Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
Reviewed by Derek Ludwig
This is an FCI/Lord British/Origin game. It's your basic adventure/RPG,
with a twist. You must quest for other companions, achieve virtue, and
quest for runes and stones in order to descend into the Abyss to stop
the evil that is threatening the land.
Graphics A-
Overall, great graphics it isn't Super Mario Bros. and it isn't Zelda but
it also isn't TwinBee either. The monsters and characters are detailed
enough for definite distinction, and the runes are readable down to a very
small size. Colors are matched well, no ugly combinations, this one
definitely uses the full palette.
Music and Sound B
More music would have been nice. The music that is there is very excellent
for a Nintendo, but... a different theme for each town, or especially a
different theme for each dungeon (the only really annoying music in the
game) would have been a definite plus. No real downsides to the music...
FM music is FM music.
Game Challenge A-
Definitely challenging. This was rated at 40-80 hours of play... you will
definitely spend that much trying to figure out the puzzles and even when
all the puzzles are figured out, you still have to raise your virtues to
become an Avatar, otherwise you can't beat the game.
Game Play-Fun A-
This game is fun overall... there are some parts that are really difficult,
but the rest of the game makes up for it. Some of the things people say,
along with several inside, as well as perfectly straight-up jokes by
characters makes for an interesting time. You definitely will not get
bored with this one for a while.
Frustration
Definite frustration. When I referred under the Game Fun section to
"some parts"... the dungeons are a major pain in the behind. There is
no automatic map function... you have to use gems to see a map or cast
the view spell... it can be very confusing. Another frustration can come
when you are at "doing very well..." in a virtue but just can't seem to
get it over the top.
Replayability B
There are eight different characters (classes) you can start as each
has abilities and handicaps which make it different each time you play.
Even your starting location, based on who you choose, can make a difference.
The plot always stays the same though, no major twists unfortunately.
Game Value B+
Overall, this one was worth it. It kept me occupied for around 60 hours
before I got mad and threw it in a drawer. I came back to it a month later,
and realized how dumb that was, then spent another 20 before I beat it
the first time. The second time through only took me 33 hours, because
the dungeons do not change at all, nor do the locations of anything.
Overall B
Overall, a good game. If you are a Nintendo RPG fan, check this one out.
If you are an Ultima fan, you'll love it to death, especially if you've played
Ultima VI on any other system. This blows the pants off the PC version
music and graphics wise.