Ultima 1-3 worth playing?

[Protoman25]

I've dabbled in the Ultima series a bit throughout the years. The only one I've actually beat was Ultima IV which I loved. I've heard one or two people mention 1-3 aren't usually worth playing due to them being exceptionally grindy. Is there any truth to that? I started up Ultima 1 a couple of days ago but I haven't invested so much time to where I can't abandon ship.

 

[DigDog]

oh god, i was a child when it was ok to play ultima

 

[Protoman25]

oh god, i was a child when it was ok to play ultima

Hey man it's always okay to play Ultima :biggrin:

 

[ControlD]

Hey man it's always okay to play Ultima :biggrin:

I really liked Ultima 3, but I think it was 1986 when I played it. I never could get into the first two though, probably because Ultima 3 was so much more advanced than the first two as far as story and mechanics went.

I say give it a shot. I played through Ultima 5 not too long ago and it was still fun.

 

[Protoman25]

My playthrough of Ultima 4 was about a year ago and I enjoyed it well enough. Fighting the doppelgangers of your party in the final dungeon was so intense. I would spoiler tag it but I figure the statute of limitations ran out on that game over a decade ago lol

I'll probably keep going with Ultima 1, hopefully the grind isn't quite as bad as what I've heard.

 

[Fallen Kell]

I have to say I havn't played them in a long time, but they were definitely a lot of hours of my youth spent on those games. If I recall correctly, you really need to have the manual and other documents that came in the original box for you to figure out what to do. There were all kinds of hints/hidden codes in those documents which (in the time before most people had internet) were needed in order to progress.

I guess now you can just look on the web, but that isn't the same thing as figuring it out back then...

 

[linthat22]

Check out Spoony's (Noah Antwiler) review of the Ultima series and see if you want to play 1-3.

 

[DigDog]

i remember trying to play it on an .. oh god, apple? or some stone age ibm, anyway, it was 1-save only so if we screwed up this guy's older brother was gonna kill us, plus you had to memorize all the spells, so we never managed to play it.

if you want a great retro experience, play wasteland.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

They were legendary games in their times and perhaps the first RPGs, but they are so heavily outdated now, it seems like time would be better spent playing modern RPGs when so many high quality offerings have been produced over the past two decades.

 

[DefDC]

Maybe 10 years ago, I found on online version of Ultima 3 and got about 1/2 through it again. I think it holds up. But, find and print a spell list. I'm sure U3 is available on GOG for next to nothing. I'd do it, if you can appreciate older games. U3 was definitely a game changer (no pun intended) in advanced party based RPGs. Heck, this might have been one of the first open-world games.

It's been ages since I played Ultima 2, which even back in the eighties, I played AFTER U3, but I still really enjoyed it. I've never played U1. Since it's maze only, I don't think I'd be nearly as interested. I should take a stab at it, once my Steam catalog is clear. (!!!)

 

[Sulaco]

You'd probably have a lot more fun just watching Spoony's Ultima Series Retrospective.

One of the most die-hard Ultima fans around, and gives a look at how archaic the games would be today.

 

[Protoman25]

They were legendary games in their times and perhaps the first RPGs, but they are so heavily outdated now, it seems like time would be better spent playing modern RPGs when so many high quality offerings have been produced over the past two decades.

I love playing old RPGs. Sometimes moreso than the newer ones. Playing through Ultima IV, archaic as it is, was surprisingly a lot of fun and pretty memorable as well.

I already own Ultima 1-9 on GOG and while I really want to play the better ones (like 7 or 8) I feel like I'd be doing the series a disservice if I skipped all the earlier ones.

I actually played a bit of Ultima 1 since I posted the question on here and while I can see the merit to it somewhat, it truly is a grindfest. Grind grind grind buy food heal grind grind grind wander around so on and so forth. Not being able to talk to people threw me off for a good half hour. I was convinced the keyboard guide I had was wrong haha

 

[Craig234]

I would say if you like Ultimate check out the games at spiderwebsoftware.com.

They're often on ridiculously cheap sales on Steam and gog.

 

[ControlD]

I would say if you like Ultimate check out the games at spiderwebsoftware.com.

