Ultros

Ultros takes the tried and tested Metroidvania formula, flips it on its head, bathes it in neon paint, switches dimensions, adds gardening mechanics and sends it to an outer-space uterus housing an ancient demon – and it all, somehow, works

79%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

grinding, optimization

86% User Score Based on 454 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 20 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $14.99

Buy NowGet on Steam€24.99

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About

Ultros is an action-packed adventure game set in a richly detailed world. Players explore diverse landscapes, battle fearsome creatures, and uncover the mysteries of a sprawling fantasy universe. With stunning visuals and a captivating story, Ultros offers a thrilling experience for gamers seeking a deep and immersive role-playing experience. Get a glimpse of the game through trailers and screenshots, and learn more on the official PlayStation website before purchasing.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 406 reviews

gameplay90 positive mentions

grinding38 negative mentions

Stunning and unique art style that creates a vibrant, psychedelic atmosphere.
Innovative gardening mechanics that encourage exploration and creativity in gameplay.
Engaging sound design and music that enhance the overall experience.

Combat feels simplistic and lacks depth, making encounters less engaging.
The time loop mechanic can become tedious, requiring players to backtrack frequently and lose progress.
Some mechanics and story elements are poorly explained, leading to confusion and frustration.

gameplay
298 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
5%
The gameplay of "Ultros" is characterized by its unique blend of gardening mechanics and a time loop system, which encourages exploration and experimentation. While the visuals and world-building are praised for their creativity, many players find the mechanics frustrating and lacking polish, particularly in combat and controls. Overall, the game offers intriguing concepts but struggles with execution, leading to a mixed reception regarding its gameplay experience.
- “The game is one of a kind and simply magnificent, one that rewards the time you put into it by revealing more and more of its hidden mechanics until the map feels like a living, breathing organism.”
- “The gameplay loop is still fun, but I would have really liked a mode where I don't lose everything I worked for.”
- “Ultros takes the tried and tested metroidvania formula, flips it on its head, bathes it in neon paint, switches dimensions, adds gardening mechanics and sends it to an outer-space uterus housing an ancient demon – and it all, somehow, works.”
- “The gameplay is a bit lacking though, especially in terms of combat.”
- “Unfortunately, the half-baked gameplay got in the way of appreciating the art for the whole time I was with it.”
- “The worst part of gameplay is that the game is supposedly loop-centric (like many roguelikes), but dying dumps you back to your last save, with all progress lost.”
graphics
141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and vibrant art style, often described as psychedelic and reminiscent of a surreal experience. While many reviewers find the visuals stunning and integral to the game's atmosphere, some express that the repetitive nature of the graphics can lead to fatigue over time. Overall, the art direction is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's identity, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and clarity.
- “Its a truly strange and wonderful metroidvania, with amazingly unique mechanics and some of the best visuals, worldbuilding and environments on offer.”
- “The visuals are stunning, the music is fine, the gameplay is mostly dash and slash, which is okay, but the loop and progression systems really bothered me.”
- “The art direction is pure genius in every aspect - visuals, writing, sound design.”
- “The visuals are ok for a couple of minutes and then it gets ultra repetitive and new-agey instead of organic and eerie.”
- “The game felt like a very frustrating experience, where you don't have good direction and end up spending a lot of time wandering around similar looking corridors among confusing graphics.”
- “In ultros, all areas look more or less the same with the same color scheme and aesthetic making it really annoying to trying to remember if you've been somewhere or not.”
story
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
72%
3%
The story in Ultros is a complex blend of intriguing themes and abstract narrative elements, often described as poetic and visually captivating, yet at times convoluted and difficult to fully grasp. While many players appreciate the environmental storytelling and the way the narrative ties into gameplay mechanics, some find the execution shallow or overly cryptic, leading to mixed feelings about its depth and engagement. Overall, the game offers a unique storytelling experience that resonates with its psychedelic art style, though it may not satisfy all players seeking a more straightforward narrative.
- “The story itself is intriguing.”
- “The imagery and themes presented in the story are what really have kept me engaged, and keep me intrigued to see where it leads.”
- “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.”
- “The story is nonsensical and convoluted, and full of pretentious sounding sci-fi gibberish words.”
- “Even though it looks fantastic, I couldn't get invested in the story and the roguelite elements ended up being a complete turn off for me.”
- “The reset occurs for story reasons and so the game can route you to the next area.”
music
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
30%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its stunning quality, atmospheric depth, and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers describing it as a masterpiece that complements the vibrant visuals. The soundtrack ranges from ethereal and haunting to cozy and engaging, effectively setting the mood for exploration and gameplay. While some find certain tracks repetitive, the majority agree that the music is a standout feature that elevates the game's artistic and emotional impact.
- “The whole art is trippy as hell and the OST is a masterpiece.”
- “The soundtrack is also fittingly cozy despite how visually stimulating it is.”
- “The music is awesome; it captures the atmosphere of each region, mellow when it needs to be, and dramatic when it has to.”
- “The game leaves it to the atmosphere projected by the art direction, music, and narrative (a cryptic and fragmented philosophical mess) to carry the experience on its back.”
- “Sometimes the music feels quite repetitive, even if some bosses/zones have amazing original soundtracks.”
- “I've been a fan of el huervo's music for quite a while now, and I was expecting to see some overlap between this and the rest of what I know him for, but there's almost nothing.”
