You are the Avatar, noblest of heroes. In your day, you have beheld many wonders and proved yourself master of many dungeons. But nothing in your experience prepared you for this - the terror-filled passages of Britannia's underworld.

Many years have passed since your last visit to Britannia. Little did you expect that, when you returned, you would be accused of kidnapping Baron Almric's daughter, Arial - and then be thrown into the Great Stygian Abyss, without so much as a chance to prove your innocence. Only by surviving the dangers of the Abyss and finding the villain who abducted Arial can you restore your good name. But dark hints garnered from all corners of the Abyss reveal that this was no simple kidnapping. The fate of Britannia hangs in the balance as you battle the horrors that lurk at the heart of the Great Stygian Abyss.

A True 3-D Environment! Move Smoothly and continuously through the first virtual reality dungeon. The first-person perspective of The Stygian Abyss puts you right in the thick of the action. Look down on objects at your feet, or up to see creatures hovering overhead. Every wall, precipice, object and character in The Stygian Abyss has been painstakingly modeled in 3-D space. You'll feel like you're actually in the dungeon!

Unparalleled Dungeon Excitement! Explore nearly 25 miles of winding passages, gasping chasms and frigid underground rivers. This multi-level dungeon is full of puzzling traps and fearsome monsters. A sophisticated conversation system allows you to talk with dozens of characters who may assist or hinder you in your quest. You'll do more than kill monsters = The Stygian Abyss will challenge your virtues and your wits, as well as your fighting prowess.

Thrilling Combat & Magic! Try a quick, relatively weak attack or take the time to put greater power behind your blow. See your weapon lash out and watch your foe stagger and fall. Each magic spell has a dramatic visual effect.

Automapping! A sophisticated auto-map feature keeps track of your location. You can even write your own comments right on the map so you'll always remember where each important character or landmark is found.

State of the Art Sound & Graphics! A full, orchestral score and lush, 256-color VGA graphics complete ORIGIN's latest multimedia experience. No words, no still images can prepare you for Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss! (Optional sound boards required for some features. See box label.)

Source:

Unknown Source

World acclaimed! Reviewers rave about pre-release ULTIMA® Underworld’!

"Ultima Underworld is the premier dungeon game ever made, period. Excellent, without equal!" (Computer Game Review, U.S.)

"If you've got a PC, then you've got to have Ultima Underworld... a masterpiece." (ACE, England)

"The scrolling, graphics, sound... the whole experience is totally one of 'being there'." (PC Games Plus, Australia)

"If the [released] game is equally realistic, you can rub your hands in anticipation... mark your calendar..." (ASM, Germany)

"From now on, we'll talk about before-Underworld and after-Underworld... the greatest and the finest game of the year." (Tilt Magazine, France)

Imagine what they'll say when they see the real thing!

Source:

Advertisement in Computer Gaming World, June 1992

Ultima Underworld The Stygian Abyss

The first continuous movement, 3D-dungeon, action fantasy marks a new vision for the distinctive Ultima series. View the world from a first-person perspective as you walk and turn smoothly down passageways, leap across chasms and swoop magically through the air in a blur of real-time motion. Features auto-mapping, 3-D modeled terrain and objects, and a full orchestral music score!

Source:

1993 Origin Catalog

**25 Miles of Terror ...

The first continuous-movement 3D-dungeon, action fantasy!**

ULTIMA Underworld
The Stygian Abyss ...marks a new vision for the distinctive ULTIMA series. View the world from a three-dimensional, first-person perspective, up close and personal. It’s an intense pulse-pounding experience that brings the fantastic world of ULTIMA to life in a blur of real-time motion. - Action as close as you can come to real-time “virtual reality” on a PC. Walk and turn smoothly down passageways, leap across chasms, even swoop magically through the air.

• Boulders that roll down slopes, arrows that arc in flight, flasks of oil that smash against walls and burst into flames. Every object behaves as you would expect it to.

• A graphic interface that even novice gamers will find easy to learn.

• An elegant auto-mapper that takes the drudgery out of mapping. You can scribe your own notes onto parchment maps on screen.

A full orchestrated score and lush, 256-color graphics in a power-packed extravaganza for today’s 386SX+ computers!
only $79.95

Source:

Insert inside Black Gate game box

EXPLORE WITH CAUTIONTHE MOST REALISTICDUNGEON YOU’VEEVER SEEN!

As in times past, you are called to the land of Britannia by a shimmering Moongate. Stepping through the gate, you arrive to witness the abduction of the baron’s young daughter from her bedroom. Before you can intercede, both daughter and abductor vanish as guards burst into the room. Judgment is passed on your apparent guilt, and you are thrown into the Stygian Abyss, the most dreaded dungeon in all of Britannia.

