#11 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
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Why did it make the list?
This RPG is unique in that it is not about saving the world from the ultimate evil or some horrible cataclysm. Instead you are on a quest to become the Messiah for the world of Sosaria, i.e. the Avatar. Several of the games on my list can be described as, “a well made game that is totally unique”. This describes Ultima IV perfectly. No other RPG is like Ultima IV, not even the other Ultima games.
Your quest in this game is to perfect the 8 virtues. Some of these virtues are straightforward. You increase your Valor virtue by never running from a battle. There are other virtues like Compassion which you can raise by giving money to the poor and similar actions. And then there are virtues like Humility which can be fairly difficult to figure out how to raise.
The real brilliance of this game is how it invites you to play the role of the Avatar. When I played through this I didn’t really know how the virtue mechanics worked. Then I had to stop and ask myself, “Well how would a virtuous person act in this situation?” And so, I basically had to roleplay the Avatar as I played the game. I can’t really think of another video game that made me mentally roleplay like I would in a tabletop RPG. I wasn’t just controlling the character on the screen. I had become the Avatar.
Original experience:
I originally played this on the NES, and I was totally blown away by it. This game looks simple on the surface, but there is a sophistication to it that I have not encountered in a role playing game since (or any game really). I know sometimes game developers say things like, “Someday, someone will make the Citizen Kane of video games.” Well it already happened. That game was Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar.
How does it hold up today?
I have to put a disclaimer in this part. I haven’t played this game since it originally came out on the NES. (That is the main reason why it is just shy of top 10.) A few years ago I tried playing the PC version, but it is not nearly as user friendly as the versions released on console. On the other hand, descriptions about this game say that the console versions are greatly simplified compared to the original computer version.
My recommendation to most people would be to play a console version, and make sure you have the map and instruction manual that came with the game handy (or the equivalent). On the other hand if you are used to RPG's on the Apple II from the early to mid 80’s, then go ahead and get the PC version. Either way you want to avoid reading about gameplay tips and such as I feel that will spoil the experience. You want to have every tool ready to figure out the interface and the moongates, but let everything else be a secret to figure out.
