Ultima™ Underworld 1+2

I know the graphics aren't anything like the cgi in games now...but THIS was groundbreaking when it was released! I played it almost nonstop the first playthrough. Then went back and found so much I'd missed on the first round! For years I have bemoaned the fact that I couldn't play it on current computers.

I was stunned by how advanced this game was when I first played it in 1999, seven years after its release. Since it came out it has been incredibly influential, being a direct influence for The Elder Scrolls, System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Bioshock and even the likes of id software's games, Half Life 2 and Tomb Raider. I only finished it for the first time recently and believe it to be still top of the pile - none of its descendants come close! The game is essentially a real-time, first-person 3d dungeon crawler, and so has elements in common with these. What it brings into the mix is the openness of an Ultima world: you can play it in so many different ways. I think it's possible to be able to complete the game if you kill practically every character... and also if you only kill about two. One of the faster speed runs on youtube clocks in at just over seventeen minutes - the game's so open that you can practically just walk to the end if you know how to get there. Playing if for real will require much conversation, mystery-solving and fighting, making a full play-through more than forty hours long. The fact that this game stands the test of time is a testament to the fact that it wasn't just a tech demo but a masterclass in game design!

Despite how the interface may first appear, this game can be played quite comfortably with a mouse and keyboard in tandem. Right-click and drag on stuff to interact universally, bypassing the archaic verb commands. Compared to other PC games of the time (excluding Doom, which is almost timeless), it has aged fine. The beginning of the immersive sim (see System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex), and a terrific showing for first-person RPGs if you are willing to look past the visual limitations and awkward jumping (use shift-J). The first game has a great atmosphere I wish more games tried, and the second ties more into the main Ultima series and has greater diversity and story. They definitely ask you to take notes yourself (which you can do on the map) and check every nook and cranny, so be prepared to take it slow and use the reference card/manual. This game gives the player a huge amount of freedom, but you can hang yourself with all that rope if you don't pay attention. Personally, I recommend having good magic stats for the utility over limited potions, but neglecting other stats can be deadly. Prepare for a great and challenging dungeon-crawling experience!

3 words. I LOVE YOU!!! Now bring on the ultima collection, the 2 worlds of Ultima games, and I will die happy.

The best game ever done, with Ultima 7 of course. Welcome back Avatar, happy to see you again.