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RPGDot Game Rating Machine |
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Terilem Dragon
has rated the following games:
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Ultima 6 - The False Prophet: 10/10 points |
Ultima VI is yet another classic. The series had well and truly picked up steam by the time this was released. The last of the Ultimas before the Guardian saga, the sixth title has a fantastic plot with a twist that took everyone by surprise back in its day. I pity anyone who is ignorant enough to think a game that doesn't compare with today's flashy graphics can't be good, because I highly doubt Ultima VI is missing from any RPG veteran's favourites list. |
Ultima 7 - Serpent Isle (Sequel): 10/10 points |
Only one game equals Ultima VII: The Black Gate and this is it. Serpent Isle gave Origin a chance to improve upon certain areas of the engine and as a result it generally performs better than U7:TBG did. While perhaps lacking the familiar exploration value of the Ultimas set in Britannia, it is by all means yet another incredible achievement and probably even surpasses Part 1 as far as content goes, but I think it is just barely edged out by TBG's slightly higher nostalgia value. This was the last great Ultima game before the series plummetted downhill. If you loved Ultima VII, you'll love its second part at least as much, if not a little more. |
Ultima 7 - The Black Gate: 10/10 points |
A true classic that has withstood the test of time in every way except graphical prowess (naturally). No RPG has ever exceeded or even matched the level of world interaction it boasts. It was also the first game I played with a soundblaster card -- the atmospheric music and the Guardian's taunts still remain as vivid memories in my mind.
For the ultimate roleplaying experience, look no further than Ultima VII and its pseudo-sequel, Serpent Isle. |
Ultima 8 - Pagan: 6/10 points |
Ultima VIII was a hotly anticipated title after the sheer excellence of Ultima VII and Serpent Isle. However, this was the first Ultima completely developed under Electronic Arts' influence following their takeover of Origin, and it proved to be a frustrating disppointment. The game was rushed out before it was ready (some major plot elements and the party system were sacrificed), but that only excuses some of its shortfalls. The plot was interesting once you got over the poorly executed gameplay mechanics, but the intangible Ultima "feel" just wasn't there. The world felt half as alive as it did in the past, it was difficult to make any sort of connection with the NPCs, dialogue detail was limited and interactivity was virtually non-existent. Had this plot and setting been used in combination with a graphically updated Ultima VII engine (the interface is practically the same anyway), Ultima VIII undoubtedly would have been yet another classic in the series, but alas... |
Ultima 9 - Ascension: 3/10 points |
*sighs* Ultima IX. This game was Origin's chance to redeem the series after the abysmal failure of Ultima VIII, and it probably would have done so had it followed its original release schedule of Christmas 1996. Instead, Ultima fans the world over were in for yet another disappointment, as this one made all the mistakes Ultima VIII did and then some. So, how did this game go from being a classic to being even worse than Ultima VIII? There were many factors, including countless plot re-writes and the interference of Ultima Online. The latter caused a major team overhaul which included the dropping of a select but important handful of designers, programmers and artists who had worked on the incredible Ultima VII. The game just kept getting delayed again and again until all Origin wanted to do was get it finished and out the door. When it was eventually released in November 1999, it bombed. Some liked it, but most loathed it even more than its predecessor. Ultima IX is fun for about the first ten hours or so and it does have a visually beautiful engine, but it is majorly let down by a painfully simplistic and repetitive plot, little world interactivity, and perhaps most of all its near total ignorance of the previous games in the series. Sure, the Ultimas have never been completely consistent with each other, but Ultima IX just makes some plain terrible mistakes, and a lot of them too. Both minor and major historical events are either contradicted or ignored, and the map seems to have been mixed around for the sake of falling in line with the plot progression rather than being historically accurate. All this was not at all helped by the incredibly large pile of glitches that were present at release, but even with the installation of bug-crushing patches, Ultima IX is still not an excellent game by any means. Anyone who claims the plot is even close to being on par with the previous chapters needs to play U4-7 again.
Ultima IX is probably an okay game in its own right, but as an Ultima it is an embarrassingly bad conclusion to the entire series, right up to the insultingly inappropriate ending music. If you're an Ultima fan who hasn't played this yet, quit while you're ahead and stay well away. |
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