Ultima IX: Ascension
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founder | Richard Garriott (implied, as series creator) |
| Fate | Studio closed by Electronic Arts |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Richard Garriott, Warren Spector, Ed del Castillo, Seth Mendelsohn, Bob White |
| Products | Ultima series, including Ultima IX: Ascension |
| Owner | Electronic Arts |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
Ultima IX: Ascension is a 1999 role-playing video game created by Origin Systems and distributed by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows. It represents the ninth and concluding primary entry in the Ultima franchise.
The narrative unfolds after the Avatar escapes from Pagan, chronicling his journey back to Britannia to face the Guardian one last time. This antagonist endangers both the physical world and the moral order through the use of eight corrupted columns. The Avatar’s mission is to purify these columns located at various Shrines of Virtue before engaging the Guardian directly.
Critical reception was mixed, with reviewers pointing out issues related to incomplete refinement and departures from established series lore, although the gameplay mechanics themselves received commendation.
Gameplay
Departing from earlier Ultima entries, Ultima IX restricts player autonomy by locking most regions until certain objectives are achieved, thereby limiting early-stage exploration. The environment is presented in detailed 3D graphics; however, Britannia’s scale is reduced compared to previous titles—for example, Britain, the largest city, features only a handful of structures.
Plot
The story begins with the Avatar’s return to Britannia following the events of Ultima VIII. Upon arrival near the Guardian’s fortress in Terfin, he is transported to Stonegate by Hawkwind the Seer (a character originating from Ultima IV). Hawkwind reveals that enigmatic columns have emerged across the land, bringing plagues, famine, and calamities. These columns have corrupted the Virtues themselves. The Guardian, supported by Lord Blackthorn and his Wyrmguards, maintains dominion over Britannia.
The Avatar must retrieve glyphs that have been distorted from the Runes of Virtue by the Guardian’s influence, cleanse them at their respective Shrines, and ultimately confront the revelation that the Guardian embodies his own dark self. To preserve Britannia, the Avatar casts an Armageddon spell protected by a Barrier of Life and ascends alongside the Guardian to a higher plane of existence.
Original plot
Prior to Ultima IX’’’s 1999 launch, Origin Systems released preview materials illustrating an alternate storyline that resonated more strongly with many veteran fans.
A summary of this original narrative—written by Bob White who collaborated with Garriott and others before departing Origin—was made public in December 1999. In this version, the Avatar never returns to Earth after Pagan. Lord British has weakened and delegated authority to a divided council of city rulers from Moonglow, Britain, and Jhelom, who stand on the verge of conflict.
The Guardian covertly manipulates events with Lord Blackthorn’s assistance, though their conspiracy goes largely unnoticed. Samhayne, a smuggler providing aid to cities, recruits the Avatar to uncover these schemes. Together with allies Shamino, Iolo, and Samhayne’s apprentice Raven, they expose Blackthorn as an instigator of discord. Blackthorn is ultimately executed under Lord British’s orders, but the Guardian escapes capture.
The climactic battle at Stonegate appears to eliminate the Guardian; nevertheless, his columns have become deeply entrenched in Britannia’s essence and pose a threat of total annihilation. To prevent this catastrophe, Britannia must be destroyed using the Spell of Armageddon following evacuation of its inhabitants to Skara Brae—protected by the Runes of Virtue. The spell obliterates Britannia along with both the Guardian and Lord British; meanwhile, the Avatar transcends to a higher plane. Survivors on Skara Brae seek a new homeland.
This storyline visually evokes parallels between Britannia’s destruction and Roger Dean’s album artwork for Yessongs.
History
Development
During its creation, Ultima IX underwent development through at least four separate iterations, each varying in narrative and technological approach.
The initial concept, developed by series creator Richard Garriott amid the planning of the third Ultima trilogy alongside Ultima VII, centered on the Avatar’s confrontation with the Guardian spanning three realms: Britannia (explored in Ultima VII), Pagan (Ultima VIII), and the Guardian’s own domain (Ultima IX). This version was designed to utilize the isometric engine from Ultima VIII.
After receiving negative feedback on Ultima VIII, Origin redirected Ultima IX to realign with the franchise’s foundational themes. Producer Warren Spector sought a more cohesive narrative highlighting the Avatar’s pursuit of virtue, reminiscent of Ultima IV. The second iteration (1995–1997) returned gameplay to Britannia with a fresh storyline, intended as the concluding chapter for both the Guardian trilogy and Avatar Chronicles within the original Ultima universe. Garriott stressed blending intricate world-building with classic role-playing mechanics and enhanced graphics while abandoning the prior control scheme.
