Boo-ya!

Ultima Online III: Third Dawn

$39.99

The cover for UO III: Third Dawn boasts that Ultima Online is the most popular online role-playing game. If that's even still true, I suspect it's likely to change. Ultima Online III is the same game as its predecessors with a graphical interface-lift that takes advantage of new 3D graphics capabilities. But if anything, UOIII is slower than II, and its 3D quality adds little to the experience. I mean, how immersed can you get in the world of Brittania? At one point, I was fishing, and a pixillated square splashed as if my hook had landed there -- that was when I threw up my hands. Speed is a real factor with online gaming, and given the tedious, repetitive nature of Ultima Online, I doubt this new release will make many converts. With competition for the online role-playing market heating up, the pioneers UO might just be left out in the cold.