The first time i saw Ultima 4 was at the tender age of 12, I found out about it from a games magazine at the time, I liked the look of it, so i bugged my parents in to buying it for me.
It didn't take me long to get into the game, the first thing that caught my attention was the fact that it would give you a choice upon the path you took, would you be honest,just,loyal, which in turn decided what type of character you would be, where you started from in the world, and your starting stats. So right from the start it would draw you in.
Looking back on the game now, I can see that the graphics aren't that great, but at that time it was the best there was, also the musical quality was great, and went together with the game play in a sort of spell binding way, as if you wanted to play the game just to listen to the music.
A lot of thought went into the game as well i felt, the sound effects suited the weapons.
For all that was great about it Ultima 4, it did have one big flaw, the amount of paper you would need in order to remember everything, places to visit, mantras to use, potions, that and it could suck away hours of your day and you wouldn't even notice. To this day i still maintain that i started going gray at the age of 12 due to this game, but if you want a game that will keep you entertained, challenge your mental abilities and give you a good dose of old school RPG gaming, this is the game for you.
EUROPE
English
Lord British, the wise and compassionate ruler of Britannia, wishes to erase the legacy left behind by the three Evil Lords. To do so, he must find an Avatar. An Avatar is one who has achieved enlightenment in the 8 Virtues - Honor, Valor, Sacrifice, Compassion, Justice, Spirituality, Honesty and Humility. Only the most virtuous of souls can complete the perilous journey that lies ahead! If you think that you're the savior for whom Lord British is searching, then prove your worth by taking on the Quest of the Avatar!
German
Lord British, der weise und gütige Herrscher von Britannien, wünscht das von den drei Bösen Lords zurückgelassene Erbe auszulöschen. Dazu muß er einen Avatar finden! Ein Avatar ist jemand, der Erleuchtung in den acht Tugenden gefunden hat! Ehre, Tapferkeit, Milde, Opferbereitschaft, Gerechtigkeit, Geistigkeit, Aufrichtigkeit und Bescheidenheit. Nur tugendhafteste Menschen können auf der gefährlichen Reise erfolgreich sein, die vor Ihnen liegt! Wenn Sie glauben, Sie seien der Retter, nach dem Lord British sucht, so beweisen Sie Ihren Wert, indem Sie die Suche des Avatar unternehmen!
French
Lord British, le souverain sage et compatissant de Britannia, désire effacer toute trace du règne des 3 Seigneurs du Mal. Pour ce faire, il doit trouver un Avatar! Un Avatar est quelqu'un qui est parvenu à l'illumination dans chacune des 8 vertus: l'Honneur, la Bravoure, le Sacrifice, la Compassion, la Justice, la Spiritualité, l'Honêteté et l'Humilité. Seules les âmes les plus vertueuses pourront effectuer jusqu'au bout le voyage périlleux qui les attend! Si vous pensez être le sauveur que cherche Lord British, prouvez votre valeur en vous lançant sur la piste de l'Avatar!
BRAZIL
Lord British, soberano de Britannia, um homem de grande sabedoria e compaixão, deseja apagar o legado deixado para ele pelos seus antecessores, os 3 Lordes do Mal. E você foi o escolhido para tentar cumprir esta perigosa missão. Você receberá o amuleto de Ankh, símbolo de Vida e da Ressurreição. Com este amuleto, você poderá enfrentar a longa e difícil jornada que lhe espera na luta para conquistar o Abismo e descobrir o Código da Sabedoria Final, arma necessária para salvar Britannia do Mal. Para atingir o Abismo, você precisa se tornar um Avatar, uma pessoa que conseguiu iluminar sua alma com as 8 virtudes do homem: Honra, Valor, Sacrifício, Compaixão, Justiça, Espiritualidade, Honestidade e Humildade. Somente as almas mais puras têm condições de se tornar um Avatar. Você terá de enfrentar uma série de difíceis desafios no caminho para tornar-se um Avatar, desafios estes que vão aumentando à medida que você se aproximar do desafio final, no Abismo. Se você acha que tem coragem suficiente para enfrentar todos os terríveis obstáculos que o aguardam, tornando-se desta forma o salvador pelo qual Lord British tem procurado, então prove, aceitando nosso convite para lutar no cenário deste fantástico jogo. Mas não se esqueça... Você é a única alternativa para que o povo de Britannia possa se livrar do Mal que vem do passado. Se você falhar, o resultado será a escuridão eterna.