By early 1996, previews showcased a software-rendered 3D engine featuring a rotatable overhead camera that simulated an isometric perspective. This design balanced detailed object representation with acceptable frame rates. Pre-rendered cinematic sequences depicted Britannia under Guardian domination, with the Avatar arriving during its downfall.
Following the unexpected success of Ultima Online's beta in late 1996, much of the Ultima IX development team shifted their attention there. When work recommenced in late 1997, corporate enthusiasm had diminished, several original developers had departed, and the software-rendered 3D engine was outdated compared to emerging hardware-accelerated technologies. Models created using LightWave 3D employed 16-bit textures but were downgraded to 8-bit in software rendering.
Origin brought on Ed del Castillo, known for producing titles like Command & Conquer, to oversee production. The third version (1997–1998) adopted a hardware-accelerated 3D engine featuring a third-person over-the-shoulder camera akin to that in Tomb Raider, optimizing both visuals and performance.
The game reverted to focusing on a single protagonist without companions or an option for a female Avatar due to limitations in art and voice resources. The storyline evolved to depict Britannia firmly under the Guardian’s control, with players primarily controlling the Avatar but occasionally assuming roles such as Lord British, Shamino, or the pirate Raven.
In early 1998, lead designer Bob White and other key staff exited Origin; del Castillo resigned mid-year citing "philosophical differences." Garriott assumed a more hands-on role in production and appointed Seth Mendelsohn as lead designer. Together they rewrote the narrative to concentrate on the Avatar’s final return to Britannia and its inhabitants’ reactions. Although some pre-rendered cinematics were retained for budgetary reasons, their contexts were often significantly altered.
Release and versions
The game's launch was marred by issues stemming from a buggy initial release coupled with high hardware demands; despite objections from the development team, Electronic Arts (EA) insisted on proceeding with the launch. A patched version was released months later, alongside an unofficial fix leaked online by an anonymous insider.
At launch, EA also offered a "Dragon Edition" that included an oversized box, collectible artwork prints from the game, tarot cards, an ankh pendant replica, and exclusive game-related books. Subsequently, a "World Edition" was released bundling Ultima IX: Ascension with Ultima Online: The Second Age.
Following disappointing sales of Ultima VIII, coupled with poor critical reception of Ultima IX, these outcomes effectively brought an end to the Ultima franchise; all related projects were canceled except expansions for Ultima Online. EA shifted focus toward developing Ultima Online 2, which was ultimately also canceled. Founder Richard Garriott departed Origin shortly thereafter, and EA eventually shuttered the studio, repurposing the Origin brand for their digital distribution platform.
With official support discontinued and numerous bugs unresolved, dedicated fans created unofficial patches addressing critical problems and restoring narrative consistency within series continuity.
In 2012, digital retailer GOG.com reissued a downloadable version of Ultima IX. Two years later, in 2014, the Ultima Codex Community obtained the game’s source code from a former developer for offline preservation efforts aimed at preventing permanent loss.
Reception
According to review aggregator GameRankings, critical response was "mixed or average."
Upon release, many long-time fans perceived the title as incomplete and less refined compared to earlier entries in the series. A prominent critique involved Ultima IX disregarding much of established series lore to attract newcomers unfamiliar with previous games—altering or omitting past storylines and dialogue lines such as the infamous "What's a paladin?" phrase. Additionally, numerous bugs present at launch negatively impacted its reception.
Drew Hunt from AllGame awarded it three-and-a-half stars out of five, commenting that it "had potential to be one of the finest games in its genre if only its release had been postponed to address bugs and enhance performance."
Commercially, sales were disappointing; approximately 75,000 units sold in the U.S. by August 2000.
Despite its flaws, Ultima IX was nominated as a finalist for "Computer Adventure/Role-Playing Game of the Year" at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' third Annual Interactive Achievement Awards but lost to Asheron's Call. It also received a nomination from PC Gamer US for their 1999 "Best Roleplaying Game," which ultimately went to System Shock 2. PC Gamer remarked that with proper bug fixes it could have ranked among top RPGs ever made.
Conversely, it earned GameSpot’s 1999 "Most Disappointing Game of the Year" award and finished as runner-up for "Best Graphics, Artistic Design," an honor claimed by Rayman 2: The Great Escape.
External links
- www.ultima-ascension.com – Archived official Origin site for Ultima IX (snapshot from 2001-03-22)
- Ultima IX: Ascension at the Codex of Ultima Wisdom wiki