Ultima™ 7 The Complete Edition

I still remember reading the review in PC Format worrying about how I was going to clear the HD space for this massive game!

If you haven't played Ultima 7: The Black Gate, you are missing out on what I believe is the very best RPG in video game history. It features a massive open world like Skyrim, a conversational narrative akin to Mass Effect 1 and 2, and a living, breathing world where every NPC has a life of their own. The sprite-based graphics are colorful and still wonderful, even 22 years later. The music is subtle, almost ambient at times, and fits the emotion and character of each moment, each town, and each environment perfectly. The combat is simple: employing auto-attacks and a handful of AI selections to customize your party's strategy in real time, ultimately keeping the flow of the journey going without turning combat into a chore. And lastly, the story is one of the most memorable in the genre. Both a murder mystery and a discovery of a threatening evil, no other game has such a focused, linear story existing in a completely open, non-linear world. Add to it the massive amounts of side quests and characters in every town that further pull you into a world that you will never want to leave. I can say, without a doubt, that my love for this game is not mere nostalgia. This is a genuine masterpiece of the craft, and I encourage every RPG fan, young or old, to discover the world that is Ultima 7.

When I purchased this game, I initially felt that my enjoyment was driven by nostalgia as I remembered playing it in my parents basement in high school. However I have to admit that I have continued to be thrilled by it, not because it brings back memories of childhood, but because it is by far the best RPG ever created. The story is Tolkienesque in it's depth and the characters go far beyond the one dimensional cliches. Don't let the clunky graphics, inventory management and combat dishearten you. This is truly a game for the ages that you will not be disappointed in. However, I must warn you that it's worth it to have a pen and paper to jot down details every so often. There are no quest markers in this game nor is there an in game log. You'll have to become comfortable with reading lattitude and longitude into order to make your way around. You'll also need to become proficient in the runic language of the land. This is a game for people who like to use their brains. The puzzles are challenging and fun and there's real satisfaction in solving the multi-layered mystery of what's happening in Brittania. I don't want to provide any spoilers but I would strongly recommend that you purchase this and explore the vast, open-ended world of Britannia with all of its characters and mysteries. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This review is based on my experience playing the game in 20202, and is not weighted for nostalgia. This is another old game I bought when it was originally released, but never finished for one reason or another. Fast forward to 2020, and I discovered for reasons unknown to me, Ultima 7 is in my GoG library. The game really looked terrible on my 4k 55" monitor, so I installed Exult, which allowed me to sharpen up the graphics, and provide improved audio. After tweaking Exult, the game looks and sounds surprisingly well. The game immediately starts out with a fun murder mystery that quickly pulled me in. I was enjoying questioning the townsfolk of Trinsic, searching locations of interest, piecing the puzzle together. Eventually The Avatar determined he needed to travel to Britain to question to people of interest. "You just missed them, the went to Minoc!" Then to Vesper, Paws, Moonglow, Jhelom, back to Britain.. Clearly the game was more enamored with the concept of "you just missed them!" than I was. Yes, we can move The Avatar pixel around the map. Fascinating. When can we advance the story? I probably would have continued playing if there had been a major plot development after quickly catching up to the persons of interest. Along our many pointless travels, each and every animal the party encountered became hostile and attacked. Aside from this being a complete misunderstanding of animal behavior, it's tedious, unnecessary, and time consuming. I think I would have been much more inclined to slog through the "traditional RPG" elements of this game as a teenager back in the early 90's. Not so much in 2020.

The game plays like the original. That said, the original had General Midi soundtrack for those lucky enough to own and Roland soundcard. It even allowed the effects of the SoundBlaster & General midi combined. The GOG version seems to support only the Adlib music, which is a shame as the General Midi soundtrack was epic.