Ultima Underworld Retrospective | Forging a New Era

1992 was an important year in the history of 3D video games. With the release of games like Wolfenstein 3D, Alone in the Dark, and Virtua Racing, the foundation for a 3D-centric future was being established, and it showed no signs of slowing down. This very year, Origin Systems approached Blue Sky Productions with a simple proposal: to develop the first 3D entry in the legendary Ultima series. The resulting game may not have enjoyed the limelight the way its 3D contemporaries did, but its significance and influence can't be overstated. The story of Ultima Underworld is the story of a new frontier in computer graphics. It's the story of one of the greatest PC game development studios in history. It's the story of the Immersive Simulation, and that's a story worth telling. Thank you to Alexey Gorboot for designing the thumbnail to this video! Alexey can be found here: https://x.com/AlexeyGorboot https://www.instagram.com/alexeygorboot/profilecard/ This is the 8th video in my Ultima Retrospective series. Watching earlier parts isn't necessary to enjoy this video, but it is recommended. They can be found here: Akalabeth & Ultima I: https://youtu.be/wIWyHd3FFFU Ultima II: https://youtu.be/SCpkK25wfvw Ultima III: https://youtu.be/N_m3u9MZ8NU Ultima IV: https://youtu.be/hkfBiIyJd7E Ultima V: https://youtu.be/mGlNGo1kQXo Ultima VI: https://youtu.be/_aQB1gIdV_Y Worlds of Ultima: https://youtu.be/VUFOSJZJVM4 You can find more Majuular here: https://www.patreon.com/majuular https://twitter.com/majuular https://www.instagram.com/majuular/ https://www.youtube.com/@Majuularcade (2nd channel) Music used in this video (with timestamps): https://pastebin.com/K0wjzvDf Running list of sources used in the Ultima Retrospective: https://pastebin.com/Nri8p0jy 00:00 - Entering a New Dimension 10:36 - Introducing the Underworld 15:51 - The Basics 25:28 - Fundamental Skills 30:03 - Making Friends 37:19 - Combat 40:41 - Immersive Simulation 47:09 - Shiny New Presentation 56:40 - Quests & Progression 1:03:08 - Trading & Managing Resources 1:09:26 - Environmental Storytelling 1:19:59 - Free to Make (BIG) Mistakes 1:23:56 - The World of Underworld 1:34:08 - Securing the Talismans 1:40:12 - The Plot 1:45:51 - The Hunt for Tyball 1:51:16 - Loose Ends 1:54:22 - Game Weaknesses 1:59:08 - The Slasher of Veils 2:03:35 - In Awe of a Classic 2:10:58 - The PSX Port 2:16:26 - Through the Looking Glass 2:20:22 - Credits