They're often on ridiculously cheap sales on Steam and gog.

Those are good games for sure, but they don't really play much like the older Ultima games IMO. They are more like the old Infinity Engine games to me.

Lords of Xulima looks like the spiritual successor to the old Ultima games to me, and I keep meaning to give that game a shot.

 

[DefDC]

Right, if you have time and access to a full gaming rig, you'd be better off playing a new AAA game. But if you're somewhere with no internet access or only have access to a meager PC, Ultima 3 would give you a great RPG fix.

Every so often, I fire up an ancient classic on my low power TV/Browser laptop and get sucked in. BaldursGates/UT99/Ultima3/Gothic1 are good examples...

 

[Protoman25]

Right, if you have time and access to a full gaming rig, you'd be better off playing a new AAA game. But if you're somewhere with no internet access or only have access to a meager PC, Ultima 3 would give you a great RPG fix.

Every so often, I fire up an ancient classic on my low power TV/Browser laptop and get sucked in. BaldursGates/UT99/Ultima3/Gothic1 are good examples...

I love me some Gothic 1 and 2 :thumbsup:

 

[DefDC]

I love me some Gothic 1 and 2 :thumbsup:

Yeah, I'd love for those to get a cosmetic upgrade. The gameplay and story is fine!

 

[Protoman25]

Yeah, I'd love for those to get a cosmetic upgrade. The gameplay and story is fine!

Amen. I've not played many games where there is as much to it as with Gothic 1 and 2. Sure they're smaller than some games but they're so dense with substance. Unlike Skyrim, which I do enjoy don't get me wrong, but the saying "a mile wide and an inch deep" fits the bill pretty well with that game I think.

 

[Craig234]

Those are good games for sure, but they don't really play much like the older Ultima games IMO. They are more like the old Infinity Engine games to me.

Lords of Xulima looks like the spiritual successor to the old Ultima games to me, and I keep meaning to give that game a shot.

I think they are games someone who likes Ultima is likely going to like.

 

[ControlD]

I think they are games someone who likes Ultima is likely going to like.

Probably true.

 

[nakedfrog]

I love playing old RPGs. Sometimes moreso than the newer ones. Playing through Ultima IV, archaic as it is, was surprisingly a lot of fun and pretty memorable as well.

I already own Ultima 1-9 on GOG and while I really want to play the better ones (like 7 or 8) I feel like I'd be doing the series a disservice if I skipped all the earlier ones.

I actually played a bit of Ultima 1 since I posted the question on here and while I can see the merit to it somewhat, it truly is a grindfest. Grind grind grind buy food heal grind grind grind wander around so on and so forth. Not being able to talk to people threw me off for a good half hour. I was convinced the keyboard guide I had was wrong haha

I think you'd be fine just playing 4-6 before 7-8.

 

[Protoman25]

I think you'd be fine just playing 4-6 before 7-8.

Yeah I'm thinking I might just give up on 1-3 and probably just watch the Spoony videos and keep my Avatars quest going with Ultima 5.

 

[Oyeve]

No no and no. Hell, I recently bought all of em for like 10 buck (steam, gog or someother site) and I cant even stomach looking at VII or VIII. This series needs a serious overhaul. Play Skyrim instead.

 

[gsilver]

The Me of 20 years ago had an extremely rough time with Ultima 2 and 3, though I managed to beat Ultima 1. The trick was to find a town where you could steal and successfully escape without fighting the guards... Made my life much easier.

I mostly remember that The Ultima Collection release of Ultima 2 had a moongate that led to an area that was all mountains so you couldn't move at all, though this may have been a result of a defective disk.

4 and 5 were much more playable. I beat both, and have even replayed them.


6-7 started to introduce systems that I didn't like (like having to individually feed your party members) and I never got into them, but I at least tried both.


As for playing them today... it'll probably be rough. The important story bits start at Ultima 4, though.

 

[StinkyPinky]

IMO Ultima 1-3 are unplayable almost. Just very very crude. Some things don't age well.

Technically Ultima 7 onwards at least resemble a somewhat modern game.