OtherSide Entertainment’s Underworld Ascendant released last week, and it hasn’t had the warmest reception. Over on Steam, user reviews are “Mostly Negative” due to a myriad of issues the launch had. While the developer has deployed two hotfixes recently, an even bigger update is coming to address fundamental issues with performance, the save game system, and more.

In a new development update video, director Joe Fielder said that there would first be another hotfix due next week. “We have work to do,” Fielder said. “We’ve made two hotfixes so far and we have another hotfix that is coming soon, for next week. It addresses crashes, slowdowns, gameplay improvements, things like making it easier to get out of water. We’re also working on speccing and scoping a larger update, we’re looking at the save game system, player movement, visual improvements, AI, and performance.”

There’s no estimate for when the larger update will release, especially given the enormity of the issues it attempts to address. Underworld Ascendant has been in development for quite some time, and was backed to a strong degree on Kickstarter, accruing over $932,000 in crowd-funding. There might now also be some concern over OtherSide’s other releases, like System Shock 3.

Time will tell how development on that particular spiritual successor goes (the the involvement of the original producer Warren Spector has to be reassuring). Until then, stay tuned for more information on Underworld Ascendant and its potential improvements.

OtherSide Entertainment’s Underworld Ascendant, a spiritual successor to the Ultima Underworld series, is out this week. Though the dungeon crawler represents years of hard work, the studio will keep chugging on. Its next release is another follow-up, but this time to the cult classic System Shock series.

System Shock 3 will see the return of SHODAN and offer another immersive sim experience for fans. VG247 had a chance to speak to Warren Spector, who produced the first game and is working on the third game, which is currently in development. With regards to new details, Spector said, “Well, SHODAN will appear.” Which we already knew. So what else?

Spector says, “And Citadel Station might make an appearance, but in a very different form to what you are used to. I think people will be surprised. Beyond that, I guess The Hacker is going to show up. That’s really all I want to say right now, I’m sorry.” Citadel Station was last seen in System Shock 1, but subsequently destroyed by The Hacker. So it’s interesting to hear that it could be returning.

To be fair, given how it’s more fun going into these games with very little information, it may be better to wait and see for ourselves. System Shock 3 is currently in development for PC and other platforms. Underworld Ascendant, meanwhile, arrives on November 15th for PC.

Déraciné

FromSoftware has been working like crazy to diversify its portfolio and Déraciné is perhaps its most off-beat title. As a faerie of sorts, the player moves around a boarding school, influencing the lives of its students. Freezing time and building personal bonds with the students are the core tenets of the game. However, it’s perhaps most intriguing because it’s a PlayStation VR title. What does the story hold and will it contain the same deep world-building that’s defined so many FromSoftware games? Déraciné arrives on November 6^th so it won’t be long before we find out.

Overkill’s The Walking Dead (PC Version)

Though the Xbox One and PS4 versions were delayed into 2019, Overkill’s The Walking Dead is still coming to PC next month. Focusing on four survivors, each with their own unique skills and backstories, the first person shooter lets you play either super-stealthy or guns blazing in scenarios teeming with zombies. Players will need to loot supplies and defend their home camp, ensuring it survives against the onslaught of the undead. Overkill’s The Walking Dead arrives for PC on November 6^th.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

After a sudden delay, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is set to release on November 13^th for Xbox One and PS4 (no Switch or PC confirmation yet). Featuring remasters for Insomniac’s original games, namely Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon, the trilogy promises gorgeous graphics paired with the same awesome platforming. If that weren’t enough, a remastered version of the soundtrack also accompanies the original with the ability to choose between the two.

Fallout 76

When Bethesda first announced Fallout 76, we were expecting any number of things. An online FPS/RPG with social elements and games-as-a-service content was not one of them. Impressions from the beta have ranged from enthusiastic to somewhat worried but we honestly won’t know how good Fallout 76 is until it releases. Will it bomb? Or should we learn to stop worrying and just love the always-online gameplay? We’ll find out on November 14^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Hitman 2

Those craving a solid stealth experience needn’t worry as Agent 47 is back in town. Hitman 2 promises a full game with six locations, different story missions, Contracts and different targets to hunt post-launch. Of course, the same challenges and variety of gameplay remain but IO Interactive is adding some intriguing new content. Ghost Mode lets you compete against another player, fighting to assassinate targets faster than them while the original Hitman’s locations and missions will be available and updated in the sequel. Releasing on November 14^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, Hitman 2 should be yet another excellent outing with our favourite assassin.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!

It’s Pokemon! Well, it’s sort of Pokemon. The original 151 creatures are here, battles with trainers and Gym Leaders still apply and Pokemon can be captured and trained. However, Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! take several cues from the mobile Pokemon GO series, incorporating Joy-Con controls for capturing Pokemon. You can forego motion controls altogether and sure it’s weird, but this is still a proper Pokemon game. We’ll find out how fun it is when it launches on November 16^th for Nintendo Switch.

