"Why couldn't more games today be like this one?"

Introduction
This was the very first RPG game I had ever played, which was back in 93, and even today, in 2003 I still play it.

Gameplay
This game starts out with 2 of the characters outside a stable talking about a murder that has happened, when what's referred to as a Moongate appears and you see your character for the first time. Initially, the story focuses just on the murder, but it later unravels to reveal some rather nifty surprises.

There are, I think 13 characters available for use altogether in the game, however you can only use up to 8 of them, including your character. The controls are quite easy to figure out, as it is mainly just point and click with the mouse, and using a few different buttons for shortcuts.

This game, unlike numerous other RPGS, both in recent times, and that are as old as this game, allows you as much freedom as in such games as Morrowind, or the Baldur Gate games. You can travel anywhere you want to, go into any building [with some, you have to remove the doors by cheating, but you are still able to enter them], kill anyone you want, rob people, gamble, and even get jobs to get money. Playing through normally can take, on average 40 hours. Doing all that this game offers, however, you could play for over 100 hours quite easily and still not do everything.
10/10

Graphics/Sound
The graphics are pretty good, although not by today's standards with games. It doesn't have any CGI or FMV clips to tell the story, and instead it's told through something hardly any games use, discussion. Each of the characters you can get is easy enough to tell apart from each other, as is a lot of the minor and major characters throughout the game.

The sounds are tough to remember, and some of them are more annoying than listening to people that work in the electronics department at Wal-Mart. The music, however is quite lovely to listen to, and this game has the signature tune from the previous game, Ultima VI, called Stones. All of the music is instrumental, instead of techno/rock music that games even of that times used. All the music is done by instruments that you'd actually notice in the 1400s and 1500s, which this game is based on. I happen to be lucky enough to have a copy of the soundtrack, and I listen to it almost every day.
10/10

Replay Value
Like most RPGs, this game doesn't have much replay value for the casual gamer who would just want to play through for the story. For the more hardcore gamer however, who would want to get as much enjoyment as possible out of it, it has quite a bit, as you could get a different party together to use, or murder the whole town if you want. Better yet, however is there are 2 endings for it, which depending on what you do in the end, determines what ending you have.
10/10

Final Recommendation
If you don't care for Japanese Style RPGs and like the American ones, then this is a good game for you. If you like the Japanese RPGs, then this is an alright game for you, mainly because of the story.

Rent or Buy
Seeing as this IS a PC game, there isn't really any way you could rent it. It is, however a great game for any PC gamer's collection, even if they don't like RPGs.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/03, Updated 05/31/03