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05-04-16 04:00 AM
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05-04-16 04:00 AM
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The Game That Set Standards in RPG

 
Game's Ratings
Overall
Graphics
Sound
Addictiveness
Depth
Story
Difficulty
Average User Score
9
7
8
10
8
10
7
Monkeyboy123's Score
9.4
7
8
10
8
10
7

05-04-16 04:00 AM
Monkeyboy123 is Offline
| ID: 1267949 | 743 Words

Monkeyboy123
Level: 13


POSTS: 12/25
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Ultima IV will always be more than just a game for me, it was also a gateway into a new world that my younger, wide-eyed self would spend hours and hours exploring. I didn't know it at the time, but Ultima IV was creating my love of the role-playing genre, so much so that the soundtrack to the game is still the default background music in my head.

The game itself is simple enough to pick up and play, but complex enough to require tactics, especially when it comes to turn based fighting and using your carefully gathered resources. There is something satisfying about the crunching footstep noise that accompanies every move you make on the square-based maps, not knowing whether you will randomly encounter an enemy. The footsteps becoming more high-pitched and urgent should you become poisoned, when every step then drains part of your life. Can I make it back to a healer in time? Do I have the right ingredients to mix a Cure Poison potion?

The game begins with you answering a set of quite deep, moral-based questions, in order to determine what kind of character you should be. I spend ages restarting the game and answering each question differently, until I realised that each character class has a dominant trait and you are basically choosing between each character class with every choice you make. This moral-based beginning actually sets the tone for what the overall game is about. You aren't some sort of crusader setting out to defeat an all-powerful bad guy. Instead, you are a humble citizen (usually a shepherd or paladin for me) who has the opportunity to become the embodiment of eight different virtues, the ultimate good guy!

Every decision you made within the game determined your progress towards attaining each of these virtues, with the overall goal to become a leader within the land of Brittania, an Avatar. This level of consequence of each action was way ahead of its time and can be seen a fore-runner of choosing your alignment within future RPGs. Everything you did mattered. Each time you spoke with an in-game character the dialogue may have a major influence on the outcome of the game.

The world of Brittania itself was huge and each character began their journey in a different part of it. Some parts were inaccessible at first and you had to fight your way across the map regardless of where you began. You may acquire a horse to speed up movement (and outrun the bad guys) or perhaps a boat to set sail across the seas and discover some of the game's hidden islands and secrets.

But you didn't have to explore the world alone. Once again incorporating concepts ahead of its time, Ultima IV allowed you to gather a party of adventurers, each with different skills and abilities that complemented each other. You could find these people to join you dotted throughout the world, one of each character class.

Graphics - 7
The graphics were typical of other Sega Master System games of the time. Ultima IV did represent a leap forward compared to previous games in the Ultima series. 

Sound - 8
I played the game for so long that the soundtrack is forever embedded within my brain. The sounds of battle and the excitement of whether you are going to get a satisfying HIT sound, or the slightly scarier MISS sound, plus the high-pitched sound of moving while poisoned, all combine to create a great atmosphere.

Addictiveness - 10
I spent many hours, days and weeks of my youth playing this game. It is extremely addictive as there is so much to explore. 

Depth - 10
One of the largest games at the time of its release, it still takes a while for a newbie to explore the world of Brittania and work out the intricacies of achieving Avatarhood.

Story - 8
The story itself was revolutionary at the time, instead of being a selfish stat-obsessed hero, you had to actually immerse yourself within the goals of the game and work towards the overall story arc.

Difficulty - 7
While some aspects of the story may have been difficult to work out without lots of interactions and exploring, the dungeons themselves can be made easier by having the right resources.

Overall - 9.4
Go on, treat yourself to an adventure within the game that set the standard for so many aspects of future RPGs. 
Ultima IV will always be more than just a game for me, it was also a gateway into a new world that my younger, wide-eyed self would spend hours and hours exploring. I didn't know it at the time, but Ultima IV was creating my love of the role-playing genre, so much so that the soundtrack to the game is still the default background music in my head.

The game itself is simple enough to pick up and play, but complex enough to require tactics, especially when it comes to turn based fighting and using your carefully gathered resources. There is something satisfying about the crunching footstep noise that accompanies every move you make on the square-based maps, not knowing whether you will randomly encounter an enemy. The footsteps becoming more high-pitched and urgent should you become poisoned, when every step then drains part of your life. Can I make it back to a healer in time? Do I have the right ingredients to mix a Cure Poison potion?

The game begins with you answering a set of quite deep, moral-based questions, in order to determine what kind of character you should be. I spend ages restarting the game and answering each question differently, until I realised that each character class has a dominant trait and you are basically choosing between each character class with every choice you make. This moral-based beginning actually sets the tone for what the overall game is about. You aren't some sort of crusader setting out to defeat an all-powerful bad guy. Instead, you are a humble citizen (usually a shepherd or paladin for me) who has the opportunity to become the embodiment of eight different virtues, the ultimate good guy!

Every decision you made within the game determined your progress towards attaining each of these virtues, with the overall goal to become a leader within the land of Brittania, an Avatar. This level of consequence of each action was way ahead of its time and can be seen a fore-runner of choosing your alignment within future RPGs. Everything you did mattered. Each time you spoke with an in-game character the dialogue may have a major influence on the outcome of the game.

The world of Brittania itself was huge and each character began their journey in a different part of it. Some parts were inaccessible at first and you had to fight your way across the map regardless of where you began. You may acquire a horse to speed up movement (and outrun the bad guys) or perhaps a boat to set sail across the seas and discover some of the game's hidden islands and secrets.

But you didn't have to explore the world alone. Once again incorporating concepts ahead of its time, Ultima IV allowed you to gather a party of adventurers, each with different skills and abilities that complemented each other. You could find these people to join you dotted throughout the world, one of each character class.

Graphics - 7
The graphics were typical of other Sega Master System games of the time. Ultima IV did represent a leap forward compared to previous games in the Ultima series. 

Sound - 8
I played the game for so long that the soundtrack is forever embedded within my brain. The sounds of battle and the excitement of whether you are going to get a satisfying HIT sound, or the slightly scarier MISS sound, plus the high-pitched sound of moving while poisoned, all combine to create a great atmosphere.

Addictiveness - 10
I spent many hours, days and weeks of my youth playing this game. It is extremely addictive as there is so much to explore. 

Depth - 10
One of the largest games at the time of its release, it still takes a while for a newbie to explore the world of Brittania and work out the intricacies of achieving Avatarhood.

Story - 8
The story itself was revolutionary at the time, instead of being a selfish stat-obsessed hero, you had to actually immerse yourself within the goals of the game and work towards the overall story arc.

Difficulty - 7
While some aspects of the story may have been difficult to work out without lots of interactions and exploring, the dungeons themselves can be made easier by having the right resources.

Overall - 9.4
Go on, treat yourself to an adventure within the game that set the standard for so many aspects of future RPGs. 
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