For true fans of the ultima Series, this was the greatest slap in the face possible. Not only was Canon ignored, but ruined as memorable characters were defiled, plot points from previous games ignored save for some, the character becoming absolutely dim witted even as he experiences things in the game then ignoring them later on, and the very ending of the preceding ultima title being forgotten.
If you played any other ultima game, this one was EA's way of saying "Screw the canon, make us money." And it showed as Richard Garriot's vision was lost back in Ultima 7.
But... Looking BEYOND the Ultima lable, it IS a decent game for the time. Aside from the bugs, and crashprone nature of it back when it was released, it was worth an investment to check out the new technology, and it was fun to explore the world. Some quests were crap, and the game was linear and repeated the same brigands, rats, spiders, and idiotic NPCs attempting to fight the Avatar with their bare fists, but it was worth it for a laugh or two.
Is it a good ultima game? No. Is it a good game at all? No. But, it isn't a bad "Game" considering the era, and the new technologies. And all the "what's a Paladin?" and "I'm not entirely sure..." jokes only serve as a reminder of a fanbase that was forgotten at the end of a long road.
P.S. Will all Spoony fans stop. Yes, his reviews did detail how bad the game was. But, his review was focused more or less on the storyline. I love Spoony. Spoony got me into doing my own Lets Play series. But I watched the same review as you all. It showed how bad the game's tie ins, story, and some glitches, bugs, and crashes were. but it did not showcase enough of the game to get a good idea. It was an excellent review, but it serves best to Ultima fans, not those who do not hold the series to their heart.
