Ultima™ 9: Ascension

If it didn't have Ultima in the title I might be slightly less critical about it, but even then I wouldn't consider it a good game. Considering the legacy it has to live up to this is an extremely disappointing end to the series. A watered down action adventure with an incoherent plot that is in no way the 'classic Britannia Ultima' it should have been.

This game is just plain carbage. How come so many praised it back when it was released, when it infact was a bloody mess? First of all, why is the Avatar asking so stupid questions like "What's a Paladin?" when he infact knows very well what a Paladin is since he's basically one and a friend of his was too. And second, its buggy as hell. Seriously, the game's riddled with more bugs then a swiss cheese have holes. For examples, please look at Spoony's review of the game, one of the bugs being a wizard glitching out by flying around in his tower making gibberish noises. And I honestly don't get why some reviewers here on GOG are giving it a high score despite its MANY MANY flaws, not even the 3D graphics and music can help to save this horrid mess. Do yourself a favor and DON'T buy this one, stick with the previous 8, even Pagan is better then this one.

whats a paladin?

It's a piece of history. What, you thought I was going to say something else there? Look, the problems with this game are well documented. As many have said, the story is a slap in the face to diehard fans of the series like me. There is a complete disregard for Ultima canon, and what should be a demi-god Avatar by this point acts like a wimpy doofus suffering from a severe case of amnesia. The game's development was a mess (for shame, EA) and some of the best ideas were cut during development. If you're looking for a satisfying conclusion to one of the greatest series of all time, you won't get it from this. And yet, I'm still buying this. Again. Why? Well, firstly because (like it or not) the collection is incomplete without it and, more importantly, because there are lessons to be learned here. To me Ultima IX is, itself, a metaphorical representation of an important theme that runs through the series. Just as the virtues can be misinterpreted and twisted into abominable counterfeits, this game mishandled and desecrated much of that which was good about Ultima in the first place. It stands as a testament to the ruination of games by poor design choice after poor design choice. And yet we've learned that, with enough effort, corruption can be purged and the fallen can be redeemed. The other reason I'm going to play this again is out of respect for the work of the tireless "dragon" community. Be sure to seek out 'Ultima Reconstruction' and find the many fan-made mods - most notably Grandor Dragon's dialogue patch. Ultima fans truly are some of the most committed fans ever, and so much effort has been put towards increasing the beauty, stability, and continuity of this game. Ultima has always been about abolishing evil and replacing it with good. Think of this as the continuation of the Avatar's work. Trust me, you'll have a much better experience.

The game retcons almost EVERYTHING in the other ultima games. Everything. Nothing makes sense. The game is bugged up the ass. The AI is worse than braindead. The hit detection is barely there. Back in the day, it would crash every couple of minutes. The cutscenes suck. The story sucks. The environments suck. The acting is worse than suck. The graphics were alright for the time, if you could get them to work. Nothing. Fricken. Works. And most of the game you're fighting giant bugs and rats. Wonderful. I hate this game. With a passion. It is the worst game I have played. If you're not a fan of Ultima, then you're buying a bland, boring, repetitive, and broken RPG that offers nothing to you. Spare yourself, don't buy this game.