Ultima IV is IMHO one of, if not the best classic RPG of the 1980s for any platform. GOG offers this game for free so you really don't have anything to lose. There is not any hand-holding to speak of in this game though and you really need to read the downloadable PDF versions of the command reference, the Book of History and the Spell Book to know how to play and what's going on. Other than what is in the books, everything you need to know in this game you will have to discover for yourself. You accomplish this by talking to the characters that populate the various towns and settlements. The coversation system is very simple though and you won't get the information you need until you know exactly what you need to say to someone. Also there are plenty of characters that are simply there for window dressing that don't have any useful information. You will need to keep very detailed notes for yourself. There isn't any in-game journal or anything to remind you of what a character said about a topic or where to go to find something. I like to turn off full-screen mode and keep a notepad window open and just note down what characters say that I think might be important later. The game itself may be very simple in terms of graphics, sound and interface but the story itself is very deep. There are a lot of sub-quests and tasks that must be completed to reach the final end to the game. Each one of these feels like a true accomplishment and rewards you enough to keep on playing. Perhaps I'm looking at this game through the lens of nostalgia but I've had a great time revisiting Ultima IV.
