WASD Coverage - Ultros

Article by Adam Ray

I, like most people who've ever played a game and also has a brainstem, love Hollow Knight. The most charming game about decay and beating your head against the difficulty wall against certain kinds of monsters. The latest successor in that genre may obviously be the hotly anticipated sequel, Silksong. However, I had the pleasure of trying a possible contender at the stunning WASD event.

Ultros fills every bill of the Roguelike Metroidvania style of game I've sadly played little, but could see myself truly enjoying. Roguelike of course being the style of game which builds the difficulty wall against its players and Metroidvania being a style of game like Metroid and Castlevania where the entire game is in one grand sandbox game where the map is like a maze that involves a 2d movement across, as well as up and down.

This game, much like Hollow Knight oozes with lore just waiting to be uncovered. This style of play rewards its players for uncovering things the deeper down the rabbit hole they go. The character designs are a delight to behold and we get a real sense of the mystery right from the drop.

The greater delight of this game is the overall look and the gameplay itself. Each room on the map, the NPCs and even the unnamed and silent female protagonist drip with fluorescent colours and the organic shapes of all kinds of spores and weird alien plant life. Even in the most intense battles with grand alien life or the immense bug boss monsters, the game's soundtrack maintains a peaceful, melodic tone that's uncertain but serene. The game is an audio visual delight the likes of which feel like someone poured LSD into my unblinking eyes and rubbed my ears with fresh silky silk.

Gameplay feels fluid and satisfying. The moment you get your sword, the charged attacks going in like Goku's Kamehameha. Jumping and spinning air attacks have hyou zipping around the map with a level of careful precision that I haven't felt since the flight mechanics of Control.

Ultros is a delight to the senses and sensibilities of gamers everywhere, and one I cannot recommend high enough. Add it to your Steam wishlist right now; you know I did.