At SXSW? Come to our Friday panel about one of the best RPGs ever

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We're having a discussion with Warren Spector and Paul Neurath about Ultima Underworld, plus new details on Underworld Ascendant.

I've just landed in Austin for SXSW 2018, a music and film festival that's become an emerging place for discussions about games and other interactive media over the past few years. On Friday, I'll be moderating a panel between two legendary developers—Warren Spector and Paul Neurath, whose credits include Deus Ex, Thief II, System Shock, and other beloved PC games.

We're there to talk about Ultima Underworld and its modern successor, Underworld Ascendant. Ultima Underworld is probably the most important PC game you might not have heard of. In '92, a little before Wolfenstein 3D, Underworld delivered a fully-realized 3D RPG driven by the player's decisions, laying the technical and creative groundwork for everything from The Elder Scrolls series to BioShock, Dishonored, and the entire 'immersive sim' genre. 

This was an RPG where you had to do much more than swing your sword to solve problems. Enemies inhabited an open, multi-level world you had to map and explore yourself. Some creatures spoke languages that you could decode. Your character had to eat and rest, and utilize a novel rune combination system to discover spells.

If you're at SXSW tomorrow, we'd love to see you there to talk more about the significance of Underworld and how it's taking a new form in Underworld Ascendant, OtherSide Games' follow-up to this beloved classic.

"Exploring 'Underworld Ascendant' with PC Gamer"
Where: AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER GAMING EXPO - DISCOVERY STAGE - EXHIBIT HALL 2
When: Friday, March 16, 2018 | 2-3 PM 

If you're not waking up in Texas tomorrow, don't worry—I should be able to post footage from the panel pretty soon, and I'll be talking more Spector and Neurath while I'm here for coverage.

Evan Lahti
Evan Lahti
Strategic Director

Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer way back in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are Hunt: Showdown, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Counter-Strike. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging.