When Imagination Conquered Limits - Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (1981) Retrospective

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Avrengost Games

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Published on June 20, 2025 5:23:32 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC2rMtWMhk4

Game:

Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (1981)

Duration: 0:00

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4

After the unexpected success of Akalabeth in 1980, Richard Garriott put himself immediately back to work into a new game. Still under contract with California Pacific, he developed Ultima (later known as Ultima I: The Fist Age of Darkness) in mere months when also attending his freshman college year.
He took the Akalbeth dungeons, which he liked, and expanded the concept a little bit. But more than that, with the help of his friend Ken W. Arnold, they built a new overworld tile-based engine that would have a lasting impact in all the future RPG video games.
The story would be up to you to figure out.
Ultima I would not only be one of the first RPG video games, but also one of the most influential one (if not THE most influential one). Can you name a game made in the '80s, '90s or even later, that would feature some core elements directly traceable back to this game?

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📒 Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:56 Overview
07:15 Development
11:18 Versions & Controls
14:35 Character Creation & Progression System
19:07 Story & Quests
24:12 Exploration & The World
29:25 Combat & Equipment
33:15 Visuals & Sounds
36:03 Conclusion

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📜 GAME DETAILS

🖱 ️ Game Title: Ultima
🏷 ️ Developer & Publisher: Richard Garriott & Ken Arnold, California Pacific Computer Company (1981) & Origin Systems (1986)
🗓 ️ Release Date: June 1981

🎓 Sources

RPG Classichttps://shrines.rpgclassics.com/pc/ultima1/index.shtml...

Dino’s Complete Guide to Ultima https://gigi.nullneuron.net/ultima/u1/index.php...

Ultima Codehttps://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Main_Page...

Origins manualhttps://www.pixsoriginadventures.co.uk/downloads/...

Dungeon explanation and templates at RPG Classichttps://shrines.rpgclassics.com/pc/ultima1/dungeons.shtml...

Ultima I Encore Manuahttps://mocagh.org/origin/u1-manual.pdfpdf

The Codex of Ultima Wisdohttps://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Main_Page...

Matt Barton Interview with Richard Garriott:    • Matt Chat 196: Lord British on Ultima and ...  

Retro Collective Interview with Richard Garriott:    • Retro Tea Break | Richard Garriott's tells...  

Reconciling the Past: The First Age of Darkness at The Digital Lycaeuhttps://lycaeum.ultimacodex.com/ultima-i/...

The Digital Antiquarian on Ultima, Part https://www.filfre.net/2012/02/ultima-part-1/...

The Digital Antiquarian on Ultima, Part https://www.filfre.net/2012/02/ultima-part-2/...

The Digital Antiquarian on Ultima, Part https://www.filfre.net/2012/02/ultima-part-3/...

Ultima I Walkthrough by Prescient Dragohttp://www.pdragon.net/u1/u1walk.htmltml

Ultima I Walkthrough by Game Corner Guideshttps://guides.gamercorner.net/ultimai/walkthrough/...

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🎸 MUSIC CREDITS

All music, except the outro, is from the game itself.

Outro -
Forever Young by AudioCoffeehttps://www.audiocoffee.net/et/
Music promoted https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ll/
Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/...

#gaming #gamingreview #ultima #games #pcgaming #richardgarriott