Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

KickStarter Underworld Ascendant Pre-Prototype Thread

Wirdschowerdn

Ph.D. in World Saving
Patron
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
34,458
Location
Clogging the Multiverse with a Crowbar
UPDATE - Underworld Ascendant website: https://underworldascendant.com/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-01-underworld-rpg-series-returning-with-new-game

http://www.othersideentertainment.com/


Veteran game designer Paul Neurath is bringing the Underworld series back with a new game, Underworld Ascension.

He's set up a new studio in the Boston area, called OtherSide Entertainment, to do the honours.


Neurath's Ultima Underworld lifted a veil on what people expected from a video game. It was first-person, 3D and had you explore the ruins of a vast underground utopian civilization.

It would inspire The Elder Scrolls series of games as well as Ken Levine and his celebrated Shock games, among others.

Neurath would also go on to co-found Looking Glass Studios, the studio behind System Shock and Thief.

"With Underworld Ascension, we are excited to be bringing back the Underworld franchise, making it more vital than ever before," commented Neurath.

Exactly how he plans on doing that, so many years after Ultima Underworld made a splash, remains to be seen. We're to expect more details in the coming months. His old friends are keen, though.

Commented Ken Levine: "Underworld had a transformative effect on my understanding of what games were. It was the first time I ever felt 'inside' of an imaginary world. It was the game that primed all of my creative ambitions."

Commented Warren Spector: "As producer on the original Ultima Underworld games, I'll never forget the first time I saw a working prototype of the game - I felt as if the world had just changed. As the first fully-textured, real-time, first-person game, Underworld paved the way for every other first-person game that followed. If that doesn't qualify as 'changing the world', I don't know what does!"

Commented Richard Garriott: 'I went to space!' No no, not really. Here's what he actually said: "For those of us lifelong gamers that go back to the early days the Underworld franchise, created by Paul Neurath, represents a watershed event on what an immersive 3D true role-playing game can be like. In these days, where we are seeing many of these greats return, I personally am as excited about Underworld as any game I can imagine."

Finally, Chris 'rake-it-in' Roberts commented: "Ultima Underworld was truly revolutionary for its time - it was the first fully 3D textured first person game. As such it influenced pretty much all first person 3D games that came afterwards and could be truly called the granddaddy of first person role-playing games."
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Mortmal

Arcane
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
9,158
Nice find morgoth , definitivily a new golden age of rpg if things keep going like this.
 

Jack Dandy

Arcane
Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
3,039
Location
Israel
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Oh damn, fucking awesome. I loved UU. About time somebody filled that niche.

I suppose a Kickstarter's incoming?

EDIT: Wish I had some kind of thing to follow about it. Project name, tweeter, anything..

EDIT 2: Thanks, google!
https://twitter.com/OtherSide_Games
 
Last edited:

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
It's a PC game according to Polygon: http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/1/5860464/underworld-ascension-otherside-entertainment
Underworld Ascension headed to PC from Thief, System Shock studio co-founder
By Dave Tach on Jul 01, 2014 at 9:13a @dptach

OtherSide Entertainment is resurrecting the Underworld series of dungeon crawling role-playing games with Underworld Ascension, the newly formed studio revealed today.

Paul Neurath, a veteran of games like Ultima Underworld and the former co-founder of System Shock and Thief developer Looking Glass Studios, founded the independent development studio, which acquired the Underworld brand and is looking to hire developers.

“With Underworld Ascension, we are excited to be bringing back the Underworld franchise, making it more vital than ever before," Neurath said.

Developer Blue Sky Productions' Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss was released in 1992. Neurath served as the game's designer, while Richard Garriott directed and Warren Spector produced the RPG. OtherSide's Underworld game is headed to PC at an unannounced date.

"As producer on the original Ultima Underworld games, I'll never forget the first time I saw a working prototype of the game — I felt as if the world had just changed," Warren Spector said. "As the first fully-textured, real-time, first-person game, Underworld paved the way for every other first-person game that followed. If that doesn't qualify as 'changing the world,' I don't know what does!"
 

Jack Dandy

Arcane
Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
3,039
Location
Israel
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Also, I'm not big on the dev history, so can anybody here care to sum up just how substantial this Paul fellow was to the quality of the Underworld games?

Also, did he happen to work on Arx Fatalis as well?
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Gamespot has an interview with him: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ne...t-to-mess-with-original-formula/1100-6420836/

The influential 1990s RPG series Ultima Underworld is making a comeback.

Paul Neurath, who co-founded original Underworld developer Looking Glass Studios (Thief, System Shock) and most recently worked at the now-shuttered Zynga Boston, today announced the creation of Boston-based indie studio OtherSide Entertainment.

The studio has secured the rights to make new games in the beloved Underworld RPG series, and today revealed Underworld Ascension. A brand new game in development for PC, the game aims to "revitalize" the fantasy genre in the same way that the original game did back in 1992.

Details are light so far on the game (there's no art yet or concrete gameplay details), but we were able to catch up with Neurath to talk about what he has in mind for the game.

Why is now the right time for Underworld to return?

Paul Neurath: Underworld has been fallow for two decades, isn't that long enough!

A lot has changed since 1992 in the RPG space; how are you designing Underworld Ascension for the modern RPG fan?

PN: We've just gotten underway on the Underworld reboot, so we have a ways to go before reaching a fleshed out design. The team has played many of the modern RPGs; worked on some of them too. So we think we have a good sense of where the genre has evolved over the years, and where there is room for further innovation. We’re definitely going to get the franchise up to date, then push into new territory.

What are some of your overarching ambitions for Underworld Ascension?

PN: More than anything, bring the franchise roaring back and more vital than it ever was. We’d like the game to connect with the fans who have fond memories of the originals, but also draw in a new fans.

The original Underworld games have a special place in many RPG fans' hearts; how are you planning to push the franchise forward while also retaining the essence of what makes it unique?

Some of us worked on the originals and so they hold a special place in our hearts. Also, there was a much done well in the originals that we don't want to mess with. Beyond the now dated visuals, the games hold up surprising well all these years later. the same time, we are explore areas where we can extend the original experience in new ways, and hopefully ways that will feel like natural extensions of the original games, but will make for an evolved experience.

What stage of development is Underworld Ascension in now and when are you planning to release it?

PN: Just got underway a few weeks ago, so still in concept phase. Don't have a release date as yet. We’ll keep you updated.

What platforms are you looking at for Underworld Ascension?

PN: PC for sure. Still sorting out other potential platforms.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
What platforms are you looking at for Underworld Ascension?

PN: PC for sure. Still sorting out other potential platforms.

Paul, no need for sorting out that, just count those out please.

edit:ninjad
 

Jarpie

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 30, 2009
Messages
6,603
Codex 2012 MCA
"The team has played many of the modern RPGs; worked on some of them too. So we think we have a good sense of where the genre has evolved over the years, and where there is room for further innovation. We’re definitely going to get the franchise up to date, then push into new territory."

This potentially doesn't sound good, I really hope Neurath hasn't lost his marbles like oh-so-many veteran game developers and -designes has. They really need to keep it PC only.
 

VonVentrue

Cipher
Patron
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
814
Location
HPCE
Divinity: Original Sin Wasteland 2
"Ascension" is quite possibly the worst subtitle they could have chosen - for obvious reasons.
Brilliant news otherwise, time to let them know what made UU so special to prevent them from stumbling along the way.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
How reminiscent logo they have.

LG1i0Xg.png
 

Eyeball

Arcane
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
2,541
Well, my dick is well hard. Will be interesting to see if they manage to actually get it done, though.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom