Hot on the heels of completing Ultima 5, Linguistic Dragon has begun playing through Ultima 6:

Released in 1990, Ultima VI marked the first entry in the series primarily developed on and for the PC, and with it came some pretty dramatic shifts. Engine changes between entries was one of the hallmarks of the series, but I’d argue that the shift between Ultima V and Ultima VI is probably the most dramatic one yet. Ultima VI does away with the dual-scale world and wireframe 3D dungeons the series has stuck with up until this point, and instead threads it all together into a single-scale seamless world. Not only that, it’s the first game to make use of character portraits, and it took full advantage of the color capabilities available as well – it’s brighter, more vivid, and a very stark difference (we are definitely not in the Ages of Darkness anymore)! This is also the game that introduces us to the Gargoyles, and all the intricacies of their own kind, adding another layer to the series’ setting and lore, and doing so by means of a story whose like I still haven’t seen since – where an ideological war isn’t resolved through victory in one decisive battle, but through compromise, acknowledging the merit of both sides.

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Ultima VI falls into the same category that Ultima V did for me – while I’ve enjoyed what bits of it I’ve played, the interface trips me up enough that I’ve never seen it through to completion. There’s a lot to be said for the increased graphical system used in Ultima VI, but to me, inventory management always felt bogged down a bit by the fact it’s not a click-and-drag system, and once again, the limited visibility during the night was something I struggled with. Consequently, the most I’ve ever done with the game was free the shrines and find a map piece or two. I’ve got no choice but to grow accustomed to the game engine at some point now, though – if not in The False Prophet, then in one of the two Worlds of Ultima games to follow it! Finishing Warriors of Destiny on such a high note gives me high hopes that that won’t be the stumbling block that it once was, though.

There is, of course, still yet more to read; do click on through and check out the rest of Linguistic’s opening thoughts on my favourite Ultima game.