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 an open-world to explore. The game is considered one of the most innovative and renowned RPGs of its generation.

Now the game’s original creators, who founded Looking Glass Studios, and also designed the classics System Shock and Thief, are bringing the franchise forward with the next-generation sequel, Underworld Ascendant.  It not only modernizes the series’ visuals and user interface to take full advantage of the today’s powerful PCs, it innovates in bold new ways.

OtherSide Entertainment is proud to announce that former Irrational Games & Naughty Dog Art Director Nate Wells will helm the Studio Art Director position, overseeing the art direction for Underworld Ascendant.

Wells is one of the top art directors in the industry today, with credits on a string of critically acclaimed, hit games that have pushed the visual bar higher.  This includes BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us, and most recently, the visually captivating Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Wells worked with LookingGlass’s co-founder Paul Neurath as an artist on Thief and System Shock 2. “I’m thrilled to be working with Nate again,” says Paul. “Nate showed huge promise at LookingGlass early in his career, and it’s wonderful to see how he has grown into a supremely talented art director.”

“Paul was my first boss nearly 20 years ago, so there is a feeling of coming full-circle,” says Nate. “I’m excited to be working with veterans on a sequel that is long overdue”

Key Features: 

• Exquisitely Realized Underworld. Plunder ancient temples, navigate subterranean rivers, gaze in wonder at the masterwork of jade dwarven halls, scale plunging ice caverns, trek through enchanted forests of giant mushrooms, dare shadowy tombs of the undead, and much more.
• Myriad of Creatures to Encounter.  Face monstrous creatures like the ripper, a vicious, ambulatory plant whose bark is prized by The Stygian Abyss’ intelligent races; stay clear of mass migrations of ravenous rotworms; dodge the giant spider’s sticky webs it casts through the air.
• Epic Narrative.  Play as The Avatar, a human newly arrived from our earth through a mystical Runegate.   Entangle yourself in a tale of intrigue and conflict as three fierce, rival factions struggle for control. Your choices will determine the ultimate fate of The Stygian Abyss. Tracy Hickman, the NYT best-selling fantasy author, will extend the narrative with an Underworld novel.
• Dynamic Factions.  Three rival factions vie for dominance in struggles that ebb and flow across The Stygian Abyss.  Dark Elves with their potent magic, the mysterious shambler “mushroom people” performing arcane rituals, dwarves producing the finest arms and armor.
• 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 any style of play.
• Underworld Ascendant is a True Sequel. OtherSide Entertainment has the rights to use all of the elements of the original Underworld games (except only for the Ultima brand itself.)