Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | March 31, 2011 |
| Founder | Mythic Entertainment, Escalation Studios |
| Defunct | August 29, 2014 |
| Fate | Discontinued |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Online action role-playing game |
| Owner | Electronic Arts |
| Website | ultimaforever |
Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar was an online action role-playing game available as a free-to-play, cross-platform title. Developed collaboratively by Mythic Entertainment and Escalation Studios, it was published under the Electronic Arts banner. As an installment in the Ultima franchise, BioWare initially showcased the project in 2011, with its official reveal taking place at San Diego Comic-Con on July 12, 2012. The game became accessible on iOS devices starting August 7, 2013, before its closure on August 29, 2014.
Gameplay
Drawing inspiration from Ultima IV, Ultima Forever was presented by Mythic as an "action role-playing game" that supported both solo and multiplayer experiences. Since Richard Garriott retained trademark rights after departing from Electronic Arts, the character Lord British was substituted with Lady British. The gameplay continued to emphasize the series’ foundational Virtues.
Visually, the game employed a top-down isometric perspective, combining "hand-painted backgrounds" with three-dimensional character models to merge traditional aesthetics with contemporary graphical elements.
Development
Details about the project surfaced prematurely on March 31, 2011, during a presentation by Paul Barnett. Shortly thereafter, an official Twitter account was established on April 4, 2011, followed by the launch of the game's website on June 2, 2011.
In June 2012, Eugene Evans, Mythic’s General Manager, disclosed plans for a new free-to-play online title slated for announcement at San Diego Comic-Con. Leading up to the July 12 unveiling, both a Facebook page and an updated website were introduced. Paul Barnett confirmed the announcement via his Twitter account.
Reception
The game received predominantly mixed to unfavorable reviews, with significant criticism directed at its microtransaction mechanics.
Forbes assigned a score of 6 out of 10.
Touch Arcade granted it three stars out of five.
Eurogamer issued a notably negative rating of 2 out of 10, labeling it "a game built for idiots, a Cow Clicker with a beard."