Underworld Ascendant Developers Move to Vertical Slice, VR Game in Development

The developers at OtherSide Entertainment have released a new development update on their website, in which they inform us that they currently moved to the development of the game’s vertical slice. Underworld Ascendant’s vertical slice will comprise the second level of the Stygian Abyss, the dungeon’s second smallest level. 

The developers are hoping that the knowledge they’ve accumulated so far will help them speed up development and polish the kinks, though they will still continue to experiment with some aspects of the development pipeline:

Over the course of building the latest few areas, we’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and what still needs further experimentation to perfect. There’s still refinement on the art style and a shift to more economical ways of building, using materials, and streamlining the development pipeline.

But, now? We can finally focus on building The Stygian Abyss. Not just a slice or a corner, but one of the actual levels.

We decided for our Vertical Slice (aka “a section of the game that spotlights all major elements”), we’d focus on Level 2, our second smallest level.

Want a peek at some of the key locations that Level 2 will feature?

Here’s a one-line description of Marcaul:

“A Tangiers-like neutral zone, this settlement features areas that represent all three major Factions.”

The team is nothing if not busy too, as they also announced in the update that they are working on a new VR title exclusive for the Google Daydream platform. The title, Underworld Overlord, will mix tower defense and god game mechanics and take place in the same universe as Underworld Ascendant:

Blending proven tower defense and “god game” simulation mechanics, Underworld Overlord immerses players in an incredible VR setting steeped in the fantastical Underworld mythos.

In it, the player commands a dungeon full of monsters, traps, and treasure, during an onslaught of so-called ‘heroic’ adventurers. Action takes place from a virtual ‘puppeteer’s’ perspective as the player pulls the strings, directs forces, and builds defenses in a dynamic VR environment.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that a new art lead has joined the development team, Dax Procissi, who already worked on titles such as Dungeons & Dragons Online. Some of his responsibilities will include managing the art pipelines and helping the art direction Nate Wells, though he will also work on modelling and animation directly too.