Ultima™ 4+5+6

Ultima 4 is where the series set a standard that many games still have difficulty matching. Ultima 4 introduces a conversation system unique for its time. Space was very limited during this time period and Origin masterfully tells a narrative through a system that flows forward through the use of keywords. There is a great video out there that shows this in action just do a search for Ultima 4. This system allowed for Origin to tell a story (though limited by today’s standards) when combined with imagination brought forth an epic quest that may not have stood the test of time graphically, but is still enjoyable when you let your imagination go. This is the where the series becomes the evolutionary driver in CRPG’s. With Ultima 4the goal moves away from the standard RPG “acquire as much experience and the one or three special items required to kill the boss” to “become a person of virtue”, a revolutionary concept that hasn’t been surpassed to this day. Ultima 5 is my personal favorite in the series. It tells a narrative darker and broader than any of its predecessors. It builds upon the concept of virtue and brings in shades of gray. The story is even more enjoyable if you played Ultima 4, due to the emotional investment you’ll have toward the world you are thrown into. Ultima 5 expands on Ultima 4’s achievements and truly creates a masterpiece of dark fantasy. Ultima 6 was the first in the series to utilize VGA. It has some quirks with the GUI system that will frustrate people who are used to a modern intuitive interface. Origin realized this and improved upon the interface with Ultima 7. Once you get used to the GUI it’s functional and won’t inhibit the experience. The narrative is interesting. Some find it to be a little preachy. Personally, I enjoyed it. Not as much as 5, but still a great experience. When looking at these games with a historical perspective you will be truly impressed by a massive world brought to life with extremely limited technology. These games are old. Know what you’re getting into. Retro gamers who love RPG’s will love these. They are deep games that show the evolution of Computer Gaming with each edition of the series. These games created a standard that drove the genre forward. The character creation system in Morrowind pays homage to the system found in Ultima 4-6. These games fall into a category that I can only describe as a historically vital part of Computer Gaming culture. They may not be for everyone, but every gamer has experienced the effect of this evolutionary series.

Since Ultima III there was music and sound effects beyond a scratchy PC speaker in the Ultimas, and yet due to a too-heavy reliance on lacking IBM PC ports from DOS, we get inferior music-less releases here. They lack the fun and feel I remember, hearing a tune when the game opens, or a foreboding bit of music in Blackthorne's castle. TIme for GOG to wean itself from the teat of DOS ports and give us a few more options. The Commodore 128, FM-Towns, and other platforms had music for Ultima 5, and while I realize a Commodore emulator box is not on GOG's radar perhaps, is there no way to patch in some of that music? Was there no MIDI music available in the various community-made patches since?

Ultima V was the first game I got really deeply into. The RPG mechanics were solid and fun to play, but the true draw was in the writing. It was the first game where I felt like I was playing in a living, breathing world. People got up and went to work each day, had families, and individual personalities and motivations. Even today it stands as a masterpiece of game design.

Although Ultima 3 for the NES was my first Ultima it wasn't what hooked me forever on the Ultima Series. That honor goes to Ultima 6 when I played it on my brand new 486. These games deserve a place in any gamer's library. However, my main reason for this 'review" is to address the compatibility problems that people are having with 5 & 6 in Windows Vista and 7. The games were not working for me either (Windows 7), but I ran the "Graphic mode setup" application located in the game folder in the Start Menu. From here you can launch the games and play them. Its not a perfect solution as these games should run perfectly fine (and have for years using Dosbox manually), but if you're having trouble, give this work-around a shot. I hope this helps.