Gameplay
A difference from previous Ultima games is that in Ultima IX the player has less control of what path to take in the game. Most areas of Britannia are blocked off until specific tasks are completed, reducing the amount of initial exploration available to the player.
The game world is rendered in a detailed and seamless manner, but Britannia is much smaller in overall area than previous games. For example, Britain, the largest city of Britannia, consists of only a few buildings.
Combat also changed significantly from previous Ultima games, controlling more like an action game than the turn-based strategic combat of the earlier games.
Read more about this topic: Ultima IX: Ascension