Ultima VII: The Black Gate is the seventh game in the Ultima series of role-playing video games. It was released in April 1992. In this game, the player returns as The Avatar, a character who tries to be a good and moral hero. The Avatar must face many dangers and tricky situations to clean up the medieval fantasy world of Britannia. This includes stopping bad plans, dealing with monster problems, and protecting the king’s power.
The Black Gate received great praise from critics and sold well. It is considered one of the best games in the series and is seen as one of the best video games ever made. In an interview with GameSpot, Richard Garriott said that Ultima VII "was the most masterfully executed of the Ultima series." He has also often said that this game, along with Ultima IV, was his personal favorite in the series.
Gameplay
Ultima VII brought many important changes to the Ultima series. One major change is that the game world no longer uses a tile and grid system for movement, though tiles are still used internally in a more advanced way. The maps now appear more layered, and objects can be stacked on top of each other. This affects movement and can be part of puzzles, such as creating stairs by stacking items to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Visually, the game world now fills the entire screen, unlike earlier games that used part of the screen for text, buttons, and icons.
This game is the first in the series that is mainly controlled with a mouse, with optional keyboard shortcuts for some actions. Earlier games used only the keyboard, and Ultima VI combined keyboard commands with on-screen icons. In Ultima VII, players can move or drop items simply by dragging and dropping them, though using the keyboard alone is difficult. The game recommends using a mouse for easier control.
Ultima VII introduced Graphical User Menu Pop-ups ("gumps"), which are on-screen menus for containers, books, and other items. For example, clicking on a drawer or backpack shows its contents, allowing players to rearrange items with the mouse. Gumps are also used for spellbooks, maps, and character equipment. In Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle, the inventory view uses a paper doll design, showing equipped items on a character's body.
A major change from earlier games is that Ultima VII is completely real-time, pausing only when opening menus, dialogues, or inventory. Combat is controlled by artificial intelligence (AI), allowing players to set goals for each character, such as having stronger characters attack enemies directly. Players can also manually target the Avatar. Though the game is real-time, it pauses during actions like using items from the backpack. The AI may sometimes make mistakes, like firing weapons at allies, but it avoids the need for players to control all characters manually.
Ultima VII: The Black Gate is the first main game in the series to use dialogue trees. Earlier games used simple interactions or keyword-based dialogue. Ultima VII retains old keywords but presents them as mouse-clickable options in a tree format. Keywords only appear when they are learned through the story, such as the "thief caught" option appearing only after a thief is captured.
The game world is highly interactive: almost anything not fixed or too heavy can be moved or used. Players can bake bread, forge weapons, play instruments, or change a baby’s swaddling by dragging items. If the Avatar and companions are not fed, they will complain about hunger or thirst and may die if ignored. They may also react to gruesome scenes by groaning or vomiting, and excessive alcohol consumption can cause visible nausea.
Ultima VII allows free exploration of the game world, with a main story and many subquests. Players are not required to follow the main plot to enjoy the game, especially after leaving the starting city of Trinsic. The Black Gate has a nonlinear structure, where players can explore and complete subquests in any order.
Unlike other Ultima games, Ultima VII places less emphasis on behaving virtuously. The Avatar can steal or kill without affecting the game’s completion. However, NPCs, including party members and Britannia’s citizens, react negatively to crimes. Party members may leave the group or attack the Avatar if they witness too many harmful actions. The Guardian may mock the player for committing crimes, which ties to the series’ final game’s revelation that the Guardian is the Avatar’s subconscious mirror.
The Black Gate includes a deed system, requiring the Avatar to purchase and carry a title to ride certain vehicles like horses or ships. Serpent Isle does not use this system; instead, ships and gates are accessed through the story’s plot.
Plot
The game starts with a scene showing the Avatar's computer screen, which appears to be the game's introduction. Suddenly, the screen becomes filled with static, and a red creature named The Guardian speaks:
Avatar! Know that Britannia has entered a new era of knowledge! The time has come for the true Lord of Britannia to lead His people. Under my guidance, Britannia will grow strong, and all people will celebrate and honor their new Guardian. You, Avatar, must also bow to me. You will soon accept my rule, for I will be your guide, your protector, and your leader!
The Orb of the Moons shines, and the Avatar sees a red moongate appear behind the house. The Avatar uses the moongate to return to Britannia and arrives in Trinsic, where they meet Iolo. Iolo explains that two hundred years have passed since he last saw the Avatar. The town is in shock because a murder happened the night before—the body of a blacksmith named Christopher was found in a stable. Finnigan, the mayor of Trinsic, asks the Avatar to investigate the crime.
