Ultima™ IV: Quest of the Avatar

I love Ultima IV, but on - any other version - than the IBM DOS one. No music? CGA graphics? Come on. DOSBox as a vehicle to preserve 1980s-1990s games is a questionable decision, given that the IBM PC with CGA graphics and 1-bit speaker or other pre-Soundblaster audio gives one of the worst experiences for games from this era. The Atari ST, Amiga and even the C64 versions of games like Ultima IV, when available, would give a much better experience graphically and sonically. Please, GOG, consider re-releasing these games as versions running under emulations of the more capable machines of the era. Emulators like STeem could be licensed for many games I am sure.

It's hard to imagine how a game so old could contain so many elements we consider advanced today. The choice system which affects NPC behaviour, the massive open world, the various modes of transport - it's all here and the game is perfectly balanced. You'll need a pen and paper handy as the game doesn't hold your hand (no arrows or quest reminders here) however this just makes the game seem more real and worthy of your efforts, there is a lot of information to gather and everything NPC has worthwhile things to say. Despite the dated graphics the game feels a lot more "real" that more modern efforts, every action has consequences and each time you make a discovery it feels as though you deserved it. It's free and it's brilliant - what's not to like?

I love this game, played it all the time as a kid, but where's the sound with this download??? One thing I used to love about the game was the melody that accompanied it, but it's absent from this GOG release. What gives?

I dare to say it: there was no C-RPGs before this game. All right, you had some pretty decent dungeon-crawlers, and a few daring experiences, but this is the real thing. You don't have to kill the bad guy: you have to become a hero. No, you can't barge in people's house an take everything without consequences, yes, you sometimes have to show compassion and let wounded monsters flee, show courage and refuse to flee yourself, always give the best you've got. Cause tomorrow, you just won't be the common hero. Tomorrow, you're gonna become the Avatar. Enjoy. It only happens once in a lifetime.

I played this game when it first released. It has amazing depth. the graphics for the time were top notch. I still have found memories of it, and will be playing thru it with my kids.