Ultima X: Odyssey Preview

By Greg Kasavin, GameSpotPosted Aug 27, 2003 4:47 pm PT

We give you the details on Origin's upcoming MMORPG sequel to the famous computer role-playing series.

These days, the slogan "We create worlds" doesn't resonate with computer game players the way it once did. However, 10 or 15 years ago, that slogan was routinely affixed to some of the best computer games ever released. Back in that day, Origin Systems, the Austin, Texas-based computer game developer, was firing on all cylinders with its Ultima and Wing Commander franchises, and in so doing, the company was truly living up to its ambitious tagline. However, in the last few years, Origin Systems seems to have quietly slipped into obscurity, even as its parent company, Electronic Arts, quickly built up momentum with its own EA Games brand. Now, it appears, Origin is poised to make an about-face and may finally be ready to return to the spotlight--and in so doing may even recapture some of its past glory. The reason for Origin's return to grace resides in the fact that it recently announced the upcoming release of Ultima X: Odyssey. Ultima X: Odyssey, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, continues the legacy established by one of the world's most famous, and most beloved, series of RPGs.

Ultima is back, sporting a brand-new look.

We recently attended Origin's fan-focused launch event for the game (be sure to check out our video interview with Rick Hall, the project lead on Ultima X: Odyssey), which Origin has casually dubbed "UXO," and, having seen and played the game firsthand, we're very hopeful that it will live up to the Ultima name. It appears, based on what we saw and experienced, that the latest version of Ultima will introduce much-needed changes to the MMORPG genre. UXO is a game that some longtime Ultima fans are going to snub their noses at initially. The game does sport a stylized, almost cartoonlike look that's a significant departure from the rather serious visuals the series has been known for. More importantly, however, UXO is an online-only game. Unfortunately, those hoping for a direct continuation of the single-player Ultima series proper won't find it in UXO.

Long-time fans of the series will recognize these creatures as zorns, and will catch plenty of other references to the classic Ultimas.

Actually, though, that's not entirely true. UXO is, in fact, a direct continuation of the Ultima storyline, whose most recent chapter unfolded in 1999's Ultima IX: Ascension. Since Ultima IV, the Ultima storyline has revolved around the Avatar, a man summoned to the fantasy world of Britannia, who became a paragon of virtue--a genuine hero. The Avatar systematically righted the wrongs of Britannia and gave the people hope. Your typical hero-type stuff. However, then he encountered a grave danger in the form of the Guardian, a demonic creature with godlike powers, bent on destroying Britannia and all its inhabitants. At the end of Ultima IX, the Avatar used his powers to fuse with the Guardian, in a last-ditch means of thwarting his evil plans. It is here that UXO picks up the storyline, in the wake of that dramatic event. The Avatar and the Guardian are now one entity, fighting for control of itself--with the Avatar losing the fight. However, his new powers have enabled him to create a new world--a land accessible to Britannians and whose terrain and inhabitants literally come from the Avatar's own memories.

This is where you and thousands of other players may enter. This new land, a reflection of the Avatar's trials and tribulations, invites Britannians to take up the quest of the Avatar for themselves. The Avatar's plan assumes that if enough people can successfully follow in his footsteps, their combined power may be enough to defeat the Guardian once and for all. The storyline of UXO is interesting, but, not only that, it seems to do a perfect job of setting the stage for an MMORPG that many Ultima fans have wanted all along--one that truly lets them become heroes. Avatars, no less. Find out how UXO differs from games like Ultima Online and EverQuest next.

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