Ultros

UItros is really something special. When I started I got the quick jist and figured I knew what to do. Basic little game.. up until I got to the living network. From that point my true purpose was revealed; the real challange, the actual game. It's not a metroidvania, it's something else. If you see reviews under 90min or so saying the combat is simple etc; ignore them as they haven't even got into the actual game. Pros - The art, sound, music, controls, story. It's great. Cons - It's slow to start, and the open style can result in some mild jank depening how you've progressed. I may have progressed too far in one direction a couple times, maybe slightly breaking the narrative, but it didn't detract from the task at hand.

Perhaps one of the most criminally misunderstood games of all time though likely intentionally, the facade may be too effective at doing its job. Ultros is a strategy game about environmental manipulation and planning. It presents itself as a standard Metroidvania adventure with a reset gimmick and can even be played entirely as such, but that isn't the game. It is horrifying to imagine that anyone would choose to engage with it exclusively on that level but judging from other Steam reviews and achievement statistics it seems few are able to put the pieces together. Early on you're introduced to the concept of growing plants via sci-fi seeds, it seems like a kinda neat auxiliary mechanic at first that probably wont get much use but this couldn't be further from the truth. Every worthwhile system in this game involves these plants, their growth, and their intersection with the game world. Frankly I don't even think the Metroidvania stuff is worth talking about, the platforming, the combat, the world design, you're ultimately going to be using your head to circumvent and avoid those things if you're properly engaged with the 'real game'. I'd go so far as to say the standar…

Ultros is a Nintendo Switch handheld game (the reality is that regardless of the platform order it was released on, it's made to run on lightweight hardware... a kids gaming device that trades off performance for portability. And that shows through with a very poor quality port and poor quality general technical implementation with some serious defects. Steam is drowning in thousands of lazy, low-effort 2D platformers, and "Ultros" is yet another one. I'm not kidding, there's over 17,000 platformers on Steam, almost all of them are garbage, amateur kitbashes. This is not one of the good ones, but it must be noted this is at least genuinely, sincerely made for the Nintendo Switch. It's not an asset flip or a cash grab, despite the somewhat delusional price tag. What's first and foremost to know is that this is a Nintendo Switch game (it's obvious it was designed for that platform despite whatever order it was launched in) and it comes across as an incredibly sloppy port. This platformer is erroneously described as a "Metroidvania", but I think 2D soulslike is probably more fitting based on my experiences in the game. Just like the Souls games, combat is a somehow both tediou…

This looks so beautiful and weird. Like Metroid Prime on drugs. I was ready to dive right into this, but I just can't get through the vague-on-purpose story telling combined with the rather confusing gameplay. For me, it would have helped if Ultros started with building player buy-in before introducing the timeloops etc. I definitely don't regret spending money on this, but I don't think many folks will just jive with this right away.

Phenomenal! Visually unique and with some genuinely innovative gameplay. This is up there as one of the best metroidvanias ever, hands down. If I had to pitch this game I'd say it starts off seeming like a regular metroidvania, but as you explore and unlock abilities and knowledge the world becomes more and more like your personal garden. The level layouts and enemies that initially were no more than obstacles turn into resources to tap into to progress your goals. Moreover, the abilities you unlock allow for a surprising amount of emergent interactions and out of the box thinking. The progression is a little weird at first, but take my word for it, it's 100% worth your time.

This game is something I've never really experienced before. It isn't your typical Metroidvania, and if you approach it thinking that it is you will be disappointed. A lot of reviewers are saying it's a rogue-like, which is also not true as there are ways to lock in your upgrades and abilities. As you continue forward past each loop you find new permanent upgrades, not to mention new information about where you should be going and what you should be doing. The entire game is a bit of a puzzle in and of itself. As you move forward through the loops you will find different plant-life which at the beginning of the game, came across as being kind of irrelevant, but later reveals itself to be so much more of a tool that you need to progress and to accomplish certain things. The game is very unique and offers something that you won't find anywhere else. I highly recommend just giving it a go with an open mind. You might be surprised.