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Does A Free Ultima IV Herald A New Ultima Game?
A new EA website celebrates all things Ultima, including a free download of Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar. Could a new Ultima game be in the works?
You've got to wonder about the timing. A recent offer from Electronic Arts lets players head to Ultima Forever and download a free copy of Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar. The 1985 game was a landmark in open world RPG design, both for its complicated moral storytelling and expansive design and combat. As a side note, you'll need DOSBox to play the game.
The announcement and overall celebration of all things Ultima comes just a short time before E3, when big new game announcements are often made. Could a new traditional role-playing game or MMO in the franchise be in the works? Might BioWare be involved? Perhaps tomorrow's EA press conference will have a surprise.
Maybe it's just wishful thinking. That franchise has been absent from the gaming scene for a long time, and we'd love to see a new entry sometime soon. That said, EA does appear to be up to something sneaky. At the top of the Ultima Forever website, a short narration reads: "You've been in our lands before, haven't you? Yes, you were here. You quested for the Virtues, did battle with great enemies and reigned victorious over the dark forces of Sosaria, now known as the great realm of Britannia. Pray, what brings you back?"
"Have you heard something, Avatar?"
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