Ultros

Ultros is one of the best experiences you can have in 2024. The mystical ambiance and sound, combined with a story full of secrets, will transport you to another abyss as you flow through exquisite mechanics. One game that you should try at least one time.

The long, twisting flourishes of Ultros’s sometimes dangerous environment are so affecting that it’s easy to imagine a deeper 3-D world. Claustrophobic passageways give way to soaring, wild-looking atriums and altars. This scrupulously detailed world has never really been imagined before.

Everything, big and small, within this revitalization of the Metroidvania works to stylishly demonstrate the game’s commitment to giving life to ecosystems.

Ultros is one of those rare beasts that ticks many, many boxes for what makes a game memorable, right from the second its title screen sucker punches you with its prismatic panache.

Ultros takes the durable, and fortunately resurgent, genre of Metroidvania and places a clever roguelike spin on it that incorporates memory and gardening, placing it all within a cosmic womb orbiting a black hole at the edge of space. It’ll be El Heurvo’s art that’s sure to capture your attention at first, but Ultros’ several wedded ideas flower into a game that does well to keep it.

Ultros is a passionate and engaging Metroidvania, with excellent art design and level design, strong graphics and an artistic direction of absolute value. It is a long-lived and detailed video game, very original and multifaceted, with a game design that explores all its potential in a peculiar way. An absolute must have if you are passionate about the genre, and if you are a beginner. It is also particularly suitable for beginners.

Ultros is ultimately an excellent game, and I loved almost every minute I spent with it exploring what is really a giant work of art. The storytelling, the music, the art, the design and exploration are all wonderful to experience, even if its biggest puzzle mechanic is also its biggest frustration. But those frustrations don't overshadow the things that make Ultros shine, and they are all why it is a must-play game for Metroidvania fans, or anyone that just wants to be awed by what they're looking at every five minutes.

Not your usual metroidvania. Ultros’ blend of simulation, exploration and psychedelia is only marginally let down by simplistic combat and its own alienation. [Issue#38, p.76]

Even after 15 hours and finishing the main story I didn’t feel like I fully understood Ultros, and that is what was most exciting about it. With pathways undiscovered and new upgrades as yet unused, the main game feels like a long tutorial for how to explore the world at your own pace afterward. Ultros is definitely a step forward for the genre, and I hope it encourages others to push boundaries and expectations in the future.

Ultros is a whole. Each part of this whole, from visuals to music, and obviously gameplay echoes the others and offers a very unique proposition in a more and more crowded genre. Although it might get too experimental for some, Ultros will to leave a lasting impressions on most players.

Ultros remains a fully formed Metroidvania. [Issue#395, p.112]

Ultros is a unique metroidvania that focuses its proposal on the exploration of an exquisitely dreamlike, colorful, and psychedelic map. It falls short in terms of action but compensates with deep exploration, rewarding environmental puzzles, and a spectacular aesthetic section.

Ultros is one of biggest surprises I've had with a game recently. I expected a metroidvania with weird and psychodelic art, and it's definitely that. But more than that, the form in which it blossoms and reveals its true nature is so well executed that, despite a few bump, I won't stop thinking about it for some time.

Ultros is a game that, I suspect, not everyone will “get”. It’s unashamedly bizarre, and isn’t afraid to make players work to dig through its squelchy layers to find its shimmering, beating heart. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, Ultros is a breath of fresh air for an increasingly crowded genre, and one of 2024’s strangest surprises.

Everything Ultros sets out to do as a game, it does well. The combat isn’t the most elaborate, but it’s not boring or poorly done either. The navigation and level design excel, yet they fall short of being the most memorable aspects of the game. The art style and design of the game may overshadow the game itself, but it’s not due to poor execution. The Metroidvania genre as a whole has a lot of familiar, but not quite tired, gameplay elements and that is true of Ultros as well. All in all, Ultros is a solid Metroidvania game with a ton of style, and if you are a Metroidvania fan it absolutely deserves a little of your time.

Some of its best moments can only be appreciated by those willing to put in the extra time, which is both a rewarding and unfortunate reality, as not everyone will be able to experience the best the game offers with a single playthrough. But if you have the patience to persevere through some minor shortcomings and a couple of playthroughs, your understanding and appreciation for this game will no doubt mature from a freshly sprouted sapling to a towering conifer.

Ultros is another surprisingly great 2024 Metroidvania, and an incredibly impressive first outing for developer Hadoque. While its combat may leave a little to be desired, and some of its major gameplay decisions might be a tad off-putting initially, Ultros is a gorgeous game that should keep players well and truly engaged for its entire runtime.

Ultros is a stunningly beautiful metroidvania that manages to excel at tying together a meaningful story about environmentalism and a game that's delightful to play.

Ultros is a very original psychedelic metroidvania with gorgeous artistic design and very satisfying exploration gameplay that only suffers from rough and slow combat mechanics. Additionally, his cryptic personality can scare away many players.

Ultros excels with a robust and persuasive concept, brimming with options. Additionally, the superb equilibrium between gameplay, storytelling, and soundtrack deserves mention, as it helps you overlook the minor bugs and technical hiccups.

With a playable approach as psychedelic, disconcerting and unique as its visual style, Ultros is a constant stimulus for the senses. If you value originality and like different games, don't hesitate to give it a try.

Ultros is beautiful, psychedelic and a great metroidvania that turns into a gardening game halfway through. You just have to be in the mood for that, even if you don't have to.

Ultros is a nice journey through colors and sound effects; a relaxing journey that inspires the preservation of life and its renewal. However, it could be a memorable experience if it were better balanced in some of its aspects.

We feel like Ultros is destined to become a cult classic. It will undoubtedly be loved by some, but many will find it overly vague in terms of story and direction to leave a lasting impact. It has some interesting ideas, a stunning visual style and a neat soundtrack, but the further you progress, more and more frustrations are likely to creep in, undermining them all. Add in the combat which doesn’t really go anywhere during your adventure, leading it to eventually become stale, and you have a game that doesn’t live up to its potential.

Ultros boasts a visual identity that deserves real recognition, a stunning vision of alien colour with design ideas that live long in the memory. Its platforming and combat can't quite match that vigorous success, sadly. Still, if you're on the hunt for a unique-looking Metroidvania game that comes bursting with ideas and a modest 10-hour runtime with the option of more if you love it, few games can match it for style.

Sometimes visuals are enough to carry a game and they certainly take Ultros far, although mediocre combat and some jankiness slightly undermines the unique vision.

Ultros offers a truly unique experience within the genre, and the creativity of the authors in conceiving certain design solutions is certainly commendable. Unfortunately, however, this alone cannot justify a title that fails to achieve any of its intentions other than showcasing a highly artistic side.

There are fascinating and fun elements in Ultros, from the splashy visuals, the alien design, and the unexpectedly enticing gardening mechanic. However, most other facets of the gameplay just aren't up to par for a modern metroidvania.