The
Worlds of Ultima Series
Origin's first spin-off from Ultima's main storyline was
the Worlds of Ultima, which placed the Avatar in situations unlike any he would ever
experience in Britannia. Each time, the Avatar would be summoned from his present day
Earth home by a familiar moongate, but rather than transport to Britannia he would be
thrust into some other strange world, more akin to science fiction adventure than
traditional fantasy. The Worlds of Ultima games used existing technology - the Ultima VI
engine in particular - to present a very familiar appearance to fans of the greater
series.
Though the Worlds of Ultima titles were well received by
critics and fans alike, they did not sell as well as Origin had hoped. Using an existing
engine turned out to be a less thrifty approach than anticipated, and the sales of these
games couldn't justify continuing the same design model beyond the second title. With a
new Ultima Underworld title slated for release, Worlds of Ultima remains the sole casualty
in Lord British's legacy.
In Garriott's Own Words: Worlds of Ultima, the Role of the GameBoy, and More
"We knew we couldn't 'clone' another Ultima. What we had to do is start over…"
Take me to Savage Empire and Martian Dreams |
