Ultima 7: The Black Gate

a game by Origin Systems
Genre: Adventure/RPG
Platform: SNESSNES
Editor Rating: 9/10, based on 4 reviews
User Rating: 10.0/10 - 2 votes
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See also: Ultima Games

UItima The Black Gate is the first chapter of Book Three in the Ultima Saga. You. the Avatar, receive a message from another dimension. The sender is a being who has enormous power and malicious intent. You arrive at Brittania alter 200 years ol absence and find that everything has changed. Nothing is the same. Innocent Britannians have been disappearing and a cult has formed splitting Britannia into two groups. Does this cult, The Fellowship, have peaceful intentions or are its members conspiring to some dark purpose?

The people have become suspicious and unfriendly. Whose dark hand pulls the strings? Britannia has definitely changed and it is your job to find who or what is behind it all.


This game has a really detailed plot and great game control which makes it lots o' fun.


Gold is extremely hard to come by, making it very difficult to buy necessary items easily.


Your bloodshot eyes from playing this game for weeks on end.


Download Ultima 7: The Black Gate


System requirements:

  • PC compatible

Game Reviews

The Avatar returns! It's 200 years after the last Ultima, and mystery, intrigue, and adventure are still ever-present in Britannia.

Calling All Avatars

After receiving a televised challenge from a mysterious being called the Guardian, the Avatar returns to Britannia to learn that a mysterious, seemingly beneficial organization called The Fellowship has infiltrated nearly every facet of life. All is not what it seems -- kidnappings, unjust jailings, and all sorts of unholy goings- on are afoot.

ProTip: When the screen starts to turn black, it's night. Torches provide light, but the Illumination spell lights up the entire screen.

You must set things straight, but throughout the game you'll also be drawn into many subplots and side adventures. You could just say no, but then you wouldn't be the Avatar.

Ultima Action

Ultima VII integrates arcade- style action with the traditional elements of RPGs -- puzzles, mysteries, conversation, and lots of exploration. You can interact with almost everything you encounter. The user-friendly RPG interface, 3/4-overhead perspective, and effortless controls make it a breeze to get right into the game, and the Fast Magic, which creates instant access to selected spells, is a real adventurer's friend.

Unfortunately, one aspect of Ultima VIPs gameplay is obsolete: The game automatically replenishes chests and restores monsters when you leave their vicinity -- so if you find a stash of loot, just keep exiting and entering the room until you're Avatar Rockefeller!

A New Land

Ultima's graphics are solid if unspectacular. At first glance, the severe perspective appears to set the visuals at a wicked slant, but everything's easily discernible, and you get used to it. The large, nicely detailed character sprites are accompanied by diverse terrain, such as mountains, forests, caves, and castles. The sounds are ho-hum. The music's okay, capturing the mysterious mood, but it gets tedious after a while. The sparse sound effects never soar beyond average bumps, slashes, and flashes.

Despite some annoying quirks (monsters keep coming back, and the game doesn't allow saves in dungeons), Ultima VII is nicely crafted fun. Although it isn't the ultimate in RPGs, this lengthy adventure could make you a naturalized citizen of Britannia.

  • Even the castle mouse has something important to say.
  • When first starting out, you can't take any hits, so save your game after each battle until you start gaining levels.

Seventh in the Ultima series, this installment finds the Avatar perched on the dawn of a new civilization in Britannia. It's time for one being to bring all of Britannia into the new age, but the ruler in question is not the Avatar. Who else can rule? And what has journeyed into Britannia through the Black Gate? Use spells, chat with the citizens, and take your rightful position as leader.


You are the Avatar, returning to Britannia after 200 years of absence. Strange ritual murders are committed in the land while an organization known as The Fellowship is gathering a huge following. And there is this being known as The Guardian whose mockery follows you on your travels. Your old companions will join you on your quest through Britannia as you slowly discover the secret behind the Fellowship and the Guardian.

Snapshots and Media

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

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