Ultratron

Ultratron is a slick twin-stick shooter with some great and novel ideas at its core. The initially laid out challenge is a pretty simple one, meaning that some players will ultimately be left wanting. Achievement hunters and score hunters will absolutely relish what's in front of them, however.

70%Game Brain Score

graphics, music

story, grinding

86% User Score Based on 630 reviews

Critic Score 71%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Ultratron is a sci-fi shooter game with classic arcade gameplay, updated for the modern era. Fight through 40+ levels as the last humanoid battle droid, with upgrades, pet drones, and special abilities. Play in single-player mode or drop-in two-player co-op, with support for English and five other languages."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 633 reviews

graphics52 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

Ultratron offers a nostalgic arcade experience reminiscent of classics like Robotron 2084, with engaging twin-stick shooter gameplay.
The game features a rewarding upgrade system that allows for customization and strategic play, enhancing replayability.
Visually, Ultratron is praised for its vibrant graphics and retro aesthetic, combined with a catchy soundtrack that complements the fast-paced action.

Many players find the visual effects overwhelming, making it difficult to distinguish between enemies, projectiles, and background elements, especially in later levels.
The game has been criticized for its lack of depth and variety, with some feeling it becomes repetitive after a short playtime.
Controller support issues have been reported, with some players unable to use their gamepads effectively, detracting from the overall experience.

