KickStarter Underworld Ascendant Pre-Release Thread

[Excidium II]

I don't know but nowdays it seems everytime someone opts to have their own distinctive visual style it ends up ugly as balls.

I'd be happier if it looked more like the actual Underworld games.

 

[Infinitron]

Where's my update Otherside?

Here's another image that's a larger version of the one from last month's update:

 

[vonAchdorf]

Looks better, even though they just have one sword model in the whole game. It will be difficult for them to pull off the sculpted look, so far, it looks a bit amateurish in many screenshots. It's neither fish nor fowl at the moment. Stylized, but also badly made realism.

 

[V_K]

I don't know but nowdays it seems everytime someone opts to have their own distinctive visual style it ends up ugly as balls.

Paper Sorcerer turned out just fine. This one also doesn't look half bad.

 

[Infinitron]

Looks better, even though they just have one sword model in the whole game. It will be difficult for them to pull off the sculpted look, so far, it looks a bit amateurish in many screenshots. It's neither fish nor fowl at the moment. Stylized, but also badly made realism.

I think that screenshot is meant to be a "promo" for the ones that were published today, hence the skull and sword.

As for the art direction, the art director is a vet so I'd give it a chance

 

[Excidium II]

I don't know but nowdays it seems everytime someone opts to have their own distinctive visual style it ends up ugly as balls.

Paper Sorcerer turned out just fine. This one also doesn't look half bad.

Paper Sorcerer is neat yeah.

Stygian is different because it's 2D, those seem to have an easier time not fucking it up.

 

[Zep Zepo]

Zep--

 

[vonAchdorf]

I think that screenshot is meant to be a "promo" for the ones that were published today, hence the skull and sword.

As for the art direction, the art director is a vet so I'd give it a chance

The stairs and the walls look ok, but the columns, especially the flat ones, look out of place. They look too refined for a dungeon-like environment, and in architecture, they are used for decoration and have no practical use, so why would a but of version be put behind some crude stairs?

 

[Infinitron]

Finally:

Issue #22, April 4th, 2016
Dear Esteemed Backers,

Welcome to the latest The Stygian Sentinel, where we cover everything cool, shiny, and new here at OtherSide Entertainment. This time? There’s lots!

UNDERWORLD ASCENDANT'S NEW "AUTHORED LOOK" REVEALED

As you may’ve already seen, we revealed Underworld Ascendant’s new “authored look” to the public today. Again, the art style is the brainchild of our art director Nate Wells, who joined the team last fall and worked previously on the BioShock series, The Last of Us, and System Shock 2.

Return to The Stygian Abyss

In Nate’s own words: “I want to recapture a retro sense of fantasy, fantasy the way our inner child remembers it. For Underworld Ascendant, I thought, ‘What if the world bore the authorship of a tabletop game?’ Think of the old lead figures, the miniature play fields. What if the game used that philosophy of everything looking and being hand-crafted? Natural, man-made. All of it looks like it was sculpted by an artist."

We gave backers an early glimpse before, but these latest shots show the first look at creatures in this style. Specifically, some of Underworld Ascendant’s bony undead.

Underworld Ascendant’s undead have a parasitic relationship with the world’s magic supply.

The player is ready to explore, but first… combat!

Here’s a bonus just for backers: the original concept art by Robb (SHODAN, Garrett) Waters.

They’ve come a bit since Ultima Underworld 2, don’t you think?

Like what you see? Discuss with our developers and fans on Underworld Ascendant‘s forums.

UNDERWORLD ASCENDANT STRETCH GOAL REACHED!

Many thanks! Because of your efforts, we’ve reached the $925,000 stretch goal and unlocked THE WAILING HAUNT -- the shrieking, spectral undead being seen here.

Concept art by Robb Waters

Next up at the $950,000 Reward Tier is The Necropolis of the Ancients, the intended home of many of the most powerful undead in Underworld Ascendant.

