there is an ultima 4 remake, which is free.

Well, I think 7 was the best, so if you plan on playing all of them, maybe save it for last. Playing it first might just make playing the rest depressing. :p

The Ultima games are from another era of CRPGs, most contemporary gamers probably wouldn't like them. Their reputation is largely due to the important role they've played in CRPG history. Be aware that Origin was making Ultima games for ~20 years and that they can be VERY different games from one another.

IMHO, Ultima 4,5, &7 are the greats of the series. Underworld and Underworld 2 are interesting for their revolutionary tech but not so much as Ultimas. Ultima 8 and 9 never happened. ;D


-Conniving Dragon ...er Snickersnack

If you want to learn more about the Ultima series, here's a good series of videos reviewing the games:

http://spoonyexperiment.com/category/game-reviews/ultima-retrospective/page/2/

It saddens me that I have never heard of this guy before, for now I cannot stop watching.

That's a bit harsh. Ultima 8 was good. Ultima 9 though... well.

If you got Dungeon Siege, you can dl Ultima 5 and Ultima 6 total conversion mod on it. Though personally I am a bit disappointed on U6, especially on dungeon design. Both mods are pretty different from the originals.

If you want to play originals, Ultima 4 is freely available and it is a very nice CRPG with very different goal than your standard "gotta kill the bad dude" theme.

Ultima 8 and 9 are more closer to adventure gaming than straight RPG, Ultima 1 and 2 are still finding their true form, so they are a mix of fantasy and sci-fi. Hey, I love Ultima 8. It has great atmosphere and the gameplay isn't even half as bad as some people say. Ultima 9 on the other hand was just plain boring.

EA is cracking down on the Ultima 4 remakes (and the freeware release).

Here's a story as to why.

Sorry, but jumping puzzles have no place in a proper Ultima. ;)

At least the U8 engine gave us Crusader.

Goddamit! The flash one is also down... http://www.phipsisoftware.com/ultima4.html
:(

edit: Ah, second link in the article :)

I suggest Ultima 7 and 7.5 Serpent Isle to start. In my opinion, it was the absolute peak of the series. 4-6 are worth a shot as well, but a little more old-school.

The Ultima Underworld series is a must play as well.

Meh, Wizardry is better. Lord British the loon can go suck a nut. :P

Spoony actually inspired me to play these games, they look really interesting to me. Definitely something I'd like.