren't that good. The entries before 7 are probably too dated though.
Hardcore Gaming 101 has a nice writeup about the series
ChocolatePuddin
Member
It is, though it's nothing compared to it's glory days now. Come to think of it, no MMO has ever topped Ultima Online for me in a large number of ways. I used to love killing people and taking all of their phat loots for myself.
Honestly I started with one a very long time ago, but now I would say most people should probably start at 4. One through three were great for their time in my opinion and made Ultima a special series for me, but the first three would be very hard for most newer players to get into I think just because of their age, and design.
My suggestion is start with 4, and go through the rest to 7. If you really enjoy them, then you can try the ones that followed but 7 was, and still is magnificent. My favorite RPG of all time.
IX
VII, for me, is handily the apex of the series
I actually enjoyed IX. Make sure to patch IX if you get it. It will run below 20 fps even on high powered workstations unpatched. To me VIII was the biggest disappointment. What a dog that was after the high of VII.
Sentenza
Member
Well, let's face it, Ultima I to III were quite popular just cause they were some of the first RPGs around, so for historical merits; but by today's standards they have virtually nothing making them worthy of consideration.
Anyway, in case some of you missed it, there are rumors running wild about EA working to a Ultima IV remake named Ultima4Ever.
Now... Being exicited or concerned by this news is really a matter of opinion, I guess.
Despise the dated engine and somehow un-intuitive controls, I still think that Ultima Underworld 1 and 2 are the best dungeon crawler ever made.
Looking Glass paired with Origin was really the god tier of gaming.
Honestly? Skip 1-3, possibly get the EGA remake of 1 and use dosbox and a TSR cheat resident and play through it just to get to the weird wing commander section.
Play 4. Cheat, but play it. you can skip 98% of the dungeons, but exploring the towns and character creation is a lot of fun, plus the overworld combat. also the fact that
is how you win the game is kinda amazing (if repeated)
I know there's Mac remake of 3, but I never tried it.
I know people love 5. I could never get into it.
I love 6. the balance of towns, runes, the mystery of Skare Brae (and its bugs...) a very interesting game and engine, which was reused for the weird ultima off world games. Never got into Savage lands (is that what its called?) but Martian Dreams is a weird and wild ride. You can recruit Mark Twain and Emma Goldman to your party! pro tip: don't take lord british's fork.
7 is great. it simply is. 6 won my heart, but 7 is probably the better game.
never played 8. jumping puzzles?
9..hm
Play 4. Cheat, but play it. you can skip 98% of the dungeons, but exploring the towns and character creation is a lot of fun, plus the overworld combat. also the fact that
reading a book
I know there's Mac remake of 3, but I never tried it.
I know people love 5. I could never get into it.
I love 6. the balance of towns, runes, the mystery of Skare Brae (and its bugs...) a very interesting game and engine, which was reused for the weird ultima off world games. Never got into Savage lands (is that what its called?) but Martian Dreams is a weird and wild ride. You can recruit Mark Twain and Emma Goldman to your party! pro tip: don't take lord british's fork.
7 is great. it simply is. 6 won my heart, but 7 is probably the better game.
never played 8. jumping puzzles?
9..hm
toddhunter
Member
Yeah there was plenty of fun to have in 9. Just also make sure to keep multiple saves. And by keep multiple saves, I *really* mean keep multiple saves. The game world is quite flexible and often hilarious, but somewhat bad things can happen like dead fishes riding elevators such that you can never progress.
First, I'll give you a hug for your post. I feel pretty much the same way about all those games.
Erm with that out of the way, yes there were 'jumping' puzzles if by puzzle you mean 'how could they possibly put such a stupid and broken mechanic in an ultima game'.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
I grew up on Ultima I-V on the Commodore 64. I never had an IBM PC, so I missed out on the series after Ultima V and have just recently began playing VII and Ultima Underworld. These games are truly fantastic but I can see how people who have never played an Ultima game or those who are not from that era not finding them very interesting.
Ultima IV is even today still quite a feat. It was a game that had no villain! Imagine today an RPG without a villain? The whole game involved you becoming an outstanding citizen of the world - an icon, a messianic figure. That was the purpose and there's honestly nothing like that since. Also, how many modern RPGs you know let you wander a few steps out of town as soon as you start and run into a hidden chest filled with very powerful magical weapons and armor?
I would say if you want the full Ultima experience, begin with IV and go from there but if you probably want the best of the mainline series, go with VII.
Ultima IV is even today still quite a feat. It was a game that had no villain! Imagine today an RPG without a villain? The whole game involved you becoming an outstanding citizen of the world - an icon, a messianic figure. That was the purpose and there's honestly nothing like that since. Also, how many modern RPGs you know let you wander a few steps out of town as soon as you start and run into a hidden chest filled with very powerful magical weapons and armor?
I would say if you want the full Ultima experience, begin with IV and go from there but if you probably want the best of the mainline series, go with VII.
ah shucks. I could gush on six for a long time. My biggest fault with the game was that I won with cheapery: I got in the hot air balloon when the wind was blowing north and floated over the that one forbidden tile those two statues out of the neverending story were guarding....
Also, sherry the mouse.
scytheavatar
Member
Expect a experience which you can't get in other games. I can't guarantee that you will like the games since that will depend on your tolerance on dated gameplay, but the plot is amazing, dialogs are great and you will be shocked at how much effort was spent in creating the world.
toddhunter
Member
Versipellis
Member
I'm pretty sure you can boot it up using the Exult PSP port. I'm talking about the PC version.