These games - particularly the first two - are some of my all time favorites. I find myself going back to them almost every year - always intent on completing all 5, but always stymied by some kind of tech issue along the way. It will truly be an epic accomplishment if GOG has resolved all the bugs these games were littered with. The first two games are remarkably innovative and do a delightful job of balancing light-hearted adventure with more solemn and scary moments. Corey Cole's writing is top notch, and there is a palpable sense of fun that just oozes through the gameplay. Things went down-hill later on - particularly the perfunctory third game, which feels totally incomplete. The fourth was a decent return to form, though it felt a little too much like it was trying too hard to recapture the old times. The fifth was ok - a pretty solid conclusion. The real shame is there were never any further games in the series, nor any games since that have really successfully recaptured the spirit of the original 2. If you do pick this up, make sure you pick up the outstanding VGA remake of the 2nd game by AGD: http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/qfg2/ Truly a labor of love that improves remarkably on the original. Anyway despite the gripes, this series is still pretty bitching
This game gets an unfairly bad rap, partly because it has so much squandered potential, and partly because it was a drop in quality for a series that had up to then prided itself on excellence. Add to that the fact that it was a significant departure in design from the last several games in the series (though if you look at Ultima overall, the series had always been about reinventing itself) and you have a game that tends to be hated by a highly vocal group of people. The fact is the game does have a lot going for it, so much so, that the real heart-break comes from seeing just how good this game could have been with just a few more months of development. The music and atmosphere are great, and the the world wonderfully intriguing. The magic systems in particular had enormous potential: the game attempted to create no less than 5 different types of magic, each of which worked in different ways. Necromancy for instance, had you creating complicated rituals to prepare your spells, rather than just simply clicking to fire it off. Unfortunately this too failed to execute as well as it might have, but the ideas are present enough to enjoy. Overall the game is frustrating. The jumping is a bit annoying, but with the patch, not even close to as bad as some would say. It is flawed but also unique, and well-worth checking out if you're a fairly patient rpg fan looking for something different.
Arguably the best RPG of all time, certainly one of the best games period. The ending still gives me chills.
Great game, loads of fun, tons of character. There are many imperfect elements, but all are overlookable when it comes to the fun this game brings.
This game is one of the greatest achievements in computer game storytelling. The relationship built between the player and his alien friend is just heartbreakingly beautiful. The game itself is fun, if often excessively difficult/bordering on unfair. Havent played the GOG version yet but looking forward to an easy mode!!!
