Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss Overview
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is a role-playing game set in a three-dimensional dungeon environment. Its narrative begins with the Avatar, a returning hero, being falsely accused of a kidnapping and cast into the Abyss to find the missing girl or remain imprisoned. This dungeon is home to various survivors and factions, and the central mystery proves to be more complex than a simple crime.
The game's environment was notable for its fully realized 3D space, allowing free movement in all directions, including looking up and down, jumping, and swimming. The dungeon design avoids a uniform grid, incorporating varied terrain like slopes, bridges, and underground rivers. Exploration is supported by an automap that records visited areas and allows for personal notes.
Character development involves selecting gender, class, and initial skills, which range from combat proficiencies to lockpicking and bartering. These skills are improved by spending earned experience points at special shrines, with leveling also increasing health and magical energy. Magic is cast by combining runes discovered throughout the game world.
Interaction extends beyond combat, as the Avatar can engage in conversations with non-player characters and make choices that affect relationships. Combat itself is action-oriented, requiring the player to manually draw a weapon, aim at an opponent, and hold the cursor to build attack strength. Certain weapons offer different attack types, like jabs or slashes, based on cursor placement.
Progression through the Abyss is largely non-linear, permitting exploration in a flexible order, though specific story-critical tasks must eventually be completed. The overall structure integrates exploration, character growth, and narrative discovery within a cohesive simulated space.
