Publisher Kepler Interactive released “Ultros” on February 13th. Compatible platforms are PC (Steam/Epic Game Store)/PS4/PS5. The list price is 3520 yen including tax. In addition to the main game, a deluxe edition is also available that includes a digital art book and original soundtrack. The list price is 4950 yen including tax.
“Ultros” is a Metroidvania action game with a psychedelic worldview. The setting of this work is a giant womb floating in space called “Sarcophagus” that is inhabited by an ancient demon called ULTROS. The protagonist, whose own spaceship crash lands on a sarcophagus, is caught in a loop created by a black hole. Players explore Sarcophagus and look for a way out of the loop.
Mysterious plants and creatures grow naturally in Sarcophagus, the setting of this work. Players can inoculate themselves with nutrients and recover their physical strength by eating such alien life. In addition, the nutrition you inoculate becomes a status and you can learn new skills. Some of the skills you learn can continue to be used even if you loop. By daring to eat psychedelic things such as strange plants and the brains of living things, he learns how to survive as a sarcophagus.
Among the Sarcophagus creatures, there are also dangerous and hostile creatures. The space lifeforms that attack the player are confronted in close quarters combat with precision blade strikes. By countering from evasion and making full use of various techniques, it is possible to defeat enemies quickly and beautifully. There are also residents who can talk to the player. Some of them will help the player, while others will be hostile to the player, and by talking to them, you can get hints on how to break out of the loop.
This work is being developed by developer Hadoque, which includes a number of prominent creators, including Niklas “El Huervo” Åkerblad (hereinafter referred to as “El Huervo”), who worked as an artist on “Hotline Miami.” This team seems to have been assembled to express the unique world view of El Huervo, who showed off his unique art style in “Hotline Miami.” This work also expresses spiritual themes using loops and karma. It’s not just the art, but the entire game that allows you to experience a unique worldview.
“Ultros” is available on PC (Steam/Epic Game Store)/Now available for PS4/PS5. The regular price is 3,520 yen including tax, and the deluxe edition is 4,950 yen including tax. Also, as a release commemoration sale, it is on sale at 10% off until February 20th.
