This game clearly tries to emulate the gameplay and feel of old Ultima games. They have succeeded in this, and although I have not played much, I can tell I will like the game overall. My rating reflects the fact that this is run through an Apple II/e emulator, or at least it is designed to look that way. This includes a long-ish load time, clunky interface, and very slow input response. While true to what games were like decades ago, these design decisions make the game a bit of a chore to play - especially the half second input lag. I can't help thinking that this would be a five star game for me, with some minor improvements to the controls. They could easily have implemented all of this without actually programming the game on an Apple II/e, and given people the option to make the controls less sluggish. The story and world look interesting. The graphics are intentionally dated, and have their own charm. Those controls, though. In my opinion, they went a step too far in their desire to capture the 'old-school' feel. The nostalgia will keep me playing...barely. To those who didn't grow up with Ultima: this may not be for you.
Seriously, the best parts of this game are the death sequences. They were all great, and some were truly hilarious. They'll be even better now that I don't have to plug another quarter after every death (just the 100 quarters that they are asking for up front). That said, the main value in these games is in the animation. If you aren't into that, you may not find them that interesting, as they are entirely quick time events and aren't very long. However, if you like old animation, these games have a ton of charm. For me, I'll pick them up for the nostalgia alone.
