Sometimes it is when we are in the deepest despair that a light shines through that gives us new hope. That’s what fans of the Metroidvania genre might think 5 years have come and gone since we first heard about them Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry’s highly anticipated insectoid side-scroller. With no release date in sight, believers have resorted to it Clown memes in an attempt to ease the pain this long wait has caused them. Ah, but what is that? Ultros, from Swedish developer Hadoque, is here and acts as Metroidvania manna from heaven. The game begins with your amnesiac character waking up on the Sarcophagus, a massive space station that doubles as a cosmic womb and houses an ancient demonic being, the titular Ultros.
“What?” You may be wondering. Don’t worry too much about the story because Ultros masters the gameplay loop, unlocking abilities and exploring new areas while deftly weaving together roguelite elements to fit its time-twisting narrative. A unique element of Ultros is its robust garden mechanics. There are a lot of seeds that can be planted in the psychedelic stages, each serving a role, be it for traversal or feeding enemies and befriending them. Planting fruit in Ultros is so satisfying that this is the first title of its kind that I’ve tried playing the pacifist route, but don’t worry – traditional combat is clever in its own right. Should Silk Song Even if we skip this year, 2024 has already been a record year for the Metroidvania genre. – Eric Schulkin
