It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Mooooreee! That was your reaction when we released Ultima Underworld 1+2, it was the same when we gave you Ultima 1+2+3 and Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar (for free!). And you guys especially know that all we ever want to do is keep you guys happy, so without further ado, we bring you the Age of Enlightenment games of the fantastic Ultima series!

[url=http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/ultima_4_5_6]Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar is already released and available for free on GOG.com. You can read the description of the game in the previous news post. Why is it included in this game pack? Well, the Ultima series</a> breaks down into three trilogies, and it seemed a shame to break up the lovely symmetry.

Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny picks up on the story of the Avatar, the hero of Britannia. The country’s benevolent monarch is nowhere to be found, and an usurper named Lord Blackthorn has claimed the throne! It’s your duty as the embodiment of the Eight Virtues to make all wrongs right and recover the world of Britannia from the paws of Blackthorn and his three evil Shadowlords! This installation of the Ultima series expands on the world of Ultima 4 in a number of ways: towns are larger, have more unique buildings, and NPC interaction has evolved. With enhanced dialogues, diverse conversation topics, and a diverse array of characters, Ultima V shows that Lord British kept raising the bar for games looking to call themselves an “RPG.” The day and night cycle affects the gameplay. For example you can’t shop at night because the NPC shopkeepers are asleep! Delve into the world of Britannia and save its inhabitants & moral codex!

Ultima 6: The False Prophet starts out with a bang! You, the Avatar, are captured by demons, imprisoned, and ready to be sacrificed on an altar. Like in all those Hollywood movies, in the nick of time your friends from earlier adventures come in guns a-blazing to save you! You learn that those demon-like creatures are gargoyles, a new race that invaded Britannia and have seized the shrines of Virtue. As you venture forth on your next adventure as the Avatar, you try to understand the true motivations of gargoyles. As the embodiment of the Eight Virtues, the Avatar will understand that his mission is to establish peace and make the two races coexist in Britannia peacefully. Ultima 6 is a one of a kind game which, without over imposing it on the player, tells a story of the evil of human prejudice and ignorance. This is where the motto of [url=http://www.gog.com/en/catalogue#all_genres/publisher/Origin Systems/]Origin Systems[/url], “We create worlds”, is best visible and it really steps up to its name!

Play the full “second” trilogy of Ultima 4+5+6! Now available DRM-free on GOG.com for $5.99.

Note: The character import function does not work yet, but we are doing everything we can to find a solution to this problem and we will update the game as soon as we can get it worked out.
"As for other games, Gothic 2 gets damn close. So does UnReal World, really. And Minecraft I guess, and a lot of the Harvest Moon games, but those two aren't really story-driven RPGs in the same way Ultima 7 and Gothic are. "

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely have to give Gothic II a try since they have it here.
avatar
ZapMcRaygunn: "As for other games, Gothic 2 gets damn close. So does UnReal World, really. And Minecraft I guess, and a lot of the Harvest Moon games, but those two aren't really story-driven RPGs in the same way Ultima 7 and Gothic are. "

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely have to give Gothic II a try since they have it here.
Gothic 1 is less interactive in a /sense/ but it's still pretty cool. Gothic combat can be pretty hard though. You have stats, and stats matter, but unless you actually get the timing down in combat, you're going to die constantly -- and by that same token, if you're really good at the combat, you can take on foes WAY tougher than you and win.

A few points of interactivity I can remember about Gothic 2:

- You have a lot of movement options. The maps are actually built so that you can jump into areas you're not ENTIRELY supposed to be at yet. Or so you can find cool hidden stuff that way.
- IDK if you can bake bread but you CAN cook meat, and doing so is really useful becaue cooked meat restores a lot more HP than raw.
- You can learn skills that let you get sellable hides and stuff from monsters.
- PRETTY sure you can make armor to some extent.
- Usable hookahs.

Arx Fatalis is also really good in terms of interactivity, if you can get past like the first two hours which are kind of dull.

I'd also say Deus Ex qualifies in a lot of ways, although neither DX nor Arx Fatalis have NPC schedules. Arx NPCs move around throughout the course of the game, though. NPC schedules don't really make as much sense with that kind of game to be honest.

Also!

I am doing the catacombs in Ultima VIII. I am seriously loving this game. The dungeons are dripping with atmosphere and it's got this weird survival horror feel to it -- a kind of surreality, the way you're always going deeper with no clear way out. Also there's just tons of stuff to find by prodding around -- either bits of information in books, or items, or secret pitfalls.

I really need to get a handle on the combat, though. I can't just keep spamming Stone Skin every time I see a kith.
Post edited September 23, 2011 by amccour
avatar
amccour: I really need to get a handle on the combat, though. I can't just keep spamming Stone Skin every time I see a kith.
It is kinda a cheat, but when I first played U8 (and completed it) I maxed out my combat by just sitting there swinging a weapon for ages (it was TEDIOUS to do, but got my stats up quick)... after that never really had an issue in combat.
You guys should really work with Exalt to release Ultima 7 part 1 and 2. They made some amazing tweaks that allow you to play them on all modern systems. They even have a personal letter from Garriott congratulating them on a job well done.
avatar
amccour: I really need to get a handle on the combat, though. I can't just keep spamming Stone Skin every time I see a kith.
avatar
saramakos: It is kinda a cheat, but when I first played U8 (and completed it) I maxed out my combat by just sitting there swinging a weapon for ages (it was TEDIOUS to do, but got my stats up quick)... after that never really had an issue in combat.
Haha. I am not NEARLY that patient. Part of the problem actually seem to be dosbox since it has some slight timing issues. I COULD play U89x but that doesn't have sound.

I wanna see some videos of the pre-patch moving platforms, though. I'm really curious what those are like.
Just bought this compilation today; I've been an Ultima fan since Ultima V was a new (first one I ever played). I noticed that one of the documents that came with Ultima V is not available here on GOG; there is supposed to be a journal of Lord British' doomed expedition to the Underworld that provides clues to the player.