Ultima™ 1+2+3

So I played these games for like, the first time in my life (not counting any previous attempts, which were more of "try for minute or two, then die and get bored of it") and it only took me 3 days to finish them all, with only few hints from online and zero walktrough. So what does one think of 3 really old RPG's when that person has zero nostalgia for them and ignores all the "historical aspects" that clearly should warrant full-five stars no matter if the gameplay isn't that great anymore? Well, I had fun with it. Ultima 1 is quite straightforward. Go around places, kill things and try to figure out how to win the game. Its crude and simple, but if you can put your mind through it and get a grip of the gameplay mechanics, you might have some fun with it. Plus the mid-late game brings in bunch of crazy stuff that while are really out of place in a medieval setting (out of place especially for someone who has only played Ultima's 4-9, like me), they do make the game bit more special. Overall, its 2 stars out of 5. Ultima 2 is pretty much the same, except with more craziness. Its also lot more cryptic and even if I managed to figure out what to do without help, lot of guessing and trying was involved. While setting is interesting, its definitely the weakest of all Ultima games. Still warrants 2 out of 5 for me, since I did figure all out by myself. Ultima 3 on the other hand is where it gets better. While all the whacky stuff is gone, the game now is much more easier to understand since it sticks with your standard fantasy setting. It also introduces expanded combat and magic system, minimal interaction thats still more worthwhile than in Ultima 2 (most of the townsfolk now give useful hints, rather than speak generic lines) and overall is lot more fun to play and the world is much more interesting to explore. Its 3 out of 5. Bottom line, a really mixed bag. If you wanna start out with Ultima games and play something worthwhile, you might as well skip these three and start out from 4-6. They're not bad games, especially Ultima 3 which is actually worth playing, but just old and weird. Hints are cryptic and require lot of thinking and just basic guessing and old-fashioned RPG mechanics are definitely not for everyone, especially since things like levelling up have little to no actual meaning in Ultima 1 and 2. Fantasy is mixed up with stuff like time and space travel and in Ultima 2 you have do both a lot to save the world. I recommend this for those who are used to old RPG's or total Ultima nuts. Me? I've moved on to Ultima IV and I dont plan to go back for a long time.

Ultima 1 is a really cool 8-bit sandbox of simple but fun gameplay mechanics. It's surprisingly still enjoyable to play. The version included in this package is the 1987 remake - the original was never released for DOS. What I find most interesting about it is how you can fulfill the prerequisites to get access to the final boss and beat the game just by playing it aimlessly and experiencing everything there is to do. Ultima 2 is mixed bag. If you are able to withstand it's shortcomings, there are some really cool things in this game. Exploration is much improved from the first game, with portals that take you back and forth between different time periods on Earth and entire alien planets to explore. Unfortunately, it's held back by the fact everything in the game costs money, including leveling up and healing. Earning exp amounts to nothing, you literally have to buy level ups. To make matters worse, you cannot sell loot, so money is only earned by defeating enemies. This turns an otherwise enjoyable game into a boring grind. Ultima 3 is an absolute classic that is largely responsible for setting up the blueprint for what RPG videogames would be in the 8 and 16-bit era. It's the first game in the series where you control a party of heroes. Combat now takes place in a battle screen. The magic system is far more developed and gives the player a lot of options. The world is full of secrets and mysteries to unravel. The dungeons are all unique and way better designed. Oh, and now you can sell your loot, so there's a great reason to explore everything. If you like RPGs from the 80s and haven't played this one yet, you are missing out. Both Ultima 2 and 3 are much better experienced using the upgrade patches from The Exodus Project, which are 100% compatible with these versions. Just make sure you follow the installation instructions correctly.

There's a lot to like about these games (even number 2) if you put in the dedication and patience, and take them just for what they are. Don't be afraid to use a walkthrough either, because in my opinion there is a fair bit of moon logic going on... To clear up some misconceptions I've read in other reviews though (because I'm pedantic that way), all of the Ultima games up to V were originally released on the Apple II and then ported to the PC. As far as I'm aware, Ultima I was actually only ported AFTER Ultima II, hence the fact that it has better graphics than its sequel. The version here, as far as I can tell, is the original with EGA graphics, and I've never found a version that had CGA like Ultima II. I'm sure everybody needed to know that ;)

Yea, I'm that older guy that still plays video games. Heh.

Each of the first four Ultima games surpassed the previous one by leaps and bounds. Ultima 1 was OK by 1981 standards; Ultima 2 added a great deal of complexity to the game world; Ultima 3 eased up on the game world and made it more consistent, while adding a full-fledged party system; Ultima 4 took the best elements of 3, refined them, expanded everything, and made one of the most profound games of the 20th century. (Purists would argue Ultima 5 is better still, since it took the systems of Ultima 4 and added all manner of details everywhere, tweaking them to a degree of detail and perfection that it shows intimations more of NetHack than a modern mainstream RPG. I can see their point of view. I prefer Ultima 4, for exactly the same reasons.) What you get in this package is, essentially, the build-up to the all-time classic that is Ultima 4. For my money, Ultima 1 and 2 are unplayable. I played games like Telengard back in the day, so I can see their appeal at the time. But for modern players I cannot see any appeal whatsoever. Ultima 3 is interesting primarily for the way that it foreshadows the more perfected combat system and more refined world of Ultima 4. It is at least playable. It doesn't have the nonsensical sci-fi elements of Ultima 1 and 2: it's absolutely straight-faced high fantasy. If you like anything about Ultima 1 or Ultima 2, it'll be the blend of high fantasy and sci-fi, and Arcanum does it better. Gameplay is frankly terrible. Ultima 3 has enormously better gameplay, but everything that's good about it, Ultima 4 does better. I can still see the appeal of this collection, especially Ultima 3, but the appeal still mainly relies on nostalgia, and awareness of the subsequent highs of Ultima 4 and 5.