Underworld Ascendant

Players assume the role of the Avatar, a human magically transported into the Underworld. As per the original Underworld games, players create their characters by selecting an assortment of skills. They are not restricted to predetermined character classes. The game is played from a first-person perspective.

The Stygian Abyss is inhabited by three factions vying for its control, Dark Elves, Dwarves and Shamblers. The player can also encounter non-player characters of no factional alignment. Supporting any faction will affect the balance of power in the Abyss, and how factions react to the player.

Paul Neurath, the designer of the original Underworld games, had been in discussion with EA on-and-off for 20 years regarding working again in the Underworld universe. In 2014, EA granted Neurath a license to use the Underworld setting, lore and characters, though this did not allow for the use of the Ultima brand. With the license in place, Neurath founded OtherSide Entertainment, and Underworld Ascension was announced in July 2014.

In February 2015, OtherSide took the game, renamed Underworld Ascendant, to Kickstarter. OtherSide hoped to raise $600,000 towards development of the game, and the crowdfunding campaign concluded in March 2015 with $860,356 raised. Though successful, the campaign left some goals unfunded such as modding tools and cooperative gameplay. Recognizing that a demanding RPG such as Underworld Ascendant could not capture a mass-market audience, Neurath limited the game's budget, believing that, "if you’re spending 50 million dollars you need to reach as many people as possible."

Upon release Underworld Ascendant received generally negative reviews, with an aggregated score of 37/100 on Metacritic. Many critics noted the game appeared to be in an unfinished state, with many software bugs and partially implemented features. IGN concluded the title was "just broken," GameSpot noted " wherever you go your progress is constantly chafed by an all-pervading lack of refinement." Rock, Paper, Shotgun declined to review the title, asserting that it was "just not in a fit state to be released, and as such, not in a fit state to be reviewed." Particular criticism was given to its limited and poorly telegraphed save system that, upon loading, would send players back to the start of the current level regardless of progress.

On February 14, 2019, Otherside Entertainment released a substantial update aimed at addressing many criticisms of the game at launch. This update brought with it the inclusion of a functional free save system, changes to the level design and game flow, refinements to gameplay mechanics and enemy behaviors, optimized lighting, and numerous bug fixes.