Ultima IX: Ascension

– 010901, 624 words

There’s nothing quite like an Ultima for making you feel like a hero.

I’ve played U9 in bursts for the past three days (in bursts because I get headaches from extended exposure to 3D games) and I’ve just completed the first part of what is looking to be a rather long quest. The sense of achievement is euphoric – it’s all about the grovelling NPCs, I tell you.

Admittedly, I completely trashed U9 when it was released (well, not so much trashed it as agreed with everyone else). In spite of that, I did ask a States-side friend to get me the Dragon Edition and I was pleasantly surprised when he actually managed to find a copy. Other than playing the Ultima Collection again, I left it to sit prettily on my shelf. Now, after two years, my computer has finally met the requirements and, as I was in-between games, I installed U9 fully expecting it to suck.

Instead, I am impressed. Most of the appeal is, admittedly, the walk down memory lane. Decorative paintings on the walls show the cover art from its predecessors, the in-game books are almost exclusively from previous Ultimas and Ultima Online.

The initial tutorial segment is set on earth, where you are invulnerable and can experiment with the interface, your equipment and combat. When you are done running around, a gypsy will put you through a test of the Virtues, which decides your starting class – any of the eight from U4.

You have been summoned to Britannia for the last time – prophecies tell of your “Ascension” after completing this final quest. The Guardian, having trapped you in Pagan, has managed to capture Britannia, your destruction of the Black Gate not withstanding. Lord Blackthorn, once in exile, has returned as the Guardian’s number one, and Lord British has gone addle-brained in his old age. Which leaves you, Avatar, as Britannia’s only hope – basically, as promised by Garriott after the dismal farce that is Pagan, a return to the winning formula.

The graphics are splendid, though I’m fortunate in that I am running on an S3 Savage4, which the game seems to be designed for. The lighting and particle effects are breathtaking, as are the video cutscenes. The interactivity is outstanding – most objects in the world can be picked up and moved, an Ultima trademark, but something you almost never find in 3rd-person adventures.

The audio track is passable, between familiar tunes and unwelcome crowd sounds when you enter a pub. The sound FX is standard fare, but vocal tracks for all conversations is a nice touch, though the voice acting lacks the quality of current games. The interface is standard 3rd-person adventure, with drop-away segments that allow you to play with a full screen.

Gameplay is also pretty standard RPG fare – kill stuff, find stuff, talk to people, kill stuff, find stuff. My only problem is that, probably due to the full vocalisation, the dialogue trees are pretty limited.

Crashes are, unfortunately, frequent, though the crashes are also rather predictable – usually when attempting a load. On the positive side, the game loads up pretty fast, being two years old and all, so with regular save games it’s not really a problem. Of course, stability is something we demand in all games, but this time, it being an Ultima, I can just about manage to turn a blind eye.

I can’t comment on Ascension, since I can’t play 3rd-person 3D and that leaves me with nothing to compare it with, but Ultima IX is a joy. ALOT of effort has been made to incorporate Ultima history and to recapture the old magic. As a decades-old Ultima fan, this game is, truly, a real pleasure.