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ULTIMA IV: QUEST OF THE AVATAR (Map-Maze Adventure)
Compatibility: 64K Apple II+, IIe, IIc
Requirements: One disk drive, second drive and Mockingboard optional
Having blasted Mondain, dispatched the evil enchantress, and sabotaged Exodus, you are ready for the most awesome of undertakings. In Ultima IV your goal is to demonstrate mastery of eight virtues ranging from "compassion" through "spirituality" and so become an archetype of goodness, an avatar.
Your quest spans town, abbey, and shrine-dotted lands spread across a 256x256 map. Monsters abound, with conflicts on the surface and in dungeons resolved via a slightly elaborated version of Ultima III's mini-arcade type combat. A notable improvement is an option to break off a fight and flee (though at the cost of some "valor" points).
You do not, however, merely hack your way to holiness. Runes, mantras (for meditation), and shrines must be located and correctly utilized. This entails exhaustive questioning of inhabitants who turn out to be surprisingly verbose. Sailing ships and moon gates remain the staple modes of long distance travel; but sometimes you will need to hop a balloon (especially if you plan to do mapping).
Two significant departures from earlier Ultima's involve the magic system-- spells must be mixed according to a specific recipe-- and character creation. Based upon the results of a kind of placement test, you are assigned a profession and attributes for one character. The other seven members of your party must be discovered and recruited individually. Like yourself, each comes with preassigned attributes.
Supported in the usual fine Ultima style, including a superb musical score for Mockingboard, "Quest of the Avatar" is a tour de force of game programming technique. Still, I prefer to design my own characters; and questing for niceness imposes many unwelcomed restraints (e.g. slaughtering guards and ripping off herb vendors are definite no-no's). If you are ready for a super-long play, multi-faceted challenge and don't mind becoming a saint, this one is for you.
Available from Electronic Arts: 2755 Campus Drive, San Mateo, CA 94403. (415) 571-7171. $59.95
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