 "Ultima Forever: Quest of the Avatar coming to iOS 'soon'")
Electronic Arts has announced that the iOS version of its upcoming free-to-play game Ultima Forever: Quest of the Avatar will be out “soon”, according to Polygon. The company has also announced that the Android version of what it likes to refer to as the spiritual successor to the Ultima series is in the works.
The story of the game is set to take place 21 years after the events of Ultima IV. Players are sent on a mission by Lady British, who is the daughter of the now-retired Lord British, to help out as the land is under attack by a plague called the Black Weep. You can check out what the gameplay will be like in this trailer.
The game looks more like Diablo than the original Ultima games. There seems to be a focus on loot. But along with all the hack-and-slash action, players will apparently also have to master the eight virtues to become the Avatar.
The game was announced back in July 2012. It is going to be a reboot of the classic RPG from 1985. It will be available free-to-play on PC as well as iOS and Android devices. Though the game is free, it will include the ability to buy in-game gold and better accessories for real money. The game involves a small group of three or four characters wandering the world of Britannia, flying in hot air balloons over mountain ranges, sailing across oceans, surviving storms, battling sea monsters and competing to collect the eight Virtues. The game will also feature a mentorship system where low-leveled characters can get more experience from high-leveled characters. Players can sign up for the closed beta of the game on the official Ultima Forever website and see the first trailer for the game.
Ultima Forever doesn’t seem to have much in common to its namesake
The first game in the Ultima series was released in 1981, dubbed The First Age of Darkness, almost 30 years before the release of the browser-based Ultima Online: High Seas. Kotaku, however, explained that the game was a disappointment for long time fans.
According to a report by MSNBC, production of Ultima Forever does not involve the original creator Richard Garriott. He has been busy with Portalarium, an Austin-based gaming company that recently secured $7 million in funding.
The Ultima series has been divided into three major parts – The Age of Darkness, which is Ultima I to III; The Age of Enlightenment, which is Ultima IV to VI; and The Age of Armageddon, which is Ultima VII to IX.
Ultima IV: The Quest of the Avatar from the Age of Enlightenment was a major departure of the series’ usual good vs. evil plot. Instead, the game chose to explore more mature themes, with additions like a complex morality system based on the Eight Virtues.
The Ultima series has been one of the most celebrated games in history. Here’s hoping BioWare does not mess the game up after a series of disappointing releases.
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