Ultima 6 is a classic that will withstand the trials of gaming time. The game starts off with moderate graphics (great for the time) with the Avatar in a series of combat with gargoyles. The gargoyles, while difficult, can be beaten with the ease that the ultima games lend to combat. After the initial meeting with Lord British, you find out what has happened in Britannia since the last adventure of the Avatar. You find out that the Orb of Moon (which you received from the gargoyles) is a moongate, and it will take you to all the shrines that you must visit in your journey.
The biggest fallback in this Ultima game is the difficulty in obtaining armour and weapons. The way that it is intended is to purchase them, but unfortunately for the hero, you begin with no money, so you must search your kills. The game also lacks some AI when giving NPCs different weapons, they will switch back to their original weapons constantly, so you are forced to supply them with expensive bolts for the crossbow. Unlike Ultima IV and V, all the spells used in the game are covered in the Compendium. If you happen to come across the spell called "Armageddon" you should definitely save your game before attempting the cast.
The runes that the main story line are comprised of can be surprisingly
difficult to reach, with secret doors for the rune of honesty, house holes for the rune of valour, and knowing exactly which notation to use for the runs of sacrifice.
The game moves along to needing the book of prophecy. Unlike modern games, this is not accomplished by running through a huge number of dungeons while battling the depths of the areas. Instead, it requires a lot of puzzle expertise, as well as a huge amount of patience, since talking to everyone that you see is a must in order to accomplish this. Everyone in the game looks virtually the same, so remembering who you last talked to can be quite a challenge!
Overall, as with the older and newer games in the Ultima series, Ultima 6 is a charming game that pulls on a lack of humour, but an increase in mythology and lore. However, if you had to choose which ultima games to play, I'd recommend skipping this one and playing 7 and 8.