Battlefield 5

The next iteration of Battlefield saw its own delay by roughly a month for additional polish. We’ve gotten a better look at the various War Stories contained within, the schedule for Tides of War and even how the game’s economy will work. While Firestorm won’t be available till March 2019, Battlefield 5 should still have a host of interesting mechanics to exploit like fortifications and Companies on top of the new maps and modes. It’s out on November 20^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Darksiders 3

The much-awaited sequel in the cult classic franchise is nearly upon us. Gunfire Games’ Darksiders 3 takes place in a seamlessly linked open world while returning to the hack and slash action that defined the first game. Playing as Fury, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, there will be whips, acrobatics, magic and different forms to take advantage of. How the quest to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins plays out remains to be seen but it should be a marked improvement over Darksiders 2. Darksiders 3 releases on November 27^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Tetris Effect

You’ve played Tetris, sure, but have you played Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s version of Tetris? Tetris Effect arrives for PS4 and PlayStation VR on November 9^th, bringing a more musical-based rhythm to the puzzle experience. While we doubt players will still be seeing Tetris blocks falling after the game is over, Tetris Effect should provide a surreal yet visually resplendent experience for fans of the series.

Spider-Man DLC 2: Turf Wars

Turf Wars is the second chapter for The City That Never Sleeps, the DLC saga for Insomniac’s Spider-Man. While there isn’t a whole lot known at this point, it will bring new story missions, new suits (hopefully with suit powers this time) and some new enemies. Will famed villain Hammerhead make an appearance? Time will tell but for now, stay tuned for the DLC’s launch in November if you want even more Spider-Man.

Honourable mentions

Here are a few honourable mentions outside of our top ten that may be of interest.

• Underworld Ascendant
• Kursk
• Ride 3
• Artifact
• Farming Simulator 19
• The Quiet Man
• Football Manager 2019

OtherSide Entertainment’s Underworld Ascendant was originally scheduled to launch in September 2018, but was without a firm release date. Now, the developer has pushed back the release to November 15th, 2018. The PC version will retail for $29.99, and is currently available to pre-order on Steam. Check out the newest trailer below.

In an interesting twist, the developer and publisher 505 Games announced that the game would be coming to Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch in 2019 as well. No other information was provided, but it’s a good opportunity for console players to enjoy the spiritual sequel to the Ultima Underworld series. It’s even developed by former Looking Glass studio members, and designed by Paul Neurath, who worked on Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss and Ultima Underworld 2: Labyrinth of Worlds.

Set in the Stygian Abyss, Underworld Ascendant takes place in the first person perspective and sees the player attempting to defeat the big bad Typhon. Competing factions are present in the dungeon, so players will need to use their wits, the environment, and different skills to succeed. Whether it’s stealth, magic, or combat, Underworld Ascendant is all about promoting player choice across unique scenarios.

Dead Cells

Motion Twin’s rogue-like, semi-procedurally generated Metroidvania title has a lot of buzz going for it. Throw in dodge rolls and punishing yet satisfying combat with a gorgeous pixel art style and you have something truly extraordinary. In early access since 2017, Dead Cells has already garnered acclaim for its level design, pacing and enemies, not to mention the sheer selection of weapons and combat possibilities. Each run is tempered by an intriguing build and with the full release on August 7^th, we finally get to see the entire story come together. Dead Cells will be available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

This generation has seen numerous spiritual successors to hallowed franchises like Elite and Ultima. OtherSide Entertainment’s Underworld Ascendant is another in that category and follows perhaps one of the most influential games ever – Ultima Underworld. The crowd-funded first person RPG/dungeon crawler also finally has a release month of September 2018. Check out the newest gameplay trailer below.

Much like its predecessors, Underworld Ascendant sees players using ingenuity and adapting to challenges in the Stygian Abyss to survive. Fighting head to head is possible but so is utilizing stealth, hitting enemies with traps and using the environment as an advantage with spells. The overall approach to non-linear progression and emergent gameplay looks pretty good even if there’s some slight visual roughness.

Underworld Ascendant is in development for PC and will be published by 505 Games. Along with former Looking Glass Studios employees like Tim Stellmach, the game will see Ultima Underworld 2 lead writer Austin Grossman and Underworld series producer Warren Spector as advisors.

OtherSide Entertainment’s spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld 1 and 2, namely Underworld Ascendant, has been in development for a long time. The game was successfully crowd-funded in 2015 on Kickstarter and has seemingly been stuck in limbo since. However, the Warren Spector-lead RPG has a new trailer and seems to be releasing in 2018 for Steam.

The newest trailer provides a look at the series’ famous Stygian Abyss. Players also get a look at one’s character, the general movement and how one can use different means to bypass obstacles. Are you an upfront brawler type or the kind who levitates several barrels together to create a bridge? The choice is up to you but being able to choose between stealth, magic and so on is incredibly interesting.

Of course, the trailer also offers a look into the game’s dungeon and the obstacles present. Underworld Ascendant also has quite the voice cast with Thief’s Stephen Russell playing Cabirus and Fryda Wolff from XCOM 2 and Fallout 4 playing Aelita.