Greetings Citizens, Return to the Stygian Abyss As you know, I sometimes like to highlight Kickstarter projects that I find interesting. Underworld: Ascendant, from my longtime friend and co-worker Paul Neurath, is nearing the end of its campaign, with just over two days to go. They’ve already made their campaign goal… but I will never forget the last few hours of Star Citizen’s campaign. In those last few hours, we transformed into something new. It became clear we weren’t just going to hit all our stretch goals, we were going to finance the entire project through the crowd. I couldn’t wish for anything more for Paul and the team at OtherSide Entertainment.
If you’re a younger gamer, you likely don’t remember the first Ultima Underworld. But in 1992, it was revolutionary. As a roleplaying game in its own right, Underworld offered a more immersive experience than the top-down games that came before. More importantly, the 3D environment technology it premiered inspired the rise of the First Person Shooter craze, something which largely defines game development to this day. It’s amazing to think that shooters today still haven’t caught up to the functionality of their different-genre’d prototype, which featured everything from conversation systems to inventory management.
For Underworld: Ascendant, Paul has gone back to the basics. He’s working with a team of veterans to create a spiritual successor that takes advantage of the latest technology game development has to offer… in short, it’s a project very much in the mold of Star Citizen, by a group of people that I’m thrilled to see working in AAA game development again. I’m very excited about the potential for a modern Underworld, and I know that many backers are eager to revisit the world the original created. I encourage you to check out the Underworld site, to review the trailer embedded below… and if you find the project interesting, give it your support here.
— Chris Roberts