Five years on and UO is still going strong. Chris Anderson puts the latest expansion through its paces.
In an attempt to breathe life into the longest-running online RPG in existence, Origin has pulled out several plugs and introduced major new features with what will surely be one of the last expansions you'll see for Ultima Online.
The player base may still be reasonably intact, but with new competition appearing all the time Ultima Online's days would appear to be numbered. It's mainly the graphics engine that's the culprit, although the dated interface, which goes way back to the days when single-player Ultima reigned supreme, plays its own part in ensuring UO sits firmly at the bottom of the technological ladder.
Home sweet home Of course, none of this will deter the faithful, and this expansion gives them plenty to shout about. Age Of Shadows brings customised housing to the Ultima Online experience. This basically means you can design your own house right from the ground up if you can find a plot of land to stick it on. Malas, the new landmass, has plenty of room for new housing but existing players are likely to claim many of the spots, so if you want to stake your claim you better get in there quick.
There are two new classes in the form of the Necromancer and the Paladdin, both of which introduce a variety of new spells, and for existing characters a range of new combat moves are available to spice up what has become a rather simplistic combat system over the years. Doom, a massive new dungeon on Malas will be the focal point for exploration in Age Of Shadows, and the new continent itself is big enough to keep players happy for a month or two.
Ever expanding Ultima Online: Age Of Shadows is an excellent expansion for existing players, but it's unlikely to bring new players into the fold. We can't quite recommend it wholeheartedly because for all its new features, at the end of the day it still has the Ultima Online engine at its heart and that simply won't be enough for many new players.
Chris Anderson
// Overview
Verdict
Keeping the legend alive
Uppers
Two new playable classes Design your own house New land mass and massive dungeon
Downers
Dated graphics Cumbersome interface Fans will love it, nobody else will
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Two new playable classes
