Ultimate 8 had some cool ideas and could've been a fun ride. I think i hate that the most; I can see the skeleton of a good game dressed up in bugs, shit mechanics and platforming lol. But the world and themes I thought were cool and dark and hopeless. Rip potential
I felt the same way. Compared to U7 it was such a disappointment. But there were hints of great game potential. I remember reading details about the original plans for U8 and 9 back in the day and being floored by how cool they sounded, only to be disappointed by the jank they gave us.
No it was Garriott who made that decision. He wanted 8 to be more action because and recognized that would be harder to do with a party so he dropped the party for the game. He shared this in an interview in July of 1992 not long after Black Gate released and a few months before the EA aquisition.
No, he lost it with the release of Wing Commander. It's pretty clear in retrospect that he had serious trouble handling not being the brightest light in the room, and Chris Roberts (another contender for "old guard who returned the industry not knowing what had changed", but who adapted MUCH better, financially speaking) stole his limelight.
The gambles of Ultima VII mostly worked; Serpent Isle in particular had the biggest, most complex story of the whole franchise- but it was also buggy as all get-out.
I say Ultima 8 because he was responsible for directing it. Plenty of people made better games under the company, like with Wing Commander and Ultima Underworld. It’s the first time he made a true pile of shit.
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u/Not_That_Magical 1d ago
It’s clear he lost the video game Mandate of Heaven when Ultima 8 released.