It’s not every day that someone who has never — or barely, as the case may be — played Ultima 4 in their life decides to take the game on. Fewer still blog about it after the fact. But Soosh, who blogs at The Retro Years, decided to do just that.

First of all, I feel stupid. Why? Because I can’t believe I never gave that game a chance back in the day. Sure, I did play it for a bit, but never really got into it, due to me not being into RPG’s at that time. Yeah, c’mon then, call me ignorant, that’s fine. But fact is, now, 29 years after its original release on the Apple II, I finally gave it another shot and gee, what a game it is. It truly must be one of the most innovative titles I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a lot. So, with no further ado, please welcome Ultima IV.

Of course, running a blog with a title such as The Retro Years, it can’t be said that his perspective is wholly modern. He’s a fan of old games, and so Ultima 4 isn’t something that is wholly daunting to him because of its age and design. And he does have some prior experience with it, though as you can see above, he didn’t give the game much of a chance when he first attempted it.

So his account of the game now, and his impressions of it, are rather entertaining to read.

His conclusion is also fairly easy to agree with:

Would a game like Ultima IV stand a chance in today’s gaming culture? Of course…not. Or do you really think gamers today want to play a game where you have to become a better person instead of just, you know, killing stuff and blowing everything to pieces? And to type in your queries during conversations would be too much to ask for. Plus, the fact that the game does not hold your hand and completely lacks a tutorial would most likely put off the majority of today’s casual gamers. And before anyone thinks I’m talking some elitist retro gamer crap right now, nope, the secret lies in the word ‘casual‘.

But if you do enjoy old-school RPG’s and don’t mind the simplistic graphics, I have to warn you: Ultima IV is highly addictive. In fact, it’s so addictive I achieved avatarhood in half of the virtues already. Not because I’m so good (trust me, I’m not), but because it’s the only game I play at the moment.

In short, a heaven for people who love old-school RPG’s and definitely a true classic.

And these are the things I stumble upon thanks to some cleverly set-up Google Alerts.