Ultima Series | Zero1Gaming

Category: Ultima Series

Paul Izod’s look back at the Ultima series of games

Ultima VII: The Black Gate Retrospective

February 5, 2015 Paul Izod Archive, Features, PC, PI, Retrospective, Reviews, Ultima Series

It’s been a fair while, but today I’m returning to my retrospective of the illustrious Ultima series of games. Last time out I looked at the first-person spin-off title to the series; Ultima Underworld and how it deviated from the main story-arc. However, today I’m going to look at what is probably the most prominent of the main canon games; Ultima VII: The Black Gate.

Now, right up front I’ll give you this disclaimer: I’m probably going to have to renounce all journalistic impartiality in this one. Ultima VII was and is one of my favourite games. It had a big impact on my as a child and will always mean a lot to me. So, while I’ll try and give a professional overview of the game, let’s face it, it’s going to be quite rose-tinted.

That being said lets dive in! Read more …

Ultima Underworld

November 21, 2013 Paul Izod PC, PI, Retro, Retrospective, Reviews, Ultima Series

As we proceed onward with our Ultima series retrospective we find ourselves for the first time outside of the main series proper as we look at spin-off title Ultima Underworld.

Deviating from the standard structure of the games up to that point, Ultima Underworld was an entirely different beast to that of its siblings, while at the same time being something of a throwback to the older titles in the series.

The game, full title Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, sees the Avatar protagonist return to the world of Britannia, summoned by the ghost of a wizard who claims his brother is enacting a plot which will see the world end. You know, the usual. The Avatar returns at the moment a baron’s daughter is kidnapped and he gets framed for the crime. The baron, who doesn’t recognise the Avatar (the most famous and iconic person in the world of Britannia mind, but suspend that disbelief!) and tasks him with retrieving the girl from where she has been taken; the eponymous Stygian Abyss. Read more …

Ultima Forever Review

August 22, 2013 Paul Izod Mobile, PI, Reviews, Ultima Series

More than any other game in my writing career so far, Ultima Forever posed a strange challenge: how do I approachdescribing my impressions of it?

The reason for this is, really, I approach it as two very different and, I must admit, disparate gamers. On one hand I come to the game as a general gamer in good standing; looking at the title on its own merits in a theoretical vacuum without pre-conceived notions as to its heritage. On the other hand, I come to the table as a long-time and loving fan of the Ultima series of games; judging it not just as a game, but as an Ultima game. While this might seem like a mere semantic difference, in fact it all the difference in the world to the verdict the game gets. Read more …

Ultima VI: The False Prophet Retrospective

July 4, 2013 Paul Izod PC, PI, Retro, Retrospective, Reviews, Ultima Series

Following on from what many consider to be the zenith of the Ultima Series at large, we come to what is possibly the most divisive game in the series proper; Ultima VI: The False Prophet.

The game has been the subject of much disagreement among the Ultima fraternity, with some lauding it as a step up from its predecessors, both in narrative and mechanic, whilst others deride it for its departure from the standard display and gameplay structures previously seen. Read more …

Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny Restrospective

April 25, 2013 Paul Izod Features, PC, PI, Retro, Retrospective, Reviews, Ultima Series

Following the success of Ultima IV, Richard Garriott was faced with something of a challenge. Just how does one follow up a game like Quest of the Avatar; a title that was not just an exemplary gaming experience but was, in retrospect, a seminal moment in interactive storytelling. It’s not exaggerating to say that Ultima IV changed the face of gaming narrative, demonstrating that there wasn’t just room for complex and profound storylines in gaming, but that the medium could enhance the telling of the story itself. What, exactly, can you do to improve on something that was already shoulders above its peers? Read more …

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar Retrospective

March 18, 2013 Paul Izod PC, PI, Retro, Retrospective, Reviews, Ultima Series

In every great game or series of games there is a tipping point, a defining moment at which the piece transitions from being merely brilliant to being something truly special. For some this a particular point in a narrative; for others it’s a particular mechanic implemented especially well. For yet others, often the most exceptional, it’s a confluence of all of these elements; a point at which the whole dynamic of a game or series shifts and steps up to another level.