Ultima™ 7 The Complete Edition

What followed in the wake of Ultima VII was nothing but disappointment, because this is the high point of computer RPGs for all of the 1990s. There were good RPGs made afterwards. Eventually, there were even ones on par with this. But even the great RPGs fall short in some areas that Ultima VII excels at. There simply is no other RPG, proportional to the system limitations and technical ability of the time, that has ever matched Ultima VII. Don't get me wrong: Baldur's Gate and Fallout and Dragon Age and Skyrim are all also excellent. But this is their Great Grandaddy, and Great Grandaddy did it all long before you kids came along. :)

It feels like a living, breathing world. You can interact with almost anything in the game. You can bake bread, you can pick up arrows after you've shot them. The npcs have their own lives and daily routines. Incredible. The music (the song 'stones') gives me such nostalgia when i hear it. Its really an amazing feeling playing this game and having that feeling that you really can go wherever you want and do whatever you like almost.

I joined GOG.com for two reasons: Master of Orion 2 and Ultima 7. I'm not going to leave a long-winded review of this game. What it means to me is very nostalgic and sappy. It is my favorite game of all time, though. If you are a 30-something who grew up in this era, you will undoubtedly appreciate this game. If you are younger and you've never played it, this is as close to a perfect game as you will find. The story is fun and engaging, there is more to do than there was in any other game of the time, and it has a wry sense of humor that holds up well over the decades. I cannot encourage anyone enough to try this game if you haven't. If you HAVE played it, you're only glancing at this wile you wait for it to download because you impulse purchased it because of how great it is. Either way, enjoy!

I still remember the insane amount of hours spent on this is game. Which, in fact, it's not a game: it's a whole world to live and explore. The most complete and entertaining videoludic experience you will ever get. If you enjoy playing RPGs, this is what you must purchase. Mandatory. No more, no less.

Ultima 7, and especially Serpent Isle, immerse you in a huge, amazingly detailed world of characters, monsters, cultures and stories that have the potential to engage you for years. There's so much to these games it's really amazing they were ever completed. Just as one example, the religion of the long extinct serpent worshippers that you discover as you explore Serpent Isle through ruins, scrolls, the half-baked stories of the current occupants, dreams, visions etc is remarkably well developed and though out, and that's just as a background to the people who actually inhabit it now. I spent so much time getting to know all the characters, completing quests, exploring dungeons, trying out different weapons and spells, accumulating treasure, discovering the secrets of the serpent gates, listening to the music on the jukebox... etc etc etc!! Inevitably there are flaws (such as the system used for storing your items and the fact that if you lose something vital it's probably gone forever and you better hope you have a save point you can restart from) but if you are someone who enjoys role playing games, or someone who appreciates a decent story, this is a no-brainer. Seriously the amount of value you will get for under $10 is crazy. It's just a shame that Ultima 8 and in particular 9 did not live up to the standard this game set. Someday I will get round to working my way backwards and trying out Ultima 6 though...