Hello everyone,
We’ve been heads-down this month working on a lot of important systems, art, audio, and UI among many other things for the game. We also have some exciting news to share!
Underworld Ascendant at E3 with Alienware and the Backer Alpha
We’re proud to announce that a segment of Underworld Ascendant will be available to play at Alienware’s booth at E3! Catch us anytime on the show floor from June 12 – June 14 and have a sneak peek at the Abyss…
In addition to this, EXPLORER backers and above ($50+) will receive access to the Backer Alpha build during E3 (official date to be finalized). Our current plan is for the Backer Alpha build to include all of the content and features in the E3 build and an updated version of the tutorial level (aka “un-training level”). More information on this will be emailed to EXPLORER backers and above the week before the Backer Alpha is live, so make sure to check your email!
Access to the Backer Alpha will be unlocked on your BackerKit’s Digital Downloads page: https://underworld-ascendant.backerkit.com/
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1392169869
Earlier this month, we were also in Los Angeles to present Underworld Ascendant for consideration for the 2018 Game Critics Awards!
Our publisher, 505 Games, put together an awesome setup for us, which is an opportunity for the judges to demo a number of games that will be shown at E3. Since there are so many games and it can be difficult for people to see them while also having meetings, this gives us an opportunity to showcase Underworld Ascendant for awards nomination consideration in advance of the show. The event went really well overall and we are keeping our fingers crossed!
Enter the Memoreum
We’ve received a ton of questions about the Memora system and how this ties into the narrative of the Stygian Abyss. What exactly has gone on in this world, and who can you trust?
In our February update, we mentioned how Memora can catalogue information by preserving memories, which has allowed Ishtass and his followers to share knowledge across generations of Lizard Men. As the Abyss has fallen deeper into ruin and becomes threatened by otherworldly forces, you will need to harness the power of the Memora to share what you’ve learned.
This is where Resherak comes in:
Resherak, one of the descendants of Ishtass’s teachings and one of the rare Gray Lizard Men, is the Keeper of the Memoreum in Marcaul. The Lizard Man society is built off of shared knowledge, and Marcaul has become a hub where trade and the exchange of knowledge is highly encouraged. Resherak will reward you for sharing Memora of your traversals into the Abyss, and can allow you to access Memora across time and space to peek into the tactics of previous (and future) adventurers.
You may need all the help you can spare to defeat Typhon…
SyFy Wire Exclusive: Typhon Concept
Speaking of Typhon, we also shared some concept art of Typhon, the Big Bad himself, in an exclusive interview with SyFy Wire.
You can read the interview and see the rest of the concept art image here: http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/underworld-ascendant-sneak-peek
What Lurks in the Abyss…
Since last year, we’ve slowly been teasing the monsters you can encounter in Underworld Ascendant. Need a refresher of what’s to come?
Ghosts, like the Eidolon and Lich, are ethereal creatures that can’t be attacked directly. The player must seek out and destroy their Animus (seen above), which won’t go down without a fight. The core of an Animus is extremely valuable and is used in quests where the player needs to alter the environment. Rare cores may even be able to slow the game’s degrading world state.
While an Eidolon is near, recently slain Skeletons can be resurrected to continue their patrol.
In addition to the hostile creatures in the Abyss, new and long-time fans can look forward to seeing some unusual variants in the ecology, food, and more appearing in The Stygian Abyss.
New Insider Blog!
A number of backers emailed us asking to hear about what it’s like to work as an indie, so this month’s Insider Blog describes distinctions that Will Teixeira, Lead Engineer, has noticed as he transitioned from a Triple-A studio to indie.
You can read it on our site here:https://otherside-e.com/wp/category/uainsiders/
The password is available here (for backers only!):https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/othersidegames/underworld-ascendant/posts/1901710
Last but not least, we have one final announcement:
WHAT’S NEXT? UNITE BERLIN!
Our Lead Level Designer Justin Pappas (who wrote last month’s insider blog about designing the basic training level of Underworld Ascendant) will be leading a Unity workshop about how to light levels for stealth gameplay in Breakout 2 on June 20, 2018 from 2:15 – 3:15pm CEST.
Click here for more information: https://unite.unity.com/2018/berlin#schedule We will update on our socials if the session is recorded for the public!
This month, we’ve been working closely with Unity on getting the most out of their engine, particularly focused on lighting our levels, and we couldn’t be happier! Here’s a sneak peek at an area you’ll encounter later in the game:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1394290047
That’s all for now! As always, if you want to check in on what we’re working on, we post a weekly update on what our goals for that week are and what’s next. If you haven’t made a Steam account, there’s still time to join us!
We also occasionally post WIP gifs and videos on our socials, so be sure to join our Steam community here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/692840/discussions/0/1696048426805510024/ or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
Our next biggest news will be coming on June 1st, so stay tuned!
Cheers,
The Team at OtherSide