Ultros
Developer
Hadoque
Publisher
El Huervo, Kepler Ghost
Release
Feb 13, 2024
ULTROS is a psychedelic metroidvania where you wake up stranded on The Sarcophagus — a cosmic uterus holding an ancient, demonic being. Trapped in the loop of a black hole, you will have to explore The Sarcophagus and meet its inhabitants to understand the part you play...
ULTROS - Available now on PS5, PS4 and PC
ULTROS explores meta-themes of mental health, life, death, and karmic cycles through deep lore and environmental storytelling. Grounded in science fiction, Ultros features an eccentric art style from El Huervo, renowned for his work on Hotline Miami, and a mystical soundtrack composed and...
www.ultrosgame.com
Reviews:
Ultros critic reviews
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Ultros Reviews
Ultros is rated 'Strong' after being reviewed by 51 critics, with an overall average score of 79. It's ranked in the top 21% of games and recommended by 78% of critics.
opencritic.com
Christian Donlan
Eurogamer
Top Critic
4 / 5
Feb 12, 2024
Psychedelic stylings accompany a game of transformation and discovery.
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Max Freeman Mills
Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 12, 2024
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.
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Joe Donnelly
GamesRadar+
Top Critic
Feb 12, 2024
"Just when you thought Ultros couldn't get any more outlandish, it has its own gardening system."
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Josh Broadwell
Shacknews
Top Critic
9 / 10
Feb 12, 2024
Ultros is a kaleidoscope game. It takes a handful of ordinary things, shakes them up and sticks the pieces together, and then spins it all around. It's just a different version of what we've seen dozens of times before, sure. But it feels special, and it sure does look good.
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Mick Fraser
God is a Geek
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2024
Expect to be confused, bewildered, and visually seduced by Ultros, but don't expect to be too surprised by what simmers beneath the surface.
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Katharine Castle
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Top Critic
Unscored
Feb 12, 2024
Late-game fiddliness spoils what is otherwise a vibrant and always interesting Metroidvania, whose emphasis on growth, connection and (tripping out on mad monsters) make it one of the most sumptuous games of 2024 so far.
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Max Freeman Mills
Push Square
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 12, 2024
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.
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Mark Steighner
COGconnected
Top Critic
80 / 100
Feb 12, 2024
Ultros is a game with a very strong visual identity, trippy theme and a few unique mechanics, like its gardening system for upgrades and abilities. Strip away the psychedelic art and gauzy narrative, however, and you’re left with a somewhat familiar-playing 2D Metroidvania. That isn’t necessarily bad, but I wish the game’s combat and exploration matched the imagination of its art.
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Giovanni Colantonio
Digital Trends
Top Critic
Feb 12, 2024
Ultros is a bold and beautiful artistic vision, but a convoluted Metroidvania.
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Brodie Gibbons
Press Start
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2024
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.
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Marco Aurélio Couto
PSX Brasil
Top Critic
75 / 100
Feb 12, 2024
Ultros is a good 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 was better balanced in some of its aspects.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Kevin Hofer
Digitec Magazine
Unscored
Feb 12, 2024
Ultros is one of those games that grabs me right from the start, even though it doesn't explain almost anything. Maybe that's why I like it. I like being thrown in at the deep end and exploring the unknown without context. And when that world is as stylish as the "sarcophagus", it's all the better. Unfortunately, some ideas and unlockable abilities are not fully fleshed out. The same applies to the combat system, which suffers from a lack of enemy variety and a low difficulty level. Despite the criticism, I enjoyed playing Ultros. And if you like Metroidvanias, you'll probably feel the same.
Review in German | Read full review
Cory Dinkel
Siliconera
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2024
Ultros drips style, but does not skimp on substance. The psychedelic art style and dreamy soundtrack elevate the familiar, but not quite tired, gameplay loop.
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Ash Wayling
WellPlayed
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2024
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.
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