The best CRPG docuseries revisits Ultima 8

YouTuber Majuular's retrospective series has turned its attention to Ultima VIII, breaking down the game's history, analyzing and critiquing its narrative, and reviewing it as an RPG in the context of its release.

The videos weave in the story of the game's development, including the antics of creator Richard Garriott, and place Ultima in the wider story of the genre's growth.

Even if you don't care about Ultima itself, the series is worth watching: Ultima's influence stretches across the medium. Ultima Online shaped EverQuest, Ultima Underworld transformed first-person games, and figures such as Larian founder Swen Vincke trace long-running obsessions back to entries like Ultima 8.

The games have aged and many are hard to revisit, but they provide essential context for the CRPG golden age. Ultima 8 isn't considered the best in the series, though it's far from the worst.

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