Underworld Ascension Becomes Underworld Ascendant, KS Campaign Starting on February 4

OtherSide Entertainment has launched a new website for Underworld Ascendant (previously Underworld Ascension), and while admittedly it’s still a bit sparse with information, we do learn that a Kickstarter campaign for the spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld is planned to launch on February 4, and that, aside from Paul Neurath, the team includes veterans from studios such as Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games:

I started OtherSide Entertainment an indie studio to rekindle this classic. Joining me is an incredible team of developers, who will be introducing themselves over the coming weeks. Some worked with me on the original Underworlds, along with Looking Glass favorites like System Shock and Thief. Others contributed to more recent classics including Deus Ex and BioShock Infinite. We have deep understanding of the genre, and share a passion for bringing Underworld back.

The newest incarnation of the franchise, Underworld Ascendant, will retain the distinctive fantasy RPG gameplay of the originals. We already have an early prototype running on the PC. At that same time we will be pushing forward with new innovations — I can’t wait to tell you more about what we have planned!

But this can only happen with your help. As an indie studio, we are looking to our fans to fund a significant portion of the development through our upcoming Kickstarter campaign, which begins on February 4th. We aren’t shy about our ambitions to make a great game, but that takes serious resources and effort.

Additionally, reports are coming out from major publications like IGN, thanks to which we learn that Warren Spector is providing some help as a consultant, and that the funding goal for the Kickstarter campaign will be $1 million:

Ascendant was originally called Underworld Ascension, but Otherside Entertainment subsequently changed the moniker. The team is launching a Kickstarter campaign on Feb. 4, with a $1 million base goal, and extensive stretch goals for subsequent funding. Neurath couldn’t go into too much detail about the gameplay yet, but did say there will be opportunities for the player to maneuver between political factions in the living world that was created in 1992.

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Otherside comprises 12 people. Some of them worked on the aforementioned titles at Looking Glass, the development studio that closed in May of 2000, so there’s a lot of veteran talent working on the RPG. One name in particular will draw recognition from fans of Epic Mickey, Deus Ex and Thief: Warren Spector.

He worked as a producer on the original Ultima Underworld, and championed the game from its inception. Now, he’s serving as a “part-time creative advisor,” Neurath says, and Spector sees potential in the project, despite its long absence from the spotlight.

While this has the potential to be an extremely interesting project, I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed by the lack of information concerning gameplay. That said, I assume we’ll learn more about how exactly OtherSide Entertainment intends to recapture Ultima Underworld’s spirit on February 4, and we’ll be able to judge whether the project is worthy of our direct financial support.