In Trinsic, the Avatar meets members of a new religious group called the Fellowship. Later, in Britain, the Avatar meets Batlin, one of the Fellowship's founders. The Avatar also meets Lord British, who encourages the Avatar to join the Fellowship. Lord British says the Fellowship has done many good things. It is also discovered that most of the mages in the realm have become completely insane, and their magic no longer works properly.
Most of the game involves the Avatar investigating the Fellowship and the murders in Trinsic. The Avatar finds more clues that suggest the Fellowship is involved in secret activities. More murders occur, and the Avatar goes undercover by joining the Fellowship. The Avatar's journey takes them to many cities and towns in Britannia, including Minoc, a ruined Skara Brae controlled by a lich, Yew, Moonglow, and Buccaneer's Den.
The Avatar eventually learns about an important astronomical event that will happen soon and discovers three evil machines created by The Guardian, which have caused many problems. After destroying these machines, the Avatar and their companions follow clues to the Isle of Avatar, where members of the Fellowship are waiting. The Fellowship has built a black moongate made of blackrock on the island to allow The Guardian to enter Britannia during the astronomical event.
The Avatar confronts the Fellowship members and defeats them. As the astronomical event begins and The Guardian appears behind the moongate, the Avatar destroys the gate just in time, stopping The Guardian from entering Britannia. Because one of the generators was destroyed, the moongates no longer work, and the Avatar must stay in Britannia with no way to return to Earth.
Development
Ultima VII was the first game in which Richard Garriott planned future games in the series. He created a planned trilogy that would end with Ultima IX.
Parts of Ultima VII were inspired by conflicts between Origin Systems and Electronic Arts, a company that later bought Origin. Origin’s motto was “We Create Worlds,” while the main villain in the game, the Guardian, is called the “Destroyer of Worlds.” Three evil characters in the game, called the Generators, have shapes that match the logo of Electronic Arts: a cube, a sphere, and a tetrahedron. Two characters, Elizabeth and Abraham, have initials “E” and “A,” which are also the initials of Electronic Arts. In 1992, on September 25, Electronic Arts purchased Origin Systems.
A religious group in the game, the Fellowship, was inspired by Scientology. Richard Garriott also said the game was influenced by other games, including Times of Lore and Dungeon Master. Ultima VII cost $1 million to create.
The game’s credits were designed to look like movie end credits, including standard disclaimers and other elements found in films. The credits mention that a soundtrack CD was available from Origin, but it was not released until 1993. Later, the credits for Ultima VII Part Two: Serpent Isle corrected this by stating, “Soundtrack CD NOT available from Origin, so don’t ask!”
The Black Gate in the game uses a special program called “Voodoo,” which changes how the computer’s processor works. This program is not compatible with other programs that follow the DPMI standard.
Reception
In 1992, Computer Gaming World’s Scorpia praised Ultima VII: The Black Gate for its high-quality graphics, sound, and realism, described the story as very interesting, and appreciated the mouse- and keyboard-based interface. However, she noted the game’s slow speed, which she estimated added about a week to her playing time, and mentioned serious bugs and unenjoyable combat. She concluded that the game left her with mixed feelings, requiring patience to complete. In 1993, she wrote that the game had some annoying features but was still worth playing.
Charles Ardai noted that many believed the Ultima series had become overused after six games, but he argued that Ultima VII was different. He praised its advanced interface, original and emotional story, and its ability to balance tradition with creativity. He also highlighted the game’s strong plot, puzzles, and pacing.
In 1993, Ultima VII: The Black Gate and Forge of Virtue were reviewed in Dragon #191 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
Jim Trunzo reviewed Ultima VII: The Black Gate in White Wolf #33 (Sept./Oct. 1992), giving it a 4.5 out of 5 rating. He said the game improved the series in all areas and called it a "must experience" for fantasy gamers, but warned that players needed the correct system to enjoy it.
Computer Gaming World nominated Ultima VII for its 1992 "Role-Playing Game of the Year" award, which was won by Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss. The magazine noted the game’s use of new AI for character movement and its object-oriented game map design.
GamePro reviewed the Super NES version of the game and gave it a mixed rating. They praised the interface and controls but criticized the game’s feature that allowed monsters and chests to respawn when players left an area, making it easy to collect large amounts of loot. They called the graphics and sound decent but not impressive and described the game as "nicely crafted fun."