graphics
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant, retro aesthetic that combines modern visual effects with classic arcade styles. While some players appreciate the gorgeous visuals and nostalgic feel, others find the graphics overwhelming and distracting, making it difficult to focus during gameplay. Overall, the art style is noted for its complexity and appeal, though it can lead to confusion in chaotic situations.
- “In particular, I love the use of specific graphical techniques to forge a novel look and feel that is somehow both archaic and brand new simultaneously.”
- “The graphics are awesome and a great modern take on old-school arcade style.”
- “The graphics look great, and successfully blend in some nice modern visuals into its retro style.”
- “Visuals can be overwhelming and cause eye strain at times.”
- “The graphics are nearly all the same color so in situations where a load of bad guys shooting at you come along, it can be hard to see their bullets amidst the retro flashing lights.”
- “I love Robotron and I thought Titan Attacks was pretty good, now this has all the pieces for another classic remake but the graphics are terrible; you can't see what the hell is going on at times, especially in the last couple of levels.”
music
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
4%
The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising its energetic and fitting soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. While some players noted that the music can be repetitive or distracting at times, others highlighted its nostalgic retro style and ability to ramp up in intensity, creating a sense of urgency during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing to its fun and addictive nature.
- “The music ramps up in intensity as you progress through each level, and it really fills you up with a sense of impending doom as you blast wave after wave of evil robots.”
- “I'm madly in love with the dark neon style and the music & sound effects.”
- “Excellent retro shooter action with a kick ass soundtrack!”
- “The music can, at times, be distracting but the music can be easily turned down.”
- “Music is a bit repetitive.”
- “The game music sucks.”
gameplay
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
47%
4%
The gameplay is characterized as a fast-paced, challenging twin-stick shooter that combines retro aesthetics with modern mechanics, offering a satisfying and addictive experience. Players appreciate the tight controls, variety of enemies and upgrades, and the engaging bullet hell elements, though some note a lack of gameplay modes and potential for chaos in later levels. Overall, it is recommended for fans of arcade-style games, providing a rewarding progression system and enjoyable mechanics.
- “This is a neat game with a fun and challenging gameplay loop.”
- “The gameplay is super-solid, the power progression (unlocked by gathering in-game money and achieving new levels) is pleasing, and the music, sound effects, and graphics are fantastic.”
- “The gameplay is easy to get into, but difficult to master like any good retro-style game.”
- “This game could use some additional gameplay modes of some sort to add variety and increased replayability.”
- “Way too much onscreen chaos and ambiguity, especially in later levels. It only has one mode with 40 levels, leading to a lack of visual and gameplay variety.”
- “It's a pretty simple game, and if you're looking for complex gameplay, this isn't the place to look for it.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
68%
18%
The game's story revolves around the last human on a mission to avenge humanity against robots, which is considered a compelling concept. However, many reviews highlight that the narrative is minimal, with little context provided for the gameplay, leading to a focus on action rather than storytelling. Overall, while the premise is intriguing, the execution lacks depth, making it feel more like an arcade shooter than a story-driven experience.
- “The story concept and art style was really appealing, and I read some good things about this developer, so I decided to pick the game up.”
- “Your mission is to avenge the human race by killing the titans.”
- “A stealth sequel to Droid Assault, where the robots take over the world and you go on a (pretty futile) mission to avenge humanity.”
- “Gameplay - mindless robocop-minded hardcore arcade shooter, zero story, just goes tougher each level.”
- “There isn't really a story or anything else, just jump in and shoot stuff!”
- “There are bosses and enemies but literally no story as to why I'm shooting these guys.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its well-designed features, including leaderboards, Steam achievements, and various upgrade strategies that allow for different playstyles. However, some players feel that additional gameplay modes could enhance variety and further increase replay value. The balance of challenge and accessibility also contributes positively to the game's replayability for a wider audience.
- “Replayability in Ultraton is its shining point; there are leaderboards that will keep you playing the longest, but there are also lots of Steam achievements. Once you complete the game, you will start again but at a harder difficulty and keep your score.”
- “This adds a lot to the tried and proven twin-stick action formula and gives the game great replay value.”
- “It gives a lot of replay value from the different little setups that you can do with the upgrades, from being an all-out shooter to basing it mostly on your little bot companions.”
- “This game could use some additional gameplay modes of some sort to add variety and increased replayability.”
- “It gives a lot of replay value from the different little setups that you can do with the upgrades, from being an all-out shooter, or basing it mostly on your little bot companions.”
- “Lots of features and possible strategies to aid replayability, and extremely well-designed.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players noting its fun and lighthearted nature, complemented by great presentation and sound design. The whimsical 2D dance club aesthetic adds to the comedic experience, making it an enjoyable way to pass the time, even if some consider it less favorable compared to other titles in the "neo-retro" genre. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging gameplay.
- “Easy, beautiful, and funny game to waste your time.”
- “Indeed, the levels all sort of look like they take place in a 2D dance club of some sort, which is at once funny and fitting for this game.”
- “A very fun and humorous game - though it's probably my least favorite of the 'neo-retro' bunch, that isn't saying much, as it's still great.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of 1980s arcade vibes, techno rave aesthetics, and a futuristic computer factory setting, enhanced by striking lighting and intentional screen distortion effects. This combination creates a techno-menacing ambiance that immerses players without detracting from the gameplay experience.
- “The lighting creates a wonderful techno-menacing ambient feeling which goes far to create this game's atmosphere.”
- “The intentionally strange screen distortion effects helped increase the atmospherics of this game still further without significantly distracting from the gameplay.”
- “The overall atmosphere seems to be halfway between a 1980s arcade, a techno rave dance club, and a weird, futuristic computer factory.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect in Ultratron to be tedious and slow, often feeling like they are stuck in a repetitive cycle just to achieve their goals. This has led to a perception of the game as overly grindy, particularly in the leveling up process.
- “In Ultratron, I always felt like I was simply grinding to get to what I want, and it felt slow doing so.”
- “In short, it's a grindy level-up experience.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game's monetization could benefit from increased advertising efforts to enhance visibility and attract more players.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization aspect of the game is positively highlighted, as defeated enemies drop currency that can be utilized for upgrades and weaponry, enhancing player performance. This mechanic encourages strategic gameplay and resource management.
- “Dead enemies leave 'money' which can be spent on upgrades and weaponry to boost your performance.”