Underworld Ascendant

Well, there's no thread for this Kickstarter-based Spiritual Successor to Ultima Underworld.

A new dev diary is out:

There was a multiple choice gameplay video at IGN. It's... not gonna make people interested anytime soon. The game still appears to be he wonky prototype with a visual upgrade for the dungeons.

I'm not expecting silky smoothness, but what they showcased is some pretty basic stuff. I'm afraid this game will be hit by the Seinfeld Is Unfunny effect.

edited 18th Jan '18 2:22:03 PM by UltraWanker

Speaking for myself, I'm really excited by what I've seen and read about the game. Between multiple approaches to various tasks (a-la Deus Ex), what sounds like a broad magic-system, some interesting simulation elements, and rewarding "XP" for experimentation instead of kills, I think that it could be something very interesting.

(It also looks very pretty, to my eye. ^_^)

The game's Backerkit will lock down in two weeks, if anyone participated in that

There was gameplay at Pax South earlier apparetly, which was covered by The Verge. And since this thread is like baren, I don't think anyone will mind. There is some interesting stuff, albeit with some rather confusing details.

This one is pretty self-explanatory, provided the system isn't shallow in practise. Ultimately Ascendant has a strong focus on constant experimentation, which is a great idea, as long as you keep everything else doable.

My impression is that it's "XP" that gains bonuses when the player experiments, not quest-giver rewards. That said, I'm not sure of quite where I read or heard that, offhand. From a quick search, I found these references:

The following excerpt from "US Gamer":

And the following excerpt from a forum-posting:

edited 4th Feb '18 5:47:51 AM by ArsThaumaturgis

I rather like the look - recognise the VA from one of the early trailers - I THINK it's Fem Ryder...

Want to see how they do interactions with the factions as well - the safe areas and the other -mechanics. But a fully interact-able fantasy environment - traps, lighting, tricks. That could be good fun.

I don't know that actor offhand, but I think that I recall that they have Stephen Russell (of Thief and Dishonored 2) for a major part, including at least one trailer voice-over.

edited 6th Feb '18 7:42:17 AM by ArsThaumaturgis

A new update from the developers, covering their approach to levels, more information on "feats" and rewards, and other points besides.

To start with, it seems that they're eschewing a full Wide-Open Sandbox for a more contained hub-and-spoke approach—albeit with the "spoke" levels seeing changes as the game progresses. (They indicate that they intend to give more detail on those changes in a later post.)

As to the "feat" system, if I'm reading this correctly, it's more or less as I described above: coming upon various neat tricks with the mechanics rewards upgrade points. To quote the above-linked post:

As to "Memora" (I wonder whether that's not a typo in the post, and that it should be "Memoria"...), I think that they're saying that these are the skill points that you get in exchange for "Feats", and that they're handed out in the hub-level. However, I may be mistaken on this (and have asked on their Twitter account).

[edit] Update: Having asked on their Twitter account, it seems that there is more than one type of Memora (which does seem to be the correct term), one of which is a reward for Feats, and another of which is currency.

edited 14th Feb '18 10:52:29 AM by ArsThaumaturgis

The outcasts design looks pretty good, on the fence about the lizards one however. The Feats system sounds really interesting, but hopefully it's programmed in a way that doesn't result in players doing some Tom and Jerry tier batshit crazy solution being left in the dark. Still confused about Memora, but hopefully that's made more clear later.

Having valid solutions be ignored by the Feat system is a concern of mine, I'll admit. I seem to recall reading that they're building up their list of Feats as testers discover new possibilities, so hopefully with enough testing they'll build up a list that covers most of the more likely tricks.

As to Memora, I get the impression that they're just tokens or various types; some are currency-tokens, used to buy stuff, while others are skill-tokens, used to upgrade one's character. (I don't know whether there are other types.) Of course, I may well be mistaken in any or all of this!

Game teaser feat. parkour

A slightly longer version, with a few more tidbits:

I wonder what the bone... tower... thing... is at ~0:45-0:46?

edited 13th Apr '18 7:18:55 PM by ArsThaumaturgis

I'm getting more interested in this. A dungeon crawler with a more sandboxy-feel. I'd like to see some of the "home" elements of the Lizardman city. I also quite like the cartoony vibe - it feels more retro in a way.

