Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

For over a decade, fans around the world have enjoyed Ultima Online. The graphics are ancient by today's standards, the controls are archaic, and there's very little hand holding in the game. If all this is true, then how can the game survive, let alone continue to grow? These are the puzzles I wanted to solve while playing in preparation for this review. I'm glad to announce that I have my answers. I'll be happy to share them with you, but before I do, let's break down the different aspects of the game, shall we?

Gameplay

OkayGameplay is such a fickle term from one person to the next. Some might think it revolves around the concepts within a game, while others feel it's all about how the game actually plays. Personally, I lean towards the latter choice. Ten years ago, the gameplay in Ultima Online was right at the front of the pack. It was similar to the innumerable RPG's we all played at the time, but it was finally on a massive scale. As time has passed, the expectations of how things work have changed. Rather than embrace these new ideas, Ultima Online has chosen to stick with its "tried and true" method. In other words, the gameplay feels confusing and clunky in comparison to other titles that are popular today. It still wins points in the nostalgia field, so I can't dock too many points from its score, despite the fact that I wish they'd modernize the game further. Another complaint with the gameplay revolves around the lack of character diversity. Being forced to play as a human is not something that appeals to me. Part of the thrill of playing other races is the fact that it makes it that much easier to feel like you're truly part of another world for those brief moments in time you have to play your favorite game. I don't want to feel like Eric the computer tech geek when I log into a game. There are certainly people that do, and find it easier to associate with their character if they're the same race, but at least give us some choices. I have the same complaint when it comes to the lack of variety with classes. Samurai, Ninja, Warrior? When you really boil it down, is there honestly a lot of difference between the three? In this aspect, Ultima Online could take some cues from more modern games and expand the options they're providing their players. I understand that it would take some work, but I hope it's something that's at least on the drawing board right now. My final complaint in terms of gameplay revolves around movement. I know that in a 2D game, it's far more efficient to use a click-to-move system than a WASD configuration, but if you're going to do that, you'd better make sure your clicking points are accurate. I can't count how many times I would attempt to click on various monsters (skeletons were the worst), just to start running in that direction, without actually having the mob targeted. If you're playing a warrior class of some sort, this is no big deal really, as you need to get within melee range anyway. About the time you go rushing over to give that treant you wanted to hurl a fireball at a kiss though, you're going to be in a world of hurt.

Graphics

Below AverageMediocre is the kindest word I can think of to describe the graphics of Ultima Online. Despite the improvements they made by introducing a new engine with Kingdom Reborn, it's still a pixilated 2D game. It's no secret that I am a self-admitted graphics whore, but even so, there were times I felt the graphics in Diablo II were better. They actually weren't, but you get my point. Perhaps if we hadn't been teased so many years ago with promises of a 1st/3rd person graphics overhaul back in the day, I'd be more willing to let the current state of the graphics slide.

Sound

GoodSurprisingly (at least to me), the sound in Ultima Online is actually good. It's not going to make you any happier about the $500 you just dropped on a new sound card and your kick-ass surround sound speaker system, but it won't make you cringe like a grandparent at a Twisted Sister concert either. The music may not be the greatest, the ambient sounds leave a little to be desired as well, but there is one thing in the sound department that made me smile every time. When casting a spell, your character actually spits out the words for the spell. It sounds like such a little thing, but it was one of the highlights of the game for me. It's that sense of your character having to get a phrase out while getting beat on that helped bring each of those encounters to life in your imagination. It's a great touch that I wish other companies would grab and run with and deserves to be highlighted.

There's more! Don't miss the second half of our review.