As a youngster, some of my favorite computer games were those in the Ultima franchise. After the disappointing series finale of Ultima 9, Electronic Arts killed the franchise (save for Ultima Online), and shut down Origin – the developer of the Ultima games – for good a couple of years later.
Between Ultima 6 and Ultima 7, Origin released two “Worlds of Ultima” games: The Savage Empire and Martian Dreams, which were side stories that took place outside of Britannia. While the games were well-regarded by fans, they did not sell particularly well and eventually became collector’s items. I found a copy of The Savage Empire in a Wal-Mart bargain bin for $5 in 1995, and eventually sold it on eBay for nearly $150 a few years later.
They have never been re-released in any form – until now. This week, both games showed up on GOG.com – for free! (and yes, they are completely legitimate)
If you can get past the 20+ year-old interface – which really shows it’s age – there’s a lot of good gaming to be had in these two forgotten gems.
Download Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire