merged into SCUMMVM In April 2012 Pagan was re-released after years of unavailability into the Digital distribution by gog.com. In April 2015 Pagan was also released for free on Origin, EA's digital distribution platform. ReceptionComputer Gaming World said in June 1994 that "Though the imagery is gorgeous ... the Avatar's interaction with the world more resembles Prince of Persia" than previous Ultimas, the world was smaller, and the game lacked companions or traveling to other towns. The magazine predicted that action fans "will be pleasantly surprised ... but traditional RPGers and long-time Avatars" might not. Scorpia was much harsher in the next issue, stating that "If you were expecting characterization, rich story, role playing—you're expecting it from the wrong game". She concluded that "Pagan is a disaster, and an embarrassment to Origin, Lord British, and Ultima fans everywhere", and that she was not looking forward to a sequel. Reviewing the game for PC Gamer US, Trent C. Ward wrote, "With its rich plot, superb animation, and great sound, Ultima VIII is one of the better action titles out there." However, he concluded that its "really strange mix of game play ... doesn't quite pay off." David McCandless of PC Zone argued that "Pagan is a game you will either love or hate." He summarized, "If you get into it, it will last you weeks and you'll think it's brill and you'll love it and you'll play it and play it. But personally, I don't think it's much good." PC Formats Richard Longhurst praised its "incredible depth and detail", and called it an "immense and intense" game that was "beautifully animated". Dragon gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.Pelit published in March 1994 issue a rather positive review (90%) from Tapio Salminen who noted that problems in game mechanics hamper the game experience and the quality of graphics may have been stressed excessively at the expense of playability but eventually the game turns out to be highly addictive and absorbing. In 1996, Computer Gaming World ranked it as the 20th worst game of all time, stating "A once-great RPG series reduced to the level of Mario, but with hateful, virtue-less characters." Ultima VIII was named the 60th best computer game ever by PC Gamer UK in 1997, the highest position of any game in the mainline Ultima series. The editors wrote, "Even newcomers to RPGs will be able to cope