Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness Reviews
The first official game in the Ultima series.
- Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:01 pm PT
- Recommended by 1 of 1 user.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Time Spent:
- 10 to 20 Hours
- The Bottom Line:
- "Old-school"
Ultima I is the first official game in the Ultima series. It is a rather straightforward action rpg, sort of like Diablo but 10 or 15 years earlier. Gamespot states that the PC version of Ultima was released in 1980 but that is a mistake; Ultima was first released in 1980 for the Apple II and the Atari 8-Bit and was then remade in 1986 for the PC, Commodore 64, MSX and Apple II. So the version I am reviewing now is the 1986 remake for the PC, not the 1980 original which I have never played.
Like I stated earlier the game is incredibly simple. You fight monsters, get money, buy better equipment, fight more monsters, get more money, repeat process. Upon exiting a dungeon in which you have killed monsters you are rewarded with hit points, usually more than you lost inside. You can give money to the numerous kings for hit points. The goal of the game is to reach the evil wizard Mondain and kill him, to do so you need to complete quests given by the king, rescue a princess, engage in space battles and eventually travel through time. The game is sort of a mishmash of styles, containing both classical fantasy and out of place sci-fi elements. The graphics work, they are definitely not impressive today but they still catch the eye somewhat although I may be biased on that point. There is no music, and the sound is limited to footsteps and some sound effects for attacking. The game doesn't hold much value because it is quite short, being easily finished under 10 hours and even under 5 if you know how to play. It is also quite expensive if you wish to buy it on ebay. Don't even think about buying the original boxed version, but you can get the Ultima Collection for $30 to $50 which is the best way you can get your hands on Ultima I. I wouldn't recommend it though, this is a game that will be enjoyed only by those who feel nostalgia towards it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. I like it though :)
Like I stated earlier the game is incredibly simple. You fight monsters, get money, buy better equipment, fight more monsters, get more money, repeat process. Upon exiting a dungeon in which you have killed monsters you are rewarded with hit points, usually more than you lost inside. You can give money to the numerous kings for hit points. The goal of the game is to reach the evil wizard Mondain and kill him, to do so you need to complete quests given by the king, rescue a princess, engage in space battles and eventually travel through time. The game is sort of a mishmash of styles, containing both classical fantasy and out of place sci-fi elements. The graphics work, they are definitely not impressive today but they still catch the eye somewhat although I may be biased on that point. There is no music, and the sound is limited to footsteps and some sound effects for attacking. The game doesn't hold much value because it is quite short, being easily finished under 10 hours and even under 5 if you know how to play. It is also quite expensive if you wish to buy it on ebay. Don't even think about buying the original boxed version, but you can get the Ultima Collection for $30 to $50 which is the best way you can get your hands on Ultima I. I wouldn't recommend it though, this is a game that will be enjoyed only by those who feel nostalgia towards it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. I like it though :)
More Player Reviews
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- GrahfZilla's Score
- 9.5
- superb
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- GrahfZilla's Score
- 6.6
- fair
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- GrahfZilla's Score
- 6.5
- fair
A confusing journey through time in more than one aspect. continue »
- Posted Mar 12, 2006 10:15 am PT
-
- GrahfZilla's Score
- 8.2
- great
Tell the world what you think of Ultima I.
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User Submissions
User Videos
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Ultima: Exodus NES Gameplay
This video shows a typical first run of the game from character creation to battle as well as exploration. It does not however show the first person dungeon view. The game is running on a Generation NEX machine.
- Posted Jan 25, 2008
by Etan_Xander | 8'19" | 484 Views
- Posted Jan 25, 2008
User Images
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Ultima I Snapshots 3
In-game screenshots of different parts of Ultima I. These include a cave, town, and the overworld.
- Posted Jun 20, 2008
by aryoshi | 106 Views
- Posted Jun 20, 2008
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Consider this: you suck
An odd screen in the morality-based computer RPG, Ultima IV. Notice the two Virtues that gypsy placed on the table.
- Posted Oct 1, 2007
by Video_Game_King | 844 Views
- Posted Oct 1, 2007
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