Casual fun to be had with uniqueness, but I'll start with the bad. Underworld Ascendant more than lacks polish. It feels unfinished even though the questing system has been problem free for me so far.

I picked to use a male voice, but the game decided I was to be female instead. Problems with sound effects standout. Often the enemy AI doesn't function as it should. Sometimes strange things happen with the physics, making me think I'm going to die.... and... Well, it's kinda funny. Have you ever tripped going up a set of stairs? It's kinda like that. It's an interesting thing. The game has your character adjust to the environment somewhat as you move. Sometimes that means if you move a tad too much, or adjust too suddenly, you could go off a ledge, or smash your face between a wooden platform and the rockface it's on and die. I did :) It'd probably make for really cool mechanics if these sorts of interactions were designed intentionally. It's clearly not though, and could frustrate some players.

However, the gameplay as a whole can be quite immersive. 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. I'm enjoying learning the spells on my own, and playing around with rune combinations.

If finished, I suspect it would've been an intense, suspenseful, must-play dungeon adventure. It's disappointing that Underworld Ascendant fell short. I recommend it on sale for that certain type of player who can enjoy flaws in games, or push through them to enjoy the uniqueness. But I don't recommend Underworld Ascendant for everyone, or even most. It's like very slowly sipping a cup of coffee that you know is going to spill on you over and over. Except it's magic coffee. Or maybe it's like being married with children. I don't know. You pick. But the game will tell you it's the other one.

Casual fun to be had with uniqueness, but I'll start with the bad. Underworld Ascendant more than lacks polish. It feels unfinished even though the questing system has been problem free for me so far. I picked to use a male voice, but the game decided I was to be female instead. Problems with sound effects standout. Often the enemy AI doesn't function as it should. Sometimes strange things happen with the physics, making me think I'm going to die.... and... Well, it's kinda funny. Have you ever tripped going up a set of stairs? It's kinda like that. It's an interesting thing. The game has your character adjust to the environment somewhat as you move. Sometimes that means if you move a tad too much, or adjust too suddenly, you could go off a ledge, or smash your face between a wooden platform and the rockface it's on and die. I did :) It'd probably make for really cool mechanics if these sorts of interactions were designed intentionally. It's clearly not though, and could frustrate some players. However, the gameplay as a whole can be quite immersive. 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. I'm enjoying learning the spells on my own, and playing around with rune combinations. If finished, I suspect it would've been an intense, suspenseful, must-play dungeon adventure. It's disappointing that Underworld Ascendant fell short. I recommend it on sale for that certain type of player who can enjoy flaws in games, or push through them to enjoy the uniqueness. But I don't recommend Underworld Ascendant for everyone, or even most. It's like very slowly sipping a cup of coffee that you know is going to spill on you over and over. Except it's magic coffee. Or maybe it's like being married with children. I don't know. You pick. But the game will tell you it's the other one.