Analysis of Ultros, a different metroidvania

If there’s one genre in gaming that’s in better shape than ever, outside of horror, which is also arguably the metroidvania. We have observed many titles in recent years, to the point that we can notice little new in them. On the other hand, the positive side of the fact that so many studies rely on this genre means that inevitably We will see games that give a twist, more or less, in different sections such as gameplay, graphics or narrative. This is the case of Ultrosthe new game El Huervo (creator of the covers of Hotline Miami) and Kepler Ghost.

The premise of Ultros is very striking

Ultros we place in a spaceship called the Sarcophagus, which is actually nothing more and nothing less than a space being called, forgive the redundancy, Ultros. As if that wasn’t enough, the ship is trapped in a time loop. Inside the sarcophagus we can see how everything is made up of a mass of organic matter of different textures and colors. Be careful because if you are a little apprehensive it can be a little unpleasant depending on the case. Although nothing will keep us up at night like what happened with Contemptthis is a separate case.

I’m taking this opportunity to talk to you about it the artistic section, which is one of the strong points of Ultros. El Huervo’s style is beautiful and striking, full of color and lighting. Get a mix between technology and organic resulting in a strange but eye-catching retro-futuristic alien set. The character designs follow this same structure, being full of technology but wrapped in an organic layer.

Back at the ship, inside we also find a multitude of hostile monsters and other characters to interact with during the adventure. Our goal is to destroy all chamasal, mysterious beings locked in capsules. Every time we destroy one, it will throw us into a looping cycle.

Loop cycles

Speaking of curls, Ultros bases its gameplay on themeven bringing a touch of roguelike. Each loop places us on the same map but adding changes in every direction. Skill Reset at each cycle, unless we define specifically with certain special items. I can tell you there are quite a few so don’t worry. Also, the lack of certain skills will force us to go through one place or another, depending on what we have. Add that you can unlock them by eating food, either parts of enemies or fruits. Mobility abilities are essential for exploration, with the exception of wall jumping, which is quite rudimentary. Maybe because it propels us horizontally and we climb very little between jumps. On another side, the mapping itself also changes thanks to gardeningwhy yes, in Ultros We are also gardeners.

Gardening and fighting

In our adventure we will find seeds of all kinds that we can plant. With them you can break a blockage, go further in a jump or simply obtain fruit, you can even graft onto each other. The particularity occurs at the time of the growth of these plants, which require loop cycles. For example, we plant a tree and until the next cycle it will not have grown enough to reach the ledge above it. “What if I plant the wrong plant?” » You’re probably wondering, well, that’s okay since the game allows us to go back between the loops plant one or the other at your convenience. It is true that at some point it can become a bit tedious since it requires us to do it several times simply because of the lack of information we have at the beginning. This is normal, but it could have been done differently, not requiring us to go to each floor for example.

Gardening also helps us make friends with certain enemies, thus avoiding the fight. You may prefer to fight because of the quality of combat, which is not the case with the gardening system.

Another important point of Ultrosand of any game of this kind, it is the combat, which is managed very intelligently here. According to variety of attacks with which we defeat enemies, They will reward us with objects of more or less good quality. For example, if we mash a button, the enemy in question will give us a bloody and almost broken object, which will give us less food. On the other hand, if we perform a parry or perform various moves, the object will be of the best quality.

Ultimately, Ultros is…

Ultros has all the ingredients to be a metroidvania that stands out from the rest, whether because of his style or his fighting. This is not the case because of the gardening, which depending on the moment of the game detracts a little from the experience. However, it is very much appreciated that studies commit to doing different things, even if they can be improved later.

Ultros are fun from start to finish. The loops are varied and the skills are very well thought out, they last for around 10 very enjoyable hours. If you like both Metroidvania and Roguelikethere is no doubt that you cannot miss the adventure that Ultros offers us.