In fact, I seem to recall that (at one point, at least) the inspiration for the art-style was explicitly to recreate the feeling of old tabletop figures. I don't know whether this is still the aesthetic that they're going for, but it's still something similar: everything is a little stylised, a little thick and unsubtle—on top of the varied colour palette. It's quite a neat look, I find. ^_^

(Overall, I'm rather enthused for this game!)

edited 16th Apr '18 10:02:20 AM by ArsThaumaturgis

Looking at, I can see that now - it's also got a bit of a Grimrock feel to it, albeit without the grids. Also, I was pleasantly surprised at the use of a water arrow in there! Plus their demo of the shadow beast and how you can tackle it was interesting - trapping it in a room where it can't hide from the light.

That's how to do an emergent boss fight.

Just hoping the wider story holds up as well, not just a sandbox with no limits.

Don't hold your breath for some great narrative, it's something that is rarely found in an Immersive Sim. The world building and side stories will probabky be nice, but I doubt the main plot will be remarkable.

As games go outside of point-and-click adventures, ImmersiveSims haven't done that badly with their core narratives, I feel. DeusEx, Thief, SystemShock, etc. all had decent enough stories, I feel—not great, perhaps, and more diffusely presented than RPGs tend towards, but decent.

Speaking of Thief, given the pedigree of some of the developers, I suspect that the water arrow in Underworld Ascendant is a direct nod to that ancestral entry in the genre. ^_^

edited 17th Apr '18 7:25:30 PM by ArsThaumaturgis

A new newsletter has been released. A quick summary:

• They'll be at E3, and the game has been submitted for consideration for the 2018 Game Critics Awards.
  • "EXPLORER" backers are to receive access to the "Backer Alpha Build" during E3
• A little more detail on Memora
• Concept art of the Big Bad, Typhon
• A description of what that glowing bone-pillar thing was
• A link to a new insider blog
• They're holding a workshop at Unite Berlin

I've been wondering about the bone-pillar thing (it's called an "Animus", it turns out) for a while now.

E3 trailer. The game still looks like it'll feel janky to play, but here is to some more gameplay at the event.

It looks janky but I think it has to be to accommodate everything they want to do with it. Has a certain charm too! Also, unnecessary complexity of swinging on a rope to shoot an arrow! Unleash your inner Legolas!

Wonder how broad those trap scenarios will be or if pure combat may be simpler at times.

To my eye, the gameplay looks pretty good; I don't see anything evidently janky. Could you expand on what jankiness you see? (It's very possible that I'm missing something in the video.)

edited 1st Jun '18 9:51:11 AM by ArsThaumaturgis

The motion of the rope is one example as it almost feels like it skipped frames, and a lot of impacts lack a certain.. impact. Besides that I'm not impressed with the spell effects at all. I'm scrunitizing these things because the Immersive Sim genre lives on that stuff. I'm still awaiting the gameplay coverage at E3, however.

edited 1st Jun '18 10:03:25 AM by UltraWanker

The Skeleton continuing its running animation without moving forward coz the door is blocking his head is another big of Jank. That, and I'm sort of wary of jumping rope mechanics in a first person game.

Oh boy here we go:

• Underworld Ascendant world-premiere hands-on: So far, it's Underwhelm Ascendant
• Underworld Ascendant doesn't feel like the great comeback we were hoping for

The first preview says a rather damning thing that I have been fearing.

Not great stuff to hear when your game is releasing on September of the same year. Especially when your game kinda boasts about moving the genre forward, as the second preview.

I guess the game will get delayed some time later.

edited 1st Jun '18 1:16:14 PM by UltraWanker

, Ah, I see—for some reason I was looking at other elements (general movement and spell mechanics, for two), and missed those.

The spell-effects do indeed look a little cheesy. I wonder whether it was intended to go with the "miniatures" art-style that I recall being mentioned previously? If so, then I think that it goes a bit too far, and falls into an unappealing cheesiness. :/

Looking again, I also agree that certain interactions could be more impactful indeed.

The rope I didn't notice at first, but I think that I see what you mean, indeed.

(I do think that first-person rope-jumping can work, but they're tricky, I daresay.)

I'm... not seeing the skeleton running at the door? o_0 The closest that I see is at ~0:52, but it seems to me that the skeleton stops there.

Oof, that is worrying. Here's hoping for either some more-positive reviews, or some impressive polish-work between here and September... :/