Ultima™ 9: Ascension

The game is not good but not as bad as they say either - plot is so so but still, gameplay is nothing exceptional but I have fond memories of some creative use of magic and a world design which - while not good at all - wasn't too bad either. Just pretend it isn't part of the Ultima series - doesn't fit the canon, continuity errors, etc.

the inventory system on ultima online you can carry over thousands of items

This game remains a slap in the face to every fan of the series - anyone who tells you differently is selling something.

Ok, so this is what happens when game designers are hit on the head with an anvil and suffer amnesia that makes for so many great sitcoms. Previous installments of Ultima are pretty much ignored in Ultima IX. Yes you play the Avatar, yes the cities and land remain the same, and yes, there is even a bloke named Lord British. But that is about it. This is definitely a watered down version of the earlier installments. So, for those of you that hold the Ultima Mythos as canon, this will be a huge disappointment. If your still with me, then this game is truly a guilty pleasure. The 3D environments, while dated, were quite nice at the time. The voice work is definitely AAA and has just a hint of cheese in it. The story, while not revolutionary, is decent and easy enough to follow. The characters are decent, if not enthralling. It is well worth the price point, and makes for a nice night of RPG Gaming.

I'm tempted to just put a link to The Spoony Experiment's video review of this game, but if you're curious just google it yourself. The reason this game is so despised and understandably hated though is a matter of, not just continuity, but loyalty. People hate the Star Wars prequels for 'medichlorians' (amongst other things), people hate Metroid Other M for ruining Samus' character, and people hate Ultima IX for much the same reason: taking what we know, and love, and have grown invested in, and bending it over the table. EA should pay us to not play this horrible game.