Underworld Ascendant

A sadly failed tribute to one of the greatest RPGs of all time, Underworld Ascendant is simply far too flawed to recommend to either fans of the original Ultima Underworld, or in-depth RPGs in general.

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Underworld Ascendant is a non-linear, immersive sim RPG set in the Stygian Abyss. As a "player-authored" experience, choices and actions have lasting consequences. Use stealth, combat, and magic to navigate and manipulate the dynamic world. Solve puzzles and forge alliances to become a hero in this fantasy adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

33%

Audience ScoreBased on 779 reviews

story33 positive mentions

stability119 negative mentions

Interesting spell system that allows for creative combinations and experimentation.
Good level design with opportunities for exploration and environmental interaction.
Strong voice acting and atmosphere that captures some of the essence of the original games.

Bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and cause crashes.
Poor AI behavior and combat mechanics that feel unpolished and unsatisfying.
Lack of meaningful NPC interactions and a cohesive story, making the world feel empty and lifeless.

story
363 mentions
9 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in "Underworld Ascendant" has received mixed to negative feedback, with many players finding it lacking depth and engagement. While some appreciate the basic premise of exploring a dungeon and completing missions, the majority criticize the repetitive fetch quests, uninspired character interactions, and a general absence of a compelling narrative. Overall, the game is seen as a missed opportunity to build on the rich storytelling legacy of its predecessors, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world and its characters.
- “The game tells a unique story through a combination of lore found in the world and cutscenes, and has really fun combat/gameplay mechanics.”
- “I felt immersed in a story that sticks with you even after leaving the game for a while.”
- “The story is clear and well-explained, while the world is littered with lore: painted on the walls, hidden in ancient memora spheres in the darkest depths, there is a lot to read and know about the game world aside from the main story, and surely fans of deep lore will be pleased.”
- “The story is nonexistent and goes nowhere.”
- “The game isn't exactly story-heavy.”
- “The story/universe is not engaging.”
gameplay
214 mentions
22 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Underworld Ascendant" is characterized by a mix of innovative mechanics and significant flaws, leading to a generally frustrating experience. While players appreciate the potential for emergent gameplay and unique interactions, such as fire mechanics and stealth elements, many criticize the clunky combat, poor AI, and numerous bugs that detract from immersion. Overall, the game offers interesting ideas but feels unfinished and lacks the polish needed to fully engage players.
- “The level design, with its puzzle-like features, and the variety of ways you can play with the mechanics of the game to progress, create a sandbox dungeon environment that when played casually, still leaves me pretty satisfied.”
- “The mechanics of this game are unique and may be worth purchasing alone (on a discount perhaps).”
- “The gameplay, the story, the lore is still good under all those bugs, but until most of it is sorted out, I can't really recommend the game.”
- “Combat mechanics are clunky and lack precision.”
- “The game is filled with mechanics and systems that don't necessarily work well together.”
- “The physics and gameplay also feel horrible, especially when compared with games like Dark Messiah of Might and Magic released a decade ago.”
graphics
184 mentions
29 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Underworld Ascendant" receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize the dated visuals and numerous graphical bugs. Many players note that the game feels rushed, leading to a lack of polish and coherence in the graphics, which often appear janky or low-resolution. Overall, while the aesthetic has its charm, it struggles to meet modern standards, leaving a significant portion of the player base disappointed.
- “The graphics are quite good, and the art style and theme is immersive.”
- “The graphics are as beautiful as an underworld abyss should be and the physics are pretty spot on.”
- “Great graphics, gameplay, and excellent AI.”
- “The game lacks polish with graphical bugs and frame rate issues.”
- “The graphics are a bad joke, class 'skills' are useless, spells are 100% a waste of time, the stealth mechanic is a terrible knock off of Skyrim.”
- “Terrible graphics - considering that shadow and darkness are so important to this game, that anything in shadow is obscured by really poor rendering is pretty game-breaking.”
stability
121 mentions
2 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players describe it as a "buggy mess," with issues ranging from freezing during startup to characters getting stuck and poor optimization. While some acknowledge improvements over time, the consensus remains that the game is still plagued by instability and technical problems, making it difficult to recommend without substantial patches.
