Ultima (series)

Ultima

Company type	Video game franchise
Industry	Video games
Founded	1981
Founder	Richard Garriott
Products	Open world fantasy role-playing video games
Owner	Electronic Arts (since 1992)

Ultima represents a collection of open world fantasy role-playing video games crafted by Origin Systems and conceived by Richard Garriott. Since 1992, the franchise has been under the ownership of Electronic Arts. By the year 1997, sales of the series had surpassed two million copies.

Considered a milestone in the evolution of computer games, Ultima stands alongside titles like Wizardry and Might and Magic as a seminal influence on the computer role-playing genre. Various entries in the series introduced groundbreaking features that were subsequently embraced by numerous other games.

Primarily set within the realm of Britannia, the series features the recurring hero known as the Avatar, a designation first introduced in Ultima IV. The narrative combines elements of fantasy with aspects of science fiction.

Games

The principal Ultima saga consists of nine main installments (with Ultima VII divided into two segments), arranged into three trilogies or "Ages": The Age of Darkness (I-III), The Age of Enlightenment (IV-VI), and The Age of Armageddon (VII-IX). The final trilogy is also referred to as "The Guardian Saga," named after its chief antagonist.

The initial trilogy unfolds in Sosaria, a fantasy realm torn apart during the Age of Darkness, with Britannia becoming the central setting for later titles. Britannia is governed by Lord British, who calls upon an Earth-born hero—initially termed "the Stranger," later universally recognized as the Avatar—to protect the kingdom from diverse dangers.

The Age of Darkness: Ultima I–III

In Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (1981), the Stranger is summoned to Sosaria to vanquish the malevolent wizard Mondain, who possesses the Gem of Immortality, rendering him invincible. Utilizing a time machine, the Stranger travels back to eliminate Mondain before he creates the Gem, thereby destroying it while it remains incomplete.

The sequel, Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress (1982), follows Mondain’s disciple and lover Minax, who seeks vengeance. Her assault on Earth opens temporal portals throughout history, unleashing monstrous beings. The Stranger acquires the Quicksword, confronts Minax at Castle Shadowguard, and ultimately defeats her.

In Ultima III: Exodus (1983), it is revealed that Exodus—the offspring of Mondain and Minax—is a demonic, self-aware artificial intelligence launching an invasion against Sosaria. The Stranger's mission is to destroy Exodus. This installment introduced a party system for players that would be utilized in subsequent games.

The Age of Enlightenment: Ultima IV–VI

With Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985), the series shifted away from conventional hero-versus-villain narratives toward an intricate alignment framework based on the Eight Virtues, which stem from Love, Truth, and Courage. Lord British summons the Stranger to ascend as Britannia’s spiritual leader by embodying these virtues. Upon achieving this enlightenment, access to the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom is granted, transforming the Stranger into the "Avatar."

In Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny (1988), following Lord British’s disappearance, Lord Blackthorn assumes control over Britannia under corruption influenced by Shadowlords who pervert the Virtues. The Avatar and allies endeavor to restore Lord British’s rightful rule and reinstate the true meaning of these Virtues.

Ultima VI: The False Prophet (1990) centers around an invasion by Gargoyles into Britannia. The Avatar uncovers their justified grievances, exploring themes such as racism and xenophobia while striving to reconcile conflicting cultures.

The Age of Armageddon: Ultima VII–IX

In Ultima VII: The Black Gate (1992), the Avatar faces off against the Fellowship, an organization with a facade of goodwill inspired by Scientology, which aims to open a portal allowing the malevolent Guardian to invade Britannia. This installment was the first time Richard Garriott designed a trilogy from the outset, with Ultima VII–IX focusing on the Guardian's narrative arc. The expansion pack, Forge of Virtue, introduced a volcanic island setting where the Avatar eliminates a surviving fragment of Exodus and forges The Black Sword, a formidable weapon.

Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle (1993) reused the engine from Ultima VII and is considered a direct continuation rather than a separate game. Due to a rushed development schedule, its plot was condensed, centering on the pursuit of Fellowship founder Batlin to Serpent Isle—a fragment of Sosaria rich in lore that resolves numerous earlier storylines. The game adopts a darker tone and ends with the Avatar being kidnapped by the Guardian. Its expansion, The Silver Seed, provides a side quest involving time travel to stabilize Serpent Isle and grants access to valuable treasures.

In Ultima VIII: Pagan (1994), the Avatar finds himself exiled to Pagan, a realm governed by Elemental Titans loyal to the Guardian. Lacking knowledge of Britannia’s Virtues, the Avatar defeats these Titans using their own elemental magic, ascends to demi-god status, and eventually returns home. However, due to disappointing sales figures, its planned expansion titled The Lost Vale was never released.