In 1997, The Black Gate was listed as one of "The 50 Best Games Ever" by PC Gamer. In 2011, it ranked number 10 on the magazine’s "The 100 Best PC Games of All Time" list. In 1998, PC Gamer US ranked it 37th among all computer games ever released, calling it the best choice for fans of the Ultima series.
In 1994, PC Gamer UK named The Black Gate and Serpent Isle as the 39th best computer game of all time. The editors described the game as "absolutely enormous" with many complex storylines and praised the creator’s effort to build a complete fantasy world. In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the game 72nd on their "Top 100 Games of All Time" list.
Forge of Virtueexpansion
Forge of Virtue was an add-on for the game Ultima VII. It added a new quest where the Avatar must prove himself by completing tests based on the values of Truth, Love, and Courage. The Avatar also must destroy the last pieces of Exodus. This add-on was first released on September 7, 1992.
At the start of the game, an earthquake happens. After talking to Lord British about the shaking, the player receives free use of a ship named The Golden Ankh. This ship allows the player to travel to the Isle of Fire, where the new quests begin. The Isle of Fire was once the location of Castle Exodus in Ultima III and only appears in this game.
The main goal of the new quests is to destroy the Dark Core, which holds the last pieces of Exodus. To do this, the Avatar must find three special items: talismans of Truth, Love, and Courage. Each item is earned by passing a test. The player also needs lenses from Ultima VI to complete the quest.
During the test of Courage, the player receives a powerful weapon called the Black Sword. Completing the tests gives the Avatar the highest levels of strength, intelligence, and dexterity. After finishing the quest, Lord British gives the player even more strength. The Golden Ankh provides extra supplies, and the player can use it for the rest of the game, avoiding the need to buy ship parts.
Later versions of Ultima VII always included this add-on. Computer Gaming World said the expansion improved combat and other game features. Because it only added a few hours to a game that already took over 200 hours to finish, the magazine called it "sort of a 'cheat' program … mak[ing] a great game even better." It also made the main story easier by giving players stronger stats and new equipment.
Versions and releases
The different versions of Ultima VII have been released in the following formats:
In addition, the game has been included in several collections.
The Black Gate was released in English, German, French, and Spanish.
Like other Ultima games, Ultima VII included a small item, a cloth map, and game-related guides. The small item was a triangle-shaped Fellowship medallion. The cloth map showed the world of Britannia. It included the Fellowship book and a demo disk for Ultima Underworld.
The expansion pack, Ultima VII: Forge of Virtue, included a pamphlet titled Guide to the Isle of Fire.
FCI and Pony Canyon published the Super NES version of Ultima VII, which was called Ultima: The Black Gate. This version was created by a small team at Origin Systems. The game producer and some team members had previously worked on Ultima: Runes of Virtue II.
This version is very different from the original, because the PC version of the game had a large size of 20 megabytes of data, but the Super NES version used only 1 megabyte of memory for all game data and programs. The game is mostly real-time action, similar to Ultima: Runes of Virtue I & II.
The maps, many usable items, and storylines had to be redesigned completely. The game program was rewritten entirely in a specific programming language. The "party" system, which allowed players to control a group of characters, was removed. Instead, the player controls a single character, called the Avatar. The story was also changed to follow Nintendo's rules: instead of characters committing murders, the Avatar investigates kidnappings.
In August 2006, GameSpot reported that Electronic Arts would move Ultima: The Black Gate (the Super NES version of Ultima VII) to the PlayStation Portable as part of EA Replay. The game was released in the United States on November 14, 2006.
Compatibility with modern systems and fan projects
Ultima VII used a special memory management tool called the Voodoo Memory Manager. This tool was not standard for DOS systems, so the game does not work on Windows 95 or later versions unless the computer is restarted into DOS mode. The game can be played on modern systems using fan-made modifications or through DOS emulators like DOSBox.
Exult is a version of Ultima VII’s game engine that works on different types of computers. It uses the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later license, which allows the game to be played on modern machines and across operating systems. Exult includes tools that let fans study and change the game, such as translating text. The Exult team has also improved the game by adding graphics from Serpent Isle to Black Gate and fixing some issues from the original version. Some features from the original game, like how characters interact with the world, are not fully recreated. The Exult project was praised by Richard Garriott. Other attempts to remake Ultima VII in different game engines have not been completed successfully.
GOG.com provides the game with a special version of DOSBox that allows it to run on modern operating systems.