Ultros [Review]
You ever feel like you’re living in Groundhog Day? You know, trapped in an endless loop of existence until you identify and commit to a paradigm-shifting decision that can break you out of the monotony of life?
Yeah, me neither.
But if that was something that resonated with you, then you’re going to love Ultros!
The first title for developer Hadoque, and published by Kepler Interactive, Ultros places you in the role of the Sojurner - a nameless traveler who awakens within a vast ship known as The Sarcophogus that contains not only a multitude of biomes, but the tricked-out interior of a Victorian era church.
It doesn’t take long for you to realize that the Sojurner has been caught in a sort of time-loop, and at the center of it all is a Lovecraftian-style monster/god that appears to be on the brink of being born - thus revealing the Sarcophogus’ additional functionality: a womb.
Are you doomed to remain trapped in this psychedelic prison forever? Or can you identify the cause of the cosmic disruption, break the cycle of Ultros, and usher in your own era of peace?
The first thing I noticed once I began to dive into the world of Ultros is the aesthetic. It’s absolutely gorgeous. There are echoes of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in some of the creature designs, and indeed the broader world channels much of the same overall feeling. There’s a haunting sense of calm: an awareness that you’re in an alien landscape, but if you approach it with a sense of respect, that it may not actively seek to harm you.
I was reminded of my time with Hyper Light Drifter when that game first came out. Notably it created a vast world and rich lore with no text. While there is certainly dialogue abound in Ultros, even still I found myself invested in learning more of the lore of this world in short order.
Further elevating the unique world of Ultros is its stellar soundtrack. Created by Oscar “Ratvader” Rydelius, the music is a superb blend of classical instruments, natural sounds, as well as more futuristic elements to sprinkle in just enough of that sci-fi feeling as to feel appropriate.
As I began to explore the Sarcophogus, taking in the sights and sounds, it wasn’t long before I found my weapon and got my first taste of combat. Ultros is a contemplative journey in many respects, but that doesn’t mean that it’s pacifistic by any means. The Sojurner has a pretty basic assortment of skills as the game starts: wielding their blade, sliding, and dodging when signaled attacks are approaching.
The combat feels great in Ultros, with a good sense of weight behind the various attacks. There’s a great double-kick attack you unlock early on and I don’t know why but it just feels great every time I pull it off. Oftentimes you might have a lot of different abilities and types of attacks, but there’s no real benefit to changing up your combat style. Ultros addresses this with a unique system that encourages using different types of attacks.
You see, as you defeat enemies, depending on the variation of attacks you used, they leave parts of their bodies behind for you to, um…eat.
That’s right - you devour the hearts (or tails, or limbs) of your enemies to gain their power. (The eating sound makes everything seem delicious too.)
As you eat, you recover health, as well as gain points in four different categories. You can then apply those points within The Cortex; a sleep-pod of sorts where you save the game and can unlock new skills.
Now for a game of bad news good news.
Bad News: each time you complete a Loop, you lose all your skills. (Booooo hiss~)
Good News: It doesn’t take long for you to unlock a mechanic that allows you to “pin” certain skills for each loop, allowing you to retain them even as the rest of the world presses the reset button. (Hooray!)
After my first few loops I was eagerly picking out the skills I thought would help me explore new paths, as the Sarcophogus grew more complex and inviting with each iteration.
Equally important to the combat in Ultros is the gardening system.
That’s right. Gardening.
As you explore the Sarcophogus you will discover a variety of Seeds. These seeds create different plants that have differing impacts on the environment around. Furthermore, they persist and evolve through each loop - so you can personally watch the tree you planted back on your first loop grow larger and more lush, opening pathways and sections of the Sarcophogus that were previously inaccessible.
Overall, I found Ultros to be a wholly unique, oftentimes meditative journey. With lush, vibrant landscapes, a soothing otherworldly soundtrack, and weighty, grounded combat, it offers a distinctly different sort of metroidvania experience.
