Blue Sky Productions have managed to create a living and breathing world that will suck you in like no other.
I recently got this game for my pocket PC and played it through again. It made me realize that games like this are extremely rare. They are gems within the entire gaming community, games that changed gaming forever and helped shape the path that developers now tread upon. The same team that worked on this game were also responsible for other greats, such as Thief and System Shock. Also, I do believe some of them are currently working on the next amazing game that promises to change it all over again: Bioshock.
Ultima Underworld easily ranks in my top favorites of all time. I suppose the style of game that comes the closest would be Bethesda's endeavors (Morrowind, Oblivion) and little known Arx Fatalis. However, there was just something magical about Ultima Underworld that I still feel even now when I replay it, and for me, nothing has yet to match that feeling.
One thing to mention is the difficulty of the game. You'll need a pen and paper if you want to play this game, or an excellent genius-like memory. This isn't some mindless hack and slash crawler that will have you unlocking doors with keys in order to progress to the next level (although those are fun too!). You want to communicate with a lizardman? You'll have to learn its language through trial and error. There are no fancy quest logs that will tell you where to go next, or who to talk to, or keep a tab on your progress. You'll learn what you can from the underworld's NPCs and by doing quests for them. Nothing is free in the abyss. Oh, and destroy an item you needed for a quest, and it is lost forever. My advice is that if you find a unique object, as simple as it may appear, keep it or stash it somewhere. If one word could sum up the difficulty of this game, it would be "unforgiving", but as frustrating as that may sound, it all adds to the realism and immersion of the game.
The story is rather simple, but gets better as you progress along. You get accused of kidnapping Baron Almric's daughter and after a short day (or hour) in court, you end up getting tossed in the stygian abyss - an underground dungeon - the universe of Ultima Underworld. Your quest? Find the Baron's missing daughter and rescue her, or die in the abyss trying.
The world of the abyss consists of eight huge sprawling maze-like floors, and you'll need to visit the same floors a few times before you finish the game. Mark my words - you will run around in frustration for quite some time, looking for that item, or hidden corridor, but it will make the find all that much more rewarding, and you may even find yourself yelling out, "Yes! At last!" quite a few times during your quest.
The game engine itself, back in 1992 was amazing. It's worth mentioning that this game came out a few months prior to Apogee's Wolfenstein. Although not the same style of game, Ultima Underworld's engine was much more powerful and complex. I think a big turn-off for many was the viewing window; it's rather small, but it was necessary in order to have the game (with all its detail) run smoothly on the hardware of that time (386/486 DX).
What made this game so unique in my eyes, are its immersing qualities. You were there. In the world. It had an unrivaled creepy feel to it, a feel of abandoned hope, misery and restlessness. Sounds sweet, doesn't it? The sounds and music also added to that atmospherel. The music would even change when in combat or if you're near death, or switch to a creepy sort of ambiance when exploring. Never too distracting or repetitive, the audio of the game definitely contributed heavily to the overall feel of the game.
Speaking of immersion, a living breathing 3D RPG had never been done before. You explored and fought all in real time. It had the perfect blend of action, exploration, adventure and even some strong puzzle elements at times. You really had to use your brain in this one. The engine placed you in a position where you could see 360 degrees and look up and down. There was lighting, there was bridges over flowing water or lava. Monsters and most objects were mostly in 2d, something that may distract gamers of this age where 3d games are well, all in 3D, but at the time it was amazing, and if you allow it, still works well.
It also had some excellent RPG elements. You level up, and to increase stats, you need to find shrines to do so. Equipment eventually degraded with use, so you had to get it fixed by an NPC or learn to repair it yourself. You had to find bags and boxes in order to carry around more stuff, and had weight constraints. These elements combined with real-time action fighting (such as Oblivion) contributed in making this game an instant classic.
Progressing in the game was also great. You had side quests, menacing monsters, goblin factions that had you going from one side to another, strange lizardmen that had you learn their language in order to get anywhere with them and so forth. Luckily, the huge maze that is the stygian abyss is covered in an auto-map system which to this day, remains one of the best I've ever used. It was well detailed, had the fog of war (where you only saw what you discovered), and best of all, you could write your own notes all over it! Not only is this a feature, but it's necessary if you want to get anywhere in the game without cheating or referring to a gaming guide.
It's difficult to say how many hours of gameplay this game could offer. Dozens, easily. I've replayed this game over the years countless times. The main quest is neither short nor easy, so if you want to beat the game, you'll have to be well prepared. No rushing this one!
To conclude, this is definitely one of those RPGs that changed my view of gaming forever, right alongside of Fallout, Dragon Warrior and The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind. If you're a new gamer and have not yet played this, and if you like games of the sort, you simply must give it a try.
- Jorlen