[Review] Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar: Enjoyable Game, Terrible Cash Shop

SBFord

Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar is a new game that brings back old-time gameplay for today's world. We've been playing it for the last few weeks and have lots to say about the game that you won't want to miss. Read on to see if you agree with our assessment and then head to the comments to offer up your thoughts.

Ultima Forever is the product of a long game of hide-and-seek between Origin and EA. Over a decade since they used the iconic license (and we aren't counting bad flash games) we have something of a canonical entry into the world of goblins, demigods, and pitchfork murders.

This iOS half-remake-half-reboot brings thumb swiping adventures back to Britannia and in the conspicuous service of "Lady" British: who says that complicated legal wrangling has to ruin your fantasy world eh? Under the service of the good "Lady" (Lord's daughter) you are tasked with saving the land and all with the aid of the classic series' eight virtues.

Read more of Adam Tingle's Ultima Forever: Enjoyable Game, Terrible Cash Shop.

elcrist

there is nothing EA can't screw up...

uidCaustic

Still a Apple only thing eh?

Telondariel

It's unfortunate we see more and more games like this that are just running crazy with their monetization models.  Honestly, I think the western gaming industry's pendulum has just about swung as far as it can to the FTP side.  It was novel at first, and accessible, but corporate greed overtakes quality and polish so that its just another cash-grab piece of trash to add to the pile.

 

I'm going back to support subscription based games again.  FFIV:ARR is getting my money this time around.  I hope other game companies follow suit.

Nadia

Originally posted by uidCaustic
Still a Apple only thing eh?

http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/08/08/ultima-forever-arrives-on-ios/

Mythic is working on Android and PC versions as well. It's a whopping 881 MB to install

uidCaustic

Originally posted by Nadia

Originally posted by uidCaustic
Still a Apple only thing eh?

http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/08/08/ultima-forever-arrives-on-ios/

Mythic is working on Android and PC versions as well. It's a whopping 881 MB to install

Hence the "still".

tawess

Well seeing as the Ultima name is pretty much only worth nostalgia these days i think people should be glad a new game was made at all. As a brand it is about as dead as the dinosaur.

 

That being said this is the new wave and all we can do is either buy in to it or walk away. Just as with previous generations. EA is really not worse then the rest... But then again they are not better either. (and before the next troglodyte brings up the "worst company of the year" award... Just ask your self... How much do i know about EA beyond my own selfish little bubble)

 

All in all it could have been a lot worse.. Like the game that was to follow UO... The one with McFairlane as the art director...

Arskaaa

Oh look! its EA!

 

What can u expet from them.

Tibbz

overly greedy cash shop... could you expect any less from EA?  

Scot

There is some irony that the game that introduced the concept of moral avatars, the game that based character creation on moral choices of players ends up like this. 

Quest for the Avatar is a search for the avatar of Mammon it would seem.

Denambren

EA, thou hast lost an eighth!

Razeekster

What a surprise... EA being greedy,

jtcgs

im sorry but shouldn't "its a tablet MMO" be placed under the "con" list?!?

It vastly limits every aspect of the game.

Briansho

Damn might as well just play regular Ultima Online

Hellidol

Originally posted by Tibbz

overly greedy cash shop... could you expect any less from EA?  

cash shops altogether are very bad for players, I love what wildstar is doing, that is going to be my MMO for sure.

Meltdown

Originally posted by jtcgs

im sorry but shouldn't "its a tablet MMO" be placed under the "con" list?!?

It vastly limits every aspect of the game.

^ This 100%... I downloaded this on my iphone and found the game almost unplayable with the smaller screen, it might be OK on a tablet, but I would not even bother on a phone

 

shakermaker0

You can't hate on a game just because it's on a tablet - that's what it sets out to do. That'd be like calling out a chicken sandwich because it isn't a pie.

InsaneDalek

Ultima IV was a revolutionary RPG for its time, and still stands out today as a landmark title which made people truly think about what could be possible for what had up until that point been a fairly brainless hack & slash genre. There was no villain or overarching evil plot, it was just the tale of one man seeking spiritual enlightenment, both for himself and to provide inspiration for others to do the same. The philosophical & spiritual themes would continue for the rest of the Ultima series, IMO culminating with Ultima 7 part 2.

