Ultros

Ultros is an action platformer metroidvania developed by independent studio Hadoque.

Plot

Ultros is set in a sci-fi universe. Its main protagonist is Ouji, her ship having crashed on the Sarcophagus - a gigantic cosmic uterus hosting a demonic entity known as Ultros. There, she ends up trapped in a time loop, her psyche put to the test. To escape she must learn more about the Sarcophagus, its inhabitands and understand the role she is to play. The story tackles such topics as mental health, life, death and the cycle of karma.

Mechanics

Ultros is a side-scroller. The player must traverse the Sarcophagus, its interconnected rooms forming an elaborate maze. Along the way we'll face hostile insectoid aliens, which we can fight using melee weapons and combat skills. Each battle requires keeping in constant motion, avoiding enemy blows, countering and chaining attacks into effective combos.

We're granted some respite between encounters by growing plants, each of which has unique traits and effects, providing new abilities and ways to dispatch enemies; plants can also be used to solve environmental puzzles and open new paths.

Since Ouji is stuck in a time loop, the story's key scenes can be played through multiple times; this lets us understand it better, discover the world's secrets, unlock new areas and abilities.

Technical aspects

One distinctive feature of Ultros is its original cartoonish artstyle and vivid, neon-like color palette. The project was supervised by El Huervo, an artist known for his work on the Hotline Miami series. The atmospheric, symphonic soundtrack complements the visuals well.