The final chapter, Ultima IX: Ascension (1999), portrays Britannia under the Guardian’s control with its Virtues corrupted. The Avatar’s mission is to restore these Virtues and confront the Guardian, who is revealed as his own dark counterpart expelled during his transformation into the Avatar. The conclusion requires merging with this entity, thereby ending their separate existences. An unreleased storyline variant featured an apocalyptic finale where Britannia is destroyed and the Avatar transcends mortal existence.

Collections

• Ultima Trilogy (1989) – a compilation bundling the initial three Ultima titles for Apple II, Commodore 64, and DOS released by Origin Systems.
• Ultima: The Second Trilogy (1992) – collection featuring the subsequent three Ultima games for Commodore 64 and DOS platforms.
• Ultima I–VI Series (1992) – DOS compilation encompassing the first six titles in the series, published by Software Toolworks, including original manuals and maps.
• Ultima Collection (February 1998) – CD-ROM set containing the first eight Ultima games plus expansions for DOS and Windows 95/98; includes a complete atlas, a PC port of Akalabeth, and a preview of Ultima IX.

Spin-offs and other games

Often regarded as a forerunner to the series is Akalabeth: World of Doom (1979).

Sierra On-Line produced Ultima: Escape from Mt. Drash (1983), a maze game unrelated to the main series but highly sought after by collectors due to its rarity.

The spin-off series Worlds of Ultima, which utilizes the engine from Ultima VI, chronicles adventures following that game's events:

• In Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire (1990), the Avatar is transported to a jungle world where he must unite native tribes against insectoid foes.
• Ultima: Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams (1991) sends the Avatar on missions across Victorian-era Earth and Mars to rescue stranded individuals and restore Martian society.
• A third planned installment titled Arthurian Legends was canceled in 1993.

The first-person perspective is central to the Ultima Underworld series:

• In Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992), players rescue a baron’s daughter while preventing a demon’s summoning ritual.
• Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds (1993) features the Avatar navigating parallel dimensions to dismantle a magical barrier imprisoning key figures.
• The spiritual successor, Underworld Ascendant (2018), though licensed but lacking the Ultima brand name, continues exploring this universe with new faction dynamics.

In 2005, dedicated volunteers developed Ultima V: Lazarus, a remake of Ultima V, utilizing the Dungeon Siege engine.

Console adaptations

The Ultima franchise broadened its audience through console releases, achieving particular popularity in Japan, where these editions topped sales charts and were supported by related merchandise such as Ultima animated series and manga adaptations. These versions often featured substantial modifications to both gameplay mechanics and visual presentation.

Ports of PC titles to consoles

• Ultima III: Exodus (NES)
• Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) – A reimagined version with altered narrative and gameplay elements
• Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (Master System) – A faithful adaptation, distributed exclusively in Europe and South America
• Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny (NES)
• Ultima VI: The False Prophet (Super NES) – Redesigned for gamepad controls
• Ultima: The Black Gate (SNES) – Remade as an action-adventure game
• Ultima: The Savage Empire (SNES) – Enhanced graphics utilizing the Black Gate engine; released only in Japan, with a planned US launch canceled
• Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (PlayStation) – Featured 3D models replacing the original 2D sprites; exclusive to the Japanese market

Console-exclusive titles

• Ultima: Runes of Virtue (1991) (Game Boy) – Non-canonical action-puzzle gameplay featuring the "Black Knight" as antagonist
• Ultima: Runes of Virtue II (1993) (Game Boy, SNES)

Ultima Online MMORPG

Released in 1997, Ultima Online emerged as a pioneering MMORPG and one of the genre’s longest-lasting successes. Its storyline revised the conclusion of Ultima I, explaining that breaking the Gem of Immortality resulted in multiple "shards," each housing a miniature version of Britannia where players inhabit their characters.

To date, eight expansions have been launched: The Second Age, Renaissance, Third Dawn, Lord Blackthorn's Revenge, Age of Shadows, Samurai Empire, Mondain's Legacy, and Stygian Abyss. In 2007, the game’s aging graphics engine was refreshed through the official release of the Kingdom Reborn client.

Two follow-up projects were canceled prior to launch: Ultima Worlds Online: Origin (initially titled Ultima Online 2) in 2001, which aimed to introduce steampunk themes, and Ultima X: Odyssey in 2004, intended as a narrative continuation from Ultima IX. The latter was developed without original creator Richard Garriott, who no longer holds series ownership but retains rights over certain characters, necessitating joint approval between him and Electronic Arts for new productions.

Lord of Ultima

Developed by EA Phenomic, Lord of Ultima, a free-to-play browser-based MMORTS, was launched in 2010. This title represented the first new entry in the Ultima franchise since Ultima Online, created independently from both Garriott and Origin. It drew criticism due to its slow gameplay pace and weak connections to established Ultima lore. EA announced its closure on February 12, 2014, with servers officially shutting down on May 12, 2014.

Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar

Announced in 2012, the free-to-play online action RPG Ultima Forever revisited the original series’ lore more faithfully than its predecessor, Lord of Ultima. However, its servers ceased operation on August 29, 2014.

Other media

The Ultima franchise broadened its reach through a series of novels, including:

• The Ultima Saga authored by Lynn Abbey (published by Warner Books)
  • The Forge of Virtue (1991)
  • The Temper of Wisdom (1992)
• Ultima: The Technocrat War penned by Austen Andrews (Pocket Books)
  • Machinations (2001)
  • Masquerade (2002)
  • Maelstrom (2002)

In Japan, the brand extended into various merchandise such as gamebooks, soundtrack CDs, wristwatches, stationery, a board game, clothing, and beach towels. Although there were rumors about an Ultima anime adaptation, its actual production remains unconfirmed.

Four primary manga series were published in Japan:

• Ultima: EXODUS No Kyoufu
• Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
• Ultima: Magincia no Metsubou
• Ultima: The Maze of Schwarzschild

Packaging

Beginning with Ultima II, physical game packages included tactile extras known as "feelies," such as cloth maps. From the release of Ultima IV onward, these packages commonly contained items like pendants and coins symbolizing in-game artifacts. Richard Garriott was adamant about distributing boxed editions complete with manuals and maps rather than simple zip-lock bags, which led to Sierra becoming the publisher willing to uphold these standards.

Copy protection measures

The methods for copy protection evolved over time—from subtle techniques like unformatted disk tracks in the Atari 8-bit edition of Ultima IV to integrated quiz questions referencing printed materials in later games. Starting with Ultima VI, players encountered structured in-game quizzes that required correct answers to advance, though unlimited attempts were allowed. This system persisted through Ultima VII, while subsequent titles gradually eliminated such safeguards.

Setting

Originally, the game world consisted of four continents governed by different rulers. After a devastating event following Ultima I, only the domain of Lord British—renamed Sosaria—remained accessible. Later installments expanded the universe with new regions including Serpent Isle and the Tokuno Islands. From Ultima III onward, Britannia became the central locale.

Virtues

A defining characteristic of the series is its moral philosophy introduced in Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, where players assume the role of the Avatar who embodies Eight Virtues: Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, Spirituality, and Humility. These virtues stem from Three Core Principles—Truth, Love, and Courage—and form the foundation for both gameplay mechanics and narrative choices. This ethical system set a precedent for moral complexity in role-playing games and influenced titles such as Black & White, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and the Fable franchise. Unlike many games offering flexible moral decisions, success in Ultima depends on adherence to virtuous conduct.

Artificial scripts and language

Several constructed writing systems appear throughout the series:

• Britannian runes—a runic alphabet inspired by Germanic scripts—are prominently featured starting with Ultima V.
• Gargish—a fictional language used by gargoyles and for spellcasting—combines Latin-based roots with unique grammatical structures.
• Ophidian alphabet—introduced in Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle, this script incorporates snake-themed designs.

These invented languages contributed significantly to the immersive world-building within the franchise.

Reception

By the year 1990, the initial five titles in the Ultima series had collectively sold upwards of 470,000 copies within the United States. This included close to 100,000 units for home computers and more than 300,000 Famicom cartridges distributed across Japan. The franchise received widespread critical praise; notably, Next Generation magazine ranked it among the greatest video games ever created in both 1996 and 1999, highlighting its continual advancements in role-playing mechanics. Additionally, Britannia was honored by GameSpot as one of the most immersive and richly developed settings in gaming history.

Impact and legacy

The pioneering features introduced early on—particularly from Ultima III: Exodus—such as the implementation of tiled graphics, combat involving multiple party members, the fusion of fantasy with science fiction themes, and a strong narrative focus, left a lasting mark on role-playing games worldwide. The introduction of a morality system based on virtues in Ultima IV established a new paradigm that integrated ethical decision-making into gameplay design. This franchise influenced prominent series like Dragon Quest, which is often regarded as a cornerstone for Japanese console RPG development. Despite its enduring influence, Electronic Arts declined requests to remaster or reboot the series as of June 2020.

Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues

Developed by Richard Garriott’s studio Portalarium, this RPG/MMORPG acts as a spiritual continuation of the Ultima legacy. Funded through Kickstarter in 2013, it features episodic releases with optional multiplayer modes that range from massively multiplayer online experiences to offline single-player gameplay. Although initially slated for release in 2017 with plans for annual episode launches thereafter, only the first episode was released in March 2018 and received mixed critical reception; subsequent episodes have yet to be published.