It’s no stretch to make the claim that Ultima Underworld spiritual successor, Underworld Ascendant, has a great deal to live up to … but that hasn’t stopped developer Otherside Entertainment from making a good case for fans’ trust, the latest of which comes in the form of a development video which showcases the flexibility of the engine and how it allows for player ingenuity when navigating the game’s non-linear, multi-level caverns.

One intriguing example of such malleability in the game’s rules would be the bridge mishap explained in the video. In it, the player is unable to destroy a large throng of spiders due to running out of magic. Rather than try to fight them in melee combat as a wizard, the player destroys the bridge as the arachnids are crossing over it, killing the spiderlings that pursued him.

So how does he get back to the other side with the bridge no longer an option? Other than making a deal with the dwarf faction (once you gain their trust) and having them rebuild it, you could mentally enslave a larger spider and ride its back across the ceiling to the other side. Apparently, non-combat solutions and alternate methods of navigation will be abundant in the game, which comes as no surprise with Deus Ex mastermind Warren Spector consulting the development team.

Ultima Ascendant is only 130K away from its stated $600K goal with 15 days left and should, barring a sudden drying up of funds, easily break that number.