In 1992, Looking Glass Studios released Ultima Underworld. It was the first RPG to feature a first-person perspective in a 3D environment, and would go on to influence a generation of developers, many of whom would work on Thief, System Shock, Bioshock and Dishonored.

Underworld Ascendant Screens 3 IMAGES

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And now, 23 years after the original's release, creator Paul Neurath is returning to the franchise with Underworld Ascendant "Our goal is to retain what was great about the original," Neurath told IGN. "We're pretty convinced it will play as well today as it did 20 years ago. That deep immersion, that sense that you're there, the fun in exploring with that sandbox gameplay and RPG nature of the game."Ascendant was originally called Underworld Ascension, but Otherside Entertainment subsequently changed the moniker. The team is launching a Kickstarter campaign on Feb. 4, with extensive stretch goals for subsequent funding. Neurath couldn't go into too much detail about the gameplay yet, but did say there will be opportunities for the player to maneuver between political factions in the living world that was created in 1992 After 20 years of trying –– and finally succeeding –– to acquire the franchise rights from Electronic Arts, Neurath said the decision to fund the project through Kickstarter has a number of appealing possibilities for the team –– artistic independence, creative leeway and transparency for backers."When we created the original game, there was a wall between us and the fans," he said. "Publishers didn't really encourage us to reach out and have a dialogue. And that was a lost opportunity. And today, with crowdsourced funding and digital distribution, it's a cool opportunity for us to open it up and let the fans who supported the franchise all along to come onboard."Otherside comprises 12 people. Some of them worked on the aforementioned titles at Looking Glass, the development studio that closed in May of 2000, so there's a lot of veteran talent working on the RPG. One name in particular will draw recognition from fans of Epic Mickey, Deus Ex and Thief: Warren Spector.He worked as a producer on the original Ultima Underworld, and championed the game from its inception. Now, he's serving as a "part-time creative advisor," Neurath says, and Spector sees potential in the project, despite its long absence from the spotlight."Working on the original Underworld project was important to me, career-wise, as well as to me as a gamer," Spector told IGN. "Today, the world of gaming is different and, I'd argue, Underworld played a big, if under-appreciated role in that. There was a story and a level of player empowerment that most games –– even today –– can't match."Spector said the team at Otherside has other plans than just trying to resurrect a past success. And the fact that some of the Otherside developers worked on the original Underworld is a comforting thought."We're still a young medium and there's still plenty left to do if we're going to move away from 'roll-playing' and move toward true 'role-playing,'" Spector said.Neurath said more details will arrive alongside the Kickstarter launch, and now that pre-production is wrapping up, the team can continue to mold the game they set out to make. And although the franchise is old, the team remains confident that Underworld has a place in the modern games scene.

Mike Mahardy is a freelance journalist writing for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @mmahardy , where he rants about Wet Hot American Summer.