This title turns it back into a brainless hack & slash game. They throw in a generic bad guy (The weep? WTF), dumb down the complex moral & ethical dilemmas present throughout the original series into Bioware's signature, "Good, Neutral, Evil" dialogue tree (except even more shallow), and generally just transforms it into the exact opposite of what the original Ultima IV was.

It's a brainless, soulless cash grab with all the moral complexity of a spitball. It's not anywhere NEAR worthy of a 6, a 4, or even a 1. Hell, a rating of ZERO would be too good for it.

If you want to know what Ultima was REALLY about, do yourself a favor and go buy the originals on GOG. You'll spend less money, and they might even make you think a little bit.

Cypeq

Owners of apple tablets can drop money into the sinkhole game

Bruwin

Originally posted by InsaneDalek

Ultima IV was a revolutionary RPG for its time, and still stands out today as a landmark title which made people truly think about what could be possible for what had up until that point been a fairly brainless hack & slash genre. There was no villain or overarching evil plot, it was just the tale of one man seeking spiritual enlightenment, both for himself and to provide inspiration for others to do the same. The philosophical & spiritual themes would continue for the rest of the Ultima series, IMO culminating with Ultima 7 part 2.

This title turns it back into a brainless hack & slash game. They throw in a generic bad guy (The weep? WTF), dumb down the complex moral & ethical dilemmas present throughout the original series into Bioware's signature, "Good, Neutral, Evil" dialogue tree (except even more shallow), and generally just transforms it into the exact opposite of what the original Ultima IV was.

It's a brainless, soulless cash grab with all the moral complexity of a spitball. It's not anywhere NEAR worthy of a 6, a 4, or even a 1. Hell, a rating of ZERO would be too good for it.

If you want to know what Ultima was REALLY about, do yourself a favor and go buy the originals on GOG. You'll spend less money, and they might even make you think a little bit.

Better yet, the original Ultima IV is 100% free on GOG. So even if you're somehow unwilling to buy the later games in the series, IV won't cost you anything but time.

artfulpain

Whenever Ultima Online was taken over by EA, I had a feeling they would eventually make a game like this. I encourage all Ultima lovers to support https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/. 

Shroud of the Avatar is the “spiritual successor” to Richard’s previous work in the FRP genre. Our primary objectives are to tell a story even more compelling than Ultimas IV-VII, create a virtual world more interactive than Ultima VII, develop deep rich multi-player capabilities beyond combat akin to Ultima Online, and offer a bold new approach to integrate them with “Selective Multi-Player”.

Hey listen! A dev. team that is actually commited to making a great game. https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?page_id=26862

 

Oh and it's approaching $2.5 million in BACKERS. Not corporate backers mind you. 

 

 

 

Elikal

Originally posted by Scot

There is some irony that the game that introduced the concept of moral avatars, the game that based character creation on moral choices of players ends up like this. 

Quest for the Avatar is a search for the avatar of Mammon it would seem.

"One can either only serve one lord: god or the mammon." Translate god = whatever good you believe in. It is a shame of all the good games they had to abuse Ultima for this farce of a game.

I NEVER understood the lure of "mobile" gaming. Sorry, but I found all mobile games trash. *shrug*

Elikal

Originally posted by Denambren

EA, thou hast lost an eighth!

Ponder this well, oh seeker!

aRtFuLThinG

Originally posted by Vinterkrig

Originally posted by Hellidol

Originally posted by Tibbz







overly greedy cash shop... could you expect any less from EA?  

cash shops altogether are very bad for players, I love what wildstar is doing, that is going to be my MMO for sure.

 

Give it six months, it'll be a cash shop game.. I'd put money on it that they already have it half built in place to take over when the game bleeds too many subs.

Not always. Depends on how much money they can make on their model. If they can do better than cash shop than actually they might not only stick with but others might copy that model too.

 

There are no certainties in life.

vmoped

Ultima Forever and Plants vs. Zombies 2 have terrible cash shops.  I wish they just came out and offered a set price for the entire package, but I doubt anyone would pay it based on how much they want in their stores...  It is a shame since both games are pretty good, but eventually you are forced to grind or pay.  I have no issue paying, but not the prices they are asking, it is just too much for too little.

Cheers!

madazz

The author only pretended to play Ultima Forever, had he actually played it he would not call it an MMO. Its a 4 player game. 4 players is NOT A FUCKING MMO.