Breaking News: Ultima X Odyssey Officially Announced (August 22, 2003)

[ChrisReid]

Origin has announced their next game: Ultima X Odyssey.
This isn't a complete surprise, since the announcement coincidences with the San Francisco Ultima X event today. There has been a lot of speculation about the actual style of gameplay that would be employed. It will be a massively multiplayer game like Ultima Online, but not in the same RPG style. UOX will be powered by the latest "Unreal® Engine" and focus on specialized combat and character development.

Strategic combat is another key differentiator for UXO that engages players in a fast-paced, real-time exchange of attacks and easy-to-use special moves. Players can choose their level of aggressiveness and a variety of combat styles, making the outcome of the battle as dependent on players' actions as on their characters' strength. In addition to individual combat, player guilds can challenge other guilds to gladiator-style dueling in privately created zones.

There will be extensive character customization through development of eight Virtues as well as customized quests and combat. OSI vice president and chief operating office Andy Hollis has this to say.

Ultima X: Odyssey takes the genre to the next level through its innovative new Odyssey Adventure System ensuring that players experience a greater sense of adventure and reward from both questing and combat.

They expect to release the game this winter. It's hard to tell how good the game will actually be from screenshots, but there is also a video trailer you can access here.

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Sure is nice to see Origin being active.

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Original update published on August 22, 2003