If you’re considering raising your backing or spreading word about our game to friends, here are two things worth not forgetting:

1. Those who back at PIONEER’S PROGENY tiers and above receive a digital copy of Underworld Ascendant for a discounted rate below the game’s final retail cost. (And crowdfunding won’t continue forever.)
2. Backers with PROTOTYPE ACCESS will soon be able to explore the world seen in today’s screenshots when we release our new “Beautiful Corner” update later this month.

Your help could allow us to add THE NECROPOLIS OF THE ANCIENTS to theUnderworld Ascendant.

 

[Mustawd]

This looks like a pretty good screenshot:

Spoiler

 

[Infinitron]

I think that's some kind of concept piece that they've had since last year.

 

[Zep Zepo]

This looks like a pretty good screenshot:

Spoiler

Zep--

 

[Excidium II]

Finally:

That filter. Can't even put my scorn in words.

Zero aesthetic sense confirmed. Fucking old farts should just retire, their talent is gone. No wonder their games look like dogshit.

 

[Mustawd]

This looks like a pretty good screenshot:

Spoiler

View attachment 6772

Zep--

^ok, that was pretty funny.

 

[Excidium II]

It just makes my blood boil. Dosbox has support for really good shaders if you are afraid of pixels.

 

[Kem0sabe]

The entire aesthetic feels off, reminds me of the first time I saw everquest 2 in action, just look wrong.

I understand where they are coming from tho, they simply don't have the resources for a more detailed look. HBS managed to gel a small art budget with a great look, something these guys nees to figure out.

 

[Excidium II]

When your budget is limited the key is to go retro.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

This is all pre-alpha, but all of the edgy doomsayers can go ahead and hedge now. That way you can feel smug if the look doesn't change significantly, or find something else later to insist you foretold would be shitty. Or you could be reasonable and wait to see what happens.

 

[sser]

Looks solid, but I can almost see the chugging, shitty engine's framerate dropping already.

 

[Excidium II]

This is all pre-alpha, but all of the edgy doomsayers can go ahead and hedge now. That way you can feel smug if the look doesn't change significantly, or find something else later to insist you foretold would be shitty. Or you could be reasonable and wait to see what happens.

Yeah, after all visuals have a tendency to change significantly after they're made public, specially when on a tight budget.

If it was a case of only one really early picture, like that of WL2 Toy Story set, that'd give me some faith.

 

[Zep Zepo]

This is all post Prototype, but all of the derpy fan boys can go ahead and spooge now. That way you can feel smug if the look isn't like shit, or jerk off to something else later to insist you knew what was in the cube. Or you could be reasonable and see it's bullshit now.

FTFY!

Zep--

 

[Darkzone]

Ok the skeletons are a failure and definitely not a selling point to the people who intend to buy it in the future. But the other pictures and concept arts don't look that terrible.
Also the colors are bad if the lave is the the only light source, because then the emitted light does not contain blue light / wavelengths of around 500 nm - 400 nm (here i do not mean the blue light from the magic fire inside the skeletons), because lava is not hot (1200°C -1400°C) enough. The entire environment would look just reddish and different shades of black.

 

[karnak]

I really miss the sense of dread, claustrophobia and nihilism I had when I first played Ultima Underworld in '92.

This game looks like it's being made by Disney

 

[Darkzone]

^That was an awesome movie. And the scenes with the undead army are pretty grim, for a 6-9 year old.
But i agree that the UA current art of the screen shots suffers under too much colors and oversaturated colors. And the skeletons look just like shit or better said like figures from a Warhammer board game.
And btw the skeletons also look better:

Spoiler

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

In Nate’s own words: “I want to recapture a retro sense of fantasy, fantasy the way our inner child remembers it. For Underworld Ascendant, I thought, ‘What if the world bore the authorship of a tabletop game?’ Think of the old lead figures, the miniature play fields.

This is not what I was asking for when I pledged my shekels, asshole. What is is with that lazy backslide to "retro look" anyway? If you can't give the franchise a new visual direction in accordance to our times then perhaps you should end your gig as art director, Natey.