Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, first released in 1985 for the Apple II, is the fourth in the series of Ultima role-playing video games. It is the first in the "Age of Enlightenment" trilogy, shifting the series from the hack and slash, dungeon crawl gameplay of its "Age of Darkness" predecessors towards an ethically nuanced, story-driven approach. Ultima IV has a much larger game world than its predecessors, with an overworld map sixteen times the size of Ultima III and puzzle-filled dungeon rooms to explore. Ultima IV further advances the franchise with dialog improvements, new means of travel and exploration, and world interactivity.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA, read 5 September 2026.
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- Released
- 1985
- Developer
- Origin Systems
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- Not scored
- Steam Deck
- Unknown
- Download
- Not stated
The record
| First released | 16 September 1985 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Origin Systems |
| Publisher | Origin Systems, Pony Canyon |
| Platforms | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Genres | Role-Playing |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q541988, seeded 30 August 2026.
How long is Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar? How long to beat it
Total play time for Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar is about 53.5 hours to do everything, and around 21.2 hours to reach the end of the main story. These are player-submitted times from HowLongToBeat, not our own, shown with the number of players behind each.
| How you play | Hours | Players logged |
|---|---|---|
| Just the main story: straight through the critical path | 21.2h | 8 |
| Main + the extras: story plus the side content most people do | 34.3h | 21 |
| Completionist: everything: 100% the game | 53.5h | 6 |
Source: HowLongToBeat community submissions, read 2026-10-19.
Where Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar sits on the grid
The grid places every game in the catalogue on measured axes rather than on an opinion. This is where Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar lands on each map it has the data for, with the share of the catalogue it beats on each axis.
- Year
- 36ahead of 2% of the catalogue
- Reach
- 25ahead of 69% of the catalogue
Percentiles are against the games that carry a reading on that axis, not the whole catalogue: counting a game with no figure as a zero would flatter everything that has one. How the grid works.
What readers say about Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Reviews written by people who have played it. These are separate from the GamingPickz Score and are never averaged into it: that score comes from thousands of Steam reviews with a sample-size correction, and a handful of unverified ratings would distort it rather than improve it.
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Where Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar appears
The ranked lists and finder pages Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar qualifies for, from its own genre and platform to what it takes to run.
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Common questions about Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
What platforms is Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar on?
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar is available on Nintendo Entertainment System. It first released in 1985.
Who made Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar?
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar was developed by Origin Systems and published by Origin Systems, Pony Canyon.
How long does it take to beat Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar?
about 21.2 hours for the main story, 34.3 hours with the main extras, 53.5 hours to complete everything, from HowLongToBeat's player-submitted times. These are community medians, so your own run may be shorter or longer.