- “It looks great, sounds great, and runs smoothly on my machine.”
- “But it wasn't Ultima, and it wasn't buggy.”
- “When a game freezes and almost hard crashes as it is opening when you first run it, you know you’re in for something special.”
- “The game is simply put, a buggy mess that can barely run for 10 minutes before freezing and crashing to desktop.”
- “It's no secret this game launched in a sorry state -- content complete, but so buggy and lacking in polish and even basic functionality that it could scarcely pass for beta.”
atmosphere
62 mentions
55 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its immersive and unique qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like Ultima Underworld. However, some critics point out a lack of depth and richness compared to its predecessors, citing issues such as poor audio design and environmental interactivity. Overall, while the game has moments of strong atmospheric presence, it struggles to consistently deliver the captivating experience expected from an immersive sim.
- “The game atmosphere is really unique; there's something quite mystical and intriguing about this game.”
- “It's got great atmosphere, and good audio engineering.”
- “The atmosphere is immersive; bats flit about in the dim light cast by flickering torches, shadows wander across the walls, glowing whatever-they-ares drift through the dank air.”
- “Despite being beautiful, the game really lacks in the atmosphere department, especially for an immersive sim.”
- “And maybe most disappointing of all is the lack of atmosphere.”
- “On the plus side, the game was prettier than I expected, but the negatives piled up: zero atmosphere, poor controls, glitchy interactions with the environment, no NPCs, and an overall feeling that the game was unfinished.”
optimization
54 mentions
13 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
39 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent bugs, and long loading times, even on high-end systems. While some users noted improvements after recent patches, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and requires substantial optimization and bug fixing to enhance playability. Despite these issues, a few players experienced smooth performance, suggesting that optimization may vary based on individual hardware configurations.
- “The game is very playable, however, this issue does not significantly affect normal movement, actions, combat, etc. It's really just a minor annoyance, and mainly noticeable given that the game runs smoothly otherwise.”
- “I also noticed a huge performance improvement; the game runs perfectly smooth now.”
- “All in all, it has so much potential and now the devs are working on making the game more polished and finished and to build in more comfort options and a better performance.”
- “It's poorly optimized and buggy.”
- “The game could be really, really good but sadly, it feels unfinished in many aspects and the performance issues and AI breaks kill the game.”
- “You can really tell that this game was well intentioned, but the performance is completely unacceptable.”
music
27 mentions
37 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its absence compared to the atmospheric scores of the Ultima Underworld series. While some appreciate the ambient sounds and voice acting, they feel that the lack of a significant soundtrack detracts from the overall experience, failing to evoke the same sense of wonder and tension. Overall, the music is described as minimal and not memorable, with only the main theme standing out.
- “The music and soundscape is spot on for a dungeon crawler.”
- “A little music that the game has works very well to enhance the mood.”
- “The design, the levels, the creativity, the sheer talent; of the art, the voices, the sound and music, all of that stuff is amazing.”
- “There is some music in the game, but it is not nearly as beautiful as in the Ultima Underworld series.”
- “Music is nearly non-existent during the game, which could have built some atmosphere like in the old Ultima Underworld.”
- “Sadly, there are no major soundtracks worth mentioning, which is truly a shame.”
grinding
20 mentions
0 % positive mentions
5 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over slow movement, uninspired combat, and the need to backtrack frequently. The requirement to complete grindy tasks for experience points, coupled with unengaging enemy encounters and lengthy tutorials, contributes to a sense of boredom and frustration throughout the gameplay experience. Many reviews highlight that the grind feels more like a chore than an enjoyable challenge, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “My biggest gripe with the game is that the map system is awful, and when you combine that with moving so slow...it gets very tedious in retreading the same ground trying to figure out where the hell you're supposed to go.”
- “Weapons degrade over time so nothing you find is of any real value or purpose, enemies have so much HP that it's tedious and you have to wait a long time before your melee combat is of anything other than charge, backup, forward, release, charge, repeat until dead.”
