TheRetroArcade
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Posts: 1,980
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
The wacky adventures of Lord British continue.
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Before Esoteric Ebb, before Disco Elysium, and before Baldur's Gate, there was Ultima. One of the earliest CRPGs in our favored medium's history became a sprawling series, and if you want to learn more about it, arguably the best way to do so is through YouTuber Majuular's excellent retrospective series, which we covered at length right here on PC Gamer.
I knew this latest video on Ultima 8, embedded above, was in the oven from my interview with Majuular, but it's still shocking that it dropped only two months after his four-hour look at the Two Worlds games. I think I'd need a break from RPGs in general after that, but the new video seems as exhaustive as ever.
If you haven't seen the Ultima retrospective series, each video breaks down the game's history, analyzes and critiques its narrative, reviews it as an RPG in the context of its release, and weaves in the story of its development, including the antics of eccentric creator Richard Garriott, aka Lord British.
They are worth watching even if you don't care about Ultima at all. Because it was there when the CRPG was being defined and for many years while the genre grew up, its influence can be felt all over the medium.
EverQuest wouldn't look the same without Ultima Online, Larian founder Swen Vincke has long been obsessed with Ultima 8, first-person games were utterly transformed by Ultima Underworld, and so on. The games have aged and many of them are hard to go back to, but it's essential context for the CRPG golden age we're living in now. Ultima 8 isn't considered the best game in the series by a long shot, but hey, it's not the worst.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's p...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Before Esoteric Ebb, before Disco Elysium, and before Baldur's Gate, there was Ultima. One of the earliest CRPGs in our favored medium's history became a sprawling series, and if you want to learn more about it, arguably the best way to do so is through YouTuber Majuular's excellent retrospective series, which we covered at length right here on PC Gamer.
I knew this latest video on Ultima 8, embedded above, was in the oven from my interview with Majuular, but it's still shocking that it dropped only two months after his four-hour look at the Two Worlds games. I think I'd need a break from RPGs in general after that, but the new video seems as exhaustive as ever.
If you haven't seen the Ultima retrospective series, each video breaks down the game's history, analyzes and critiques its narrative, reviews it as an RPG in the context of its release, and weaves in the story of its development, including the antics of eccentric creator Richard Garriott, aka Lord British.
They are worth watching even if you don't care about Ultima at all. Because it was there when the CRPG was being defined and for many years while the genre grew up, its influence can be felt all over the medium.
EverQuest wouldn't look the same without Ultima Online, Larian founder Swen Vincke has long been obsessed with Ultima 8, first-person games were utterly transformed by Ultima Underworld, and so on. The games have aged and many of them are hard to go back to, but it's essential context for the CRPG golden age we're living in now. Ultima 8 isn't considered the best game in the series by a long shot, but hey, it's not the worst.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's p...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?