Underworld Ascendant Kickstarter Campaign Launched

The Kickstarter campaign for Underworld Ascendant has launched today, with the goal of raising at least $600,000 to fund the title’s development. Underworld Ascendant is apparently a full-fledged installment of the Ultima Underworld series, developed by the team at OtherSide Entertainment, a studio founded by Paul Neurath, whose credits include Ultima Underworld and its sequel, Thief: The Dark Project, and System Shock 2.

According to the developers, the game will put players in the shoes of yet another Avatar, a real world individual transported to a fantasy world that will, once again, be explored entirely in first person. On top of that, OtherSide Entertainment promises that every situation will have more than one potential solution thanks to the large amount of tools that will be given to the players. In the example given on the Kickstarter page, a player couldn’t cross a river due to the presence of a deadly lurker and could either distract him with a lure or bypass it by charming a spider and letting it carry him on the cave ceiling.

For more information on the project I suggest you watch the Kickstarter video and read the full description. In the meantime, I’m going to quote a small section that lays down the core pillars of the project:

In 1992, Ultima Underworld changed the rules of what a fantasy RPG could be. It introduced the concept of 3D immersion, a player-authored experience, and a richly dynamic world to explore. Its influence led to a whole generation of games such as Thief, Deus Ex, BioShock, Skyrim, and Dragon Age.

Underworld has been hidden away in the deepest vaults of its publisher for two decades. Only now have the original creators unchained the franchise, freeing it to innovate yet again.

Backing the game grants you unprecedented front row access to the creation of the next epoch of this storied masterpiece, Underworld Ascendant. With your help, here’s a glimpse at what we can together build:

Exquisitely Realized Underworld Plunge into The Stygian Abyss: dark, ripe with dangers, full of ancient secrets to discover. A vast subterranean fantasy world made startlingly real and alive.
Dynamic Factions Become embroiled in an epic plot, as rival factions vie for dominance in struggles that ebb and flow across The Stygian Abyss. Your choices will alter the outcome in subtle and dramatic ways.
Improvisation Engine Delight in player-authored gameplay taken to a whole new level, with a suite of technologies that empower you to solve challenges with astonishing ingenuity. Be the ‘˜MacGyver’ of a fantasy world.
Hero to Call Your Own Jump right in as a Fighter, Thief or Mage. Then as your Avatar grows, freely mix and match across any skills to develop a unique hero, tailored to your style of play.
Pushing Boundaries Stretch Goals will innovate on co-op play with a friend; letting you build your own corner of The Stygian Abyss; and more.

The campaign has currently already received more than $100,000 in backer pledges with 29 days to go. We will keep you informed on eventual future updates.