- “The grindy, repetitive, boring slog type.”
humor
19 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky physics and amusing glitches, which create unexpected and often hilarious situations, such as characters getting stuck in textures or objects behaving erratically. Players appreciate the game's free-form mechanics that encourage experimentation, leading to funny outcomes, like the comical interactions during melee combat and the absurdity of manipulating objects. Overall, while the game has its share of bugs, they contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience rather than detracting from it.
- “Sometimes strange things happen with the physics, making me think I'm going to die... and... well, it's kinda funny.”
- “Jeff the physics programmer was reluctantly dragged out of the uni bar to hack out a buggy catastrophe of hilarious and terrifying glitches - favorite quote 'Yeah, it's supposed to do that... I need a drink.'”
- “Listening to your character grunt as he pulls a heavy dresser over and then watching it bounce is hilarious (admit it).”
emotional
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players expressing deep disappointment due to technical issues like crashes and unbalanced sound design, which detract from the overall experience. Others highlight the touching soundtrack and nostalgic feelings tied to the game's potential, though many feel it falls short of the emotional resonance of classic titles. Overall, the game evokes a sense of heartbreak and frustration, particularly for those who had high hopes for its revival.
- “Half-finished and heartbreaking.”
- “The soundtrack is really amazing; I would highlight the music as being particularly touching.”
- “The tug of the feels, seeing this as a potential Ultima Underworld 3 and all the emotional resonance that carried with it was simply too much to resist.”
monetization
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with many reviewers feeling it fails to live up to its advertised connections to classic titles. While it does not feature excessive microtransactions or DLC, the overall perception is that it exploits nostalgia without delivering a quality experience, leading to disappointment among fans of the original games.
- “The game does not make any egregious errors in its design and business model; it is not overflowing with an offensive amount of microtransactions and DLC, and the price is at least acceptable for a game of its type.”
- “I appreciate that the monetization strategy feels fair and balanced, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “The in-game purchases are optional and do not hinder the overall experience, making it a refreshing approach to monetization.”
- “The puzzle systems are sometimes clever, but it's a small part of an otherwise poorly developed, obviously discarded cash grab.”
- “I'm not sure why this cash grab of developer vomit was created, because all it's shown me is to never buy anything developed by Otherside Entertainment.”
- “Well enough ranting, this game is nothing more than a cash grab reeling you in to play on your nostalgia strings.”
character development
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game offers a great variety of possibilities through extensive skill trees and a unique experience system based on heroic feats. However, some players criticize the character design as unpolished, detracting from the overall experience. Despite this, the game's level design, voice acting, and art direction are praised, suggesting a mixed reception regarding character development.
- “I hope for those who enjoy the game that you can appreciate the moments of incredible level design, loving character design, rich voice acting, and unique art direction when you play it.”
- “+ great variety of character development possibilities to suit all play-styles.”
- “Character development features extensive skill trees and is fueled by memora, a form of XP obtained by performing heroic feats, such as avoiding traps, fighting enemies, or finding lost pieces of lore.”
- “Horrible character design.”
- “And those are not bugs, just really unpolished effects of character development.”
- “Character development features extensive skill trees, and is fueled by memora, a form of XP obtained by performing heroic feats, such as avoiding traps, fighting enemies, or finding lost pieces of lore.”
replayability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find high replayability in the game due to the enjoyable experimentation with runes and spellcasting, as well as the varied distribution of perks in the skill tree. The progression system encourages continued play, offering ample opportunities for exploration and experimentation.
- “There's a lot of fun to be had experimenting with runes and spellcasting, and replayability stems from the distribution of perks in your skill tree.”
- “There’s a lot of fun to be had experimenting with runes and spellcasting, and replayability stems from the distribution of perks in your skill tree.”
- “There seems to be enough progression to keep going for a long while, with replayability being high.”