HOWTO download Ultima Underworld on any computer with internet: 1) Google and download the zip of Ultima Underworld from Abandonia and drop the extraction on your desktop. 2) Download dosbox, start it, and type: "mount c c:\Users\[you]\Desktop\ultima-underworld-i-the-stygian-abyss\," hit enter, then type, "c:" and hit enter again, then type, "uw", then hit enter again. 3) Mash, "Ctrl+F12," to dedicate the CPU to the game so it stops lagging (I do 20k cycles even though it warns you past 15k). 4) hit Ctrl+F10, then Alt+Enter, and you're in the Stygian Abyss!
And this is the reason I've been fiddling with methods of generating computerized sound and music since 1990. The first few notes of this song coming out of that tinny PC speaker pretty much sealed my fate.
+michael norris Agreed. This track and opening cinematic was more or less my intro to the Ultima series (though I think I saw my dad playing Ultima 3 once or twice at a very early age). The stones, the gargoyles, the rescue... it was a great way to begin a game - even by today's standards.
+megagrey Oh, sorry, my bad. I played it on the PC, but have been out of the gaming scene for a long time. I really can't offer an opinion. But let me know what you think!
A year late, but w/e. The best version is the PC one, I've only seen footage of the SNES version tbh, but as far as I've seen the interface is way too cumbersome for a controller. Even on PC you'd be better off playing it keyboard only and learning all the keyboard shortcuts. I mean, this game has mouse support but it's not really built around it, and it makes the whole interface feel clunky if you go that way. Guess mice weren't commonplace yet in 1990. Control issues aside, this game's awesome. It's a huge open world with plenty of places to explore and fool around in, the spells are all satisfying and imaginative (for instance you can clone and animate objects and they'll roam around and make squeaky noises!!!) and the story is OH SO GOOD. And yes, I'm saying that with some huge nostalgia glasses on, as it's been my first rpg and it's still among my favorites, maybe even my top 1.
The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one... The best one...
+batlin Yeah somehow this game seemed a little more cheery and colorful than u7, despite the very dark mood overall of warfare and the collapse of the goblins homeworld. Maybe it was the graphical style and music, but u7 felt more dark and ominous, while u6 seemed bright colorful and cheeery
michael norris yeah absolutely. Ultima 7 had a more ominous and unsettling soundtrack, which fits with the ambiguous feel of the storyline, since you're not told explicitly who the bad guys are and what they're up to... just that "something" is wrong. For the first few months of playing Ultima 7 (on my friend's 486, since I had an Atari ST), I had no idea what the plot was and just went about killing things and baking bread... :D
BATLIN -- IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT THE AVATAR STOPS ME FROM COMING THROUGH THE BLACK GATE, I COMMAND YOU TO FOLLOW THE UNWITTING FEMALE HUMAN GWENNO TO THE SERPENT ISLE.
tohopes Batlin looks at you and his gaze returns to the Armageddon winter storm. "Many years ago, Avatar, I went to Skara Brae, the ghost city. The way the world is now reminds me of that dead place. In Skara Brae I had a spiritual experience so profound that I have never spoken of to another soul. I would like to share that experience with thee now, Avatar. "There at Skara Brae I saw a man who was called The Tortured One. I asked this dead man, pray tell, what is the answer to the question of Life and Death? He gave me no reply, and I asked him again. I beseeched him to impart some small parcel of wisdom upon me. What is the answer to the question of Life and Death?! He said nothing, but in his eyes... In his eyes I could see, Avatar, that he could not answer me for there was no answer to give. No answers to the question of Life and Death! It was then I understood. No meanings! No virtues! No values!!!... I commend thee, Avatar, for reaching that same liberating illumination!"
batlin If you cast Armageddon before plopping into the final Black Gate area, you will see the bodies of the five bad guys dead on the floor... and they will proceed to talk to you, as scripted, threatening to kill you and what not.