Ultima VIII: Pagan - Reception

Reception

Ultima VIII: Pagan had a mixed reception. Dragon gave the game 3 out of 5 stars. In 1996, Computer Gaming World ranked it as the 20th worst game of all time, stating "A once-great RPG series reduced to the level of Mario, but with hateful, virtue-less characters."

Common complaints include:

  • The world is much smaller than in the preceding parts.
  • There are far fewer NPCs to interact with.
  • NPC portraits are no longer included.
  • The game went back from the "party" concept to the "lone hero" of the first two Ultima games.
  • Stepping into any water will instantly kill you by drowning, after a brief animation depicting The Avatar going under. This includes even a small puddle of water.
  • Battle against enemy characters is hack and slash mouse clicking. There is some resemblance to the later game Diablo.
  • Poor game balance. Among other problems, a spell that can be learned early in the game grants total invulnerability, rendering all further combat trivial.
  • Platform game style running, climbing and jumping across moving platforms is introduced.
  • Less interactivity with objects and items.
  • Major holes in the plot.
  • Frequent bugs/glitches.

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