Ultima IX: Ascension Dragon Edition

Lord British signed the certificate himself, and that tells you everything about what Ultima IX: Ascension Dragon Edition on PC was trying to be. This is Richard Garriott's farewell to Britannia, packed into a box overflowing with physical treasures. You get the Ultima Collection CD, the Ultima IX soundtrack, an Ankh amulet trinket, an Ascension cover poster, a journal and spellbook bound in synthetic leather, a mini illustration of the Tapestry of Ages, eight tarot cards inscribed with virtues written in runic script, a fabric map of Britannia, and that signed certificate of appreciation from Garriott.

The tarot cards and runic inscriptions are pure in-universe craftsmanship, the kind of detail that shows a team pouring genuine love into the physical package. The fabric map carries on the Ultima tradition of cloth cartography that started the hobby for a lot of us. The synthetic leather journal and spellbook are display pieces that look right at home next to the older Ultima boxes.

Whatever your feelings about the game itself, the Dragon Edition stands as one of the most lavish PC collector's editions ever assembled. It's a love letter to the entire Ultima legacy, sealed with Lord British's own hand.