Time warp: Ultima VIII is free on Origin

The arm represents EA, probably

If you have an Origin account and feel strangely obligated to fill it up with free games that you’ll in all likelihood never get around to playing for more than five minutes (just me?), heads up: Electronic Arts is giving away the 1994 role-playing game Ultima VIII: Pagan.

“The Guardian has tricked you, Avatar. After you defeated Batlin on Serpent’s Isle, he banished you to Pagan, a world under his control. Once, it was a beautiful land, but ever since the ancient battle between the Elemental Titans and the evil ‘Destroyer,’ it is engulfed in eternal twilight. Titans — now worshiped as gods — are cruel and uncaring. They bestow power on their most dedicated followers who, in turn, terrorize Pagan’s population. To find a way back home, you need to become a Titan yourself before the Guardian succeeds in his plot to conquer Britannia — and then Earth itself.”

Despite hearing great tales of triumph and tragedy from players, I’ve never been bitten by the Ultima bug, so that description of Pagan is mostly lost on me. But I did watch the game’s intro just now and thought it was cool. Can’t say the same for too many other mid-’90s creations.

[Thanks, Luna Sy]