Page 29 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #3

I castles, towns, tiny villages, and
f Adventure and
even ruins of fallen cities. At the
Haunted House defined
beginning of Ultima IV, the player
adventure games for the
early consoles, it would
be hard to find a game that ex- was asked several questions by
a "fortune teller." The questions
emplifies that genre on vintage were very shades-of-gray ethical
computer systems, as well as the and moral challenges to which
Ultima series. there was no real right or wrong
Richard Garriott created the answer - there was no perfect
first Ultima game, an extremely formula to answer them in such a
simplistic game which was barely way that would make the game
a step away from a text-based easier, faster, or better for you.
game as a follow-up to an en- These questions were a reflec-
tirely text-based game called tion upon the player's own lean-
Alakabeth. Ultima went over bet- ings, and determined the makeup
ter than anyone expected, and and class of his character.
was followed up very quickly with Ul- foolish enough to do so would *not* last Like Ultima III, Ultima IV challenged
tima II: Curse of the Enchantress. The very long. Ultima III, with its cloth map you to defeat an ancient evil (which,
second game was more elaborate in and the ability to interact, (at least on a once again, was sequestered away in a
scope and in its graphic look, and it very minimal level, with non-player very well-protected and hard-to-reach
ventured into territory that none of the characters in towns and castles), was island fortress), but the heart of the
other Ultimas have touched since: Ul- an engrossing adventure gaming ex- game was the player's own elevation
tima II opens perience that above that evil. In Ultima IV, an essen-
on Earth, but robbed me of tial part of your quest was to attain
then offers countless enlightenment in each of the eight
voyages to hours of my virtues. In other words, you were re-
other plan- adolescence. quired to live by a certain code of honor
ets in the Ultima III also and prove that you were better than the
solar sys- introduced a evil plaguing the land of Britannia.
tem ! (I al- feature that Bravery, compassion, honesty, justice,
ways re- was a seed of and so on all had to be upheld consis-
member the a much greater tently. Interactivity with non-player
bizarre Earth development characters at various locations was
map from for the future of increased to give you the ability to an-
Ultima II, the series: if swer truthfully or lie (and believe me,
featuring you stole the latter *would* catch up with you
very small- money or later). Killing wild creatures who were
scale, blocky approximations of the goods from someone in a town, the protecting their territory would count
various continents; judging by how guards would come after you (and, against you, as opposed to killing evil
much space one's character took up on more than likely, kill you in the ensuing or undead enemies. Ultima IV single-
these maps, one's character must have battle - so much for just facing misde- handedly elevated the adventure game
been approximately 300 miles in meanor charges and then getting on genre above the level of killing your
diameter!) Ultima II also introduced the with your life). enemies and then going through their
keystroke commands which became Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar dras- wallets.
standard for the next several install- tically changed Another
ments. the nature of feature of
Ultima III was where the series the Ultima Ultima IV
really began to kick into gear. Set games, and was that you
firmly in the non-earthly realm of Sosa- introduced started out
ria, Ultima III: Exodus pitted not just some sweeping alone on
one character, but a party consisting of changes to the your
up to four characters, against an ulti- genre as well. quest and,
mate evil that could only be defeated Compared to provided
after some very specific quest objec- Ultima III, the that your
tives had been met and preparations fourth Ultima alter ego
had been made. It was possible to game took had acted
travel to the island where the last battle place on a justly and
was to be fought before undergoing all *huge* map, fairly, you
of the pre-requisite trials...but anyone peppered with would meet
Ultima V
Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2000 29