grinding
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the repetitive nature of traversing the same areas and completing similar tasks to be tedious and frustrating. While some appreciate the depth and satisfaction of progressing through the game, others feel that the farming mechanics and backtracking detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a grindy experience that can become tiresome, especially when aiming for multiple endings. Overall, the game's innovative ideas are often overshadowed by the repetitive and tedious elements of its gameplay loop.
- “The game took me about 20 hours to get the 'bad' ending, and working toward the 'good' ending constitutes a task that some, like myself, will find very cool and satisfying, while I suspect some others will find it mind-boggling and tedious.”
- “You then need to return along the same starting areas, fighting the same enemies, regaining the same abilities... it just feels very tedious.”
- “I'm giving a positive vote because the game does not deserve a negative one, but as I described, all the systems (connections, gardening, feeding creatures?) to get to a 'real' ending is really too much work and stops being fun after a while, becoming only tedious and frustrating.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
32%
12%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining intricate art direction, haunting soundscapes, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players describe it as a surreal and mystical journey, with music that perfectly complements the mood of each region, creating a sense of dread, isolation, and wonder. Despite some critiques of the abstract narrative, the atmospheric elements are considered the game's strongest feature, drawing players into its unique and enigmatic world.
- “The atmosphere, soundscape, and music - *chef's kiss*.”
- “Incredible atmosphere, music, sound design, and obviously the visual art style is very intricate and unique.”
- “The game's art direction and world-building create a captivating atmosphere that draws players into its dystopian future.”
- “You walk through spaces that seem homogeneous and interchangeable, and simply reach the next one, virtually indistinguishable in terms of gameplay and atmosphere.”
- “The game leaves it to the atmosphere projected by the art direction, music, and 'narrative' (a cryptic and fragmented philosophical mess) to carry the experience on its back.”
- “Although the story is too abstract for my taste, its poetic writing enhances the surreal atmosphere and makes it even more dreamy and enigmatic.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game is highly praised, with users reporting flawless performance on the Steam Deck, even when adjusting settings to extend battery life. Action and platformer fans can expect a smooth experience without the need for extensive tinkering, making it accessible and enjoyable for all players.
- “Perfect performance on the deck.”
- “Finally, there's performance, which at this point was spotless.”
- “Overall impressions & performance.”
- “I was able to lower the max TDP to 9W to extend battery life with no performance hiccups.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact of the game is mixed; while it evokes feelings of confusion and eventual triumph through its challenging gameplay, its vague storytelling and hands-off lore approach hinder deeper emotional investment. Players often find themselves more motivated by curiosity for the game's aesthetics and exploration rather than a connection to the narrative. Overall, the game offers a unique emotional experience that may resonate differently with each player.
- “This game made me feel completely clueless by presenting me with unreachable goals, and then convinced me I was a genius when I finally figured some things out.”
- “It's hard to go into quite why it's so good without touching on spoilers, but let's just say, there's more to it than first meets the eye.”
- “That’s the way this game made me feel.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed; while some players report smooth performance and responsive controls, others encounter significant bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as player movement issues. The experience can vary, with some users noting that it runs well on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, but the presence of bugs remains a common concern.
- “Although the gameplay lacks depth, especially in battles, the controls are responsive, easy to master, and feel lightweight with no glitches or artifacts.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “The only real issue I have with this system is that it can be quite buggy; at one point, I encountered an issue that caused my player movement to bug out until I reloaded my save.”
- “It's a fine metroidvania, and the plant network mechanic is interesting, but it also feels somewhat buggy at times.”
- “Pretty buggy.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding it exceptionally funny, particularly in the interactions with creatures that have unique food preferences, adding a lighthearted twist to the optional combat mechanics.
- “This one is funny as hell.”
- “But combat can be optional in most cases, as we can also tame the critters by feeding them, and it's even funny that some creatures like one food better than others.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game features unique and captivating character designs that enhance its bizarre art style, drawing players into its world. However, the repetitive nature of the time loop mechanic can detract from the overall character development experience, as players must frequently regain abilities, which may lead to diminishing engagement over time.
- “Not only are the environments beautiful, but the character designs, both humanoid and insect-like enemies, as well as the few but important bosses that reside in the sarcophagus, are truly impressive.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which diminished my overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “Despite the intriguing premise, the characters don't evolve in meaningful ways, leaving their journeys feeling unfulfilling.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users generally find that the game's replayability is high, with various modes and challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs. The inclusion of different character choices and branching storylines adds to the overall experience, making players eager to return for new outcomes. Overall, the game offers enough variety to keep players engaged long after their initial playthrough.
- “The game offers a wealth of choices that make each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back to explore every possibility.”
- “The random events and procedural generation keep the gameplay fresh, ensuring that no two sessions are ever the same.”