Developer: Spiderweb Software Inc.
Publisher: Spiderweb Software

At least, that's one of the first things you're told when you first arrive in Avernum, the setting for and title of the latest role-playing game from Spiderweb Software, the arachnids that brought us games like Nethergate and the fondly remembered Exile Trilogy. A remake of the first game of the classic trilogy, Exile: Escape From the Pit, Avernum attempts to breathe new life into the game with a complete reworking from the ground up. Does it succeed, or was this classic series better left underground?

Criminals, dissidents, malcontents, game reviewers - any unsavory soul who doesn't fit in or otherwise displeases the Empire gets disposed of in the same way. They're sent to the underground world of Avernum, an immense system of caves forever shut away from the light of day, and forgotten about. Much like the Olympics-hosting Australians, however, they've found a way to thrive in their new home. Forced to subsist on fungus and besieged on all sides by the bloodthirsty inhabitants of the dank, dark caverns, the people of Avernum have nevertheless formed a new civilization, forgetting their old lives and prospering in a society free from the tyranny of the oppressive world they were forced to leave behind.

You are one of these lost souls, cast away to live the remainder of your days in darkness. You and your fellow castaways begin your exile on the grounds of Fort Avernum, a small town of sorts that has sprung up around the entrance to the expansive prison. You are provided with a few basic provisions and weapons to prevent you from returning to whatever life of crime may have brought you there, and sent on your way. Escape, they say, is impossible. What happens next is up to you. Despite this newfound freedom, life in the underworld is far from idyllic. Do you want to try to make your way back to the surface and take revenge on the Empire? Put an end to the violent wars between your fellow humans and their nemeses, the feline Nephilim and the cold-blooded Sliths? Run around and steal stuff? What happens next is up to you (although the latter option probably won't get you very far - for a bunch of ex-criminals, the people of Avernum sure are intolerant of thievery).