Locked into a world of darkness, you must find a way to survive. With luck and courage you will learn to thrive in this perilous underworld. But survival is just the beginning of your adventure, for in these labyrinthine pits your destiny awaits.

• The 3-D setting is the infamouse Stygian Abyss, a vast and richly detailed under world labyrinth excavated around a volcanic core, with twisting corridors, soaring chambers, gaping chasms, bubbling lava pools and much more.

• The game system sets a new PC benchmark with a “virtual reality” presentation that features real-time action. Walk and turn smoothly down passageways, leap across chasms, even swoop magically through the air.

• The graphics are detailed, imaginative and fully functional with boulders that roll down slopes, arrows that arc in flight, flasks of oil that smash against walls and burst into flames. Every object behaves as you would expect it to.

• The plot is rich with intrigue, dark secrets, twisted storylines and memorable characters.

Source:

1991-92 Origin Product Catalog

Ultima Underworld™

You are the Avatar™, noblest of heroes.In your day, you have beheld many wonders and proved yourself master of many dungeons. But nothing in your experience prepared you for this — the terror-filled passages of Britannia's underworld.

**Many years have passed since your last visit to Britannia. Little did you expect that, when you returned, you would be accused of kidnapping Baron Almric's daughter, Arial — and then be thrown into the Great Stygian Abyss, without so much as a chance to prove your innocence.

Only by surviving the dangers of the Abyss and finding the villain who abducted Arial can you restore your good name. But dark hints garnered from all corners of the Abyss reveal that this was no simple kidnapping. The fate of Britannia hangs in the balance as you battle the horrors that lurk at the heart of the Great Stygian Abyss. A True 3-D Environment! Move smoothly and continuously through the first virtual reality dungeon. The first-person perspective of The Stygian Abyss puts you right in the thick of the action. Look down on objects at your feet, or up to see creatures hovering overhead: Every wall, precipice, object and character in The Stygian Abyss has been painstakingly modeled in 3-D space. You'll feel like you're actually in the dungeon!

Unparalleled Dungeon Excitement! Explore nearly 25 miles of winding passages, gaping chasms and frigid underground rivers. This multi-level dungeon is full of puzzling traps and fearsome monsters. A sophisticated conversation system allows you to talk with dozens of characters who may assist or hinder you in your quest. You'll do more than kill monsters — The Stygian Abyss will challenge your virtues and your wits, as well as your fighting prowess.

Thrilling Combat & Magic! Try a quick, relatively weak attack or take the time to put greater power behind your blow. See your weapon lash out and watch your foe stagger and fall. Each magic spell has a dramatic visual effect.

Automapping! A sophisticated auto-map feature keeps track of your location. You can even write your own comments right on the map so you'll always remember where each important character or landmark is found.

State of the Art Sound & Graphics! A full, orchestral score and lush, 256-color VGA graphics complete ORIGIN's latest multimedia experience. No words, no still images, can prepare you for Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss! (Optional sound boards required for some features. See box label.)

Director: Paul Neurath
Producer: Warren Spector
Creative Director: Richard Garriott
Executive Producer: Dallas Snell
A Blue Sky Design

Source:

Back of Box - DOS (UK-US)

The First Continuous-Motion,First-Person, 3-D Action Fantasy!

Called to Britannia. you witness the abduction of Arial, Baron Almric's daughter, by a mysterious mage and his henchman. Before you can intercede, the abductors vanish.
Accused of the kidnapping, you are told that the only way to prove your innocence is to enter Britannia's infamous Stygian Abyss and return with the girl. Thus begins...### 25 Miles of Terror

• Run, jump, fly and swim through a modeled 3-D world from a first-person perspective that shows you every twist and turn through the eyes of the Avatar.
• Compose and cast spells using a runestone-based magic system with more than 40 spells, including Lightning to electrify your enemies or Flame wind to control a sheet of flame.
• Write notes and comments on your automatically generated map of each level in the game — mark the location of secret doors or traps.
• Employ an elegant graphic user interface that allows you to quickly and easily pick up objects, arm yourself with weapons, converse with characters and more.
• Hear the original musical score crafted by award-winning composer George "The Fat Man" Sanger. (Requires Roland MT-32 or LAPC-1™, Ad Lib™, Sound Blaster™ or 100% compatible sound card.)
• Explore a vast and richly detailed underworld labyrinth excavated around a volcanic core, with twisting corridors, soaring chambers, gaping chasms, bubbling lava pools and more.
• Watch arrows arc in flight and flasks of oil smash against walls, bursting into flames. Every object behaves as you would expect it to.
• Enjoy an all-new, totally different ULTIMA playing system, but still featuring the traditional character classes, skills and rune magic of previous ULTIMA games.

Available March 1992

Source:

Back of Tent Card Display Stand - DOS (US)