Sorry to sound like a TikTok MBA, but when it comes to the rule of three in marketing, making that third element truly count is crucial. It should be remarkable, explosive, or at least highly impactful. Above all, it should disrupt any assumptions created by the first two elements. It needs to be a catalyst for rapid reevaluation.
Thank you for tuning in. Now, take a look at the massive screen behind me, and you’ll see Ultros, a Metroidvania that turns the rule of three into pure gold. So, what’s in store for us? Action, exploration, and gardening. Wait, gardening? What? Where am I?
In the case of Ultros, the first two elements are relatively straightforward to grasp. However, it took me some time to fully understand the influence and the fascinating impact of the third element. Let’s discuss each of these aspects in turn. But first, let’s focus on the art, as it is the primary attraction here, aside from the rule of three.
Ultros casts you as a sort of avant-garde space explorer who has crash-landed on a colossal cosmic womb known as the Sarcophagus. Trapped in the endless time loop of a black hole – we’ll delve into that shortly – you must find your bearings, engage in conversations with anyone willing to talk, engage in battles with those beyond the point of negotiation, and essentially figure out what’s going on and what you need to do to set things right.
Ultros – Reveal Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games
As the term “cosmic uterus” might imply, this is not your typical space adventure. Ultros’ 2D worlds are presented with thick felt-tip pen lines and a palette that seems to have raided the art supplies for the most vibrant colors. It’s brimming with energy-drink greens and cocktail pinks. It adores oranges and purples, and above all, it loves layers. There’s the black outline of the Sarcophagus itself, which is craggy and mine-like at one moment, and then transforms into art nouveau railings and Mucha-inspired stained-glass windows in the next. Beyond that, life spills forth, taking over, finding a way in every environment. A corridor might become a grotto as glowing mushrooms make their way between statues of praying figures. Elsewhere, massive space blisters await to burst above carpets of swaying, Lucozade-like corn. Initially, I felt as if I were walking through a King Crimson album cover, but in reality, there’s a touch of 1980s indie comics at play here. The art team is led by Niklas “El Huervo” Akerblad, perhaps best known for Hotline Miami. It makes exploring this world, simply being in it, an intoxicating experience before you’ve even begun to take action. (It also pairs beautifully with the dreamy and ominous audio by Oscar “Ratvader” Rydelius.)
Now, let’s move on to combat. While there are people to talk to and relationships to build in Ultros, you’ll spend a significant portion of the early game, in particular, slaying hideous monsters. They come at you with a jumble of limbs, feelers, and plastic plating, and you strike with your blade to break through shields and target weak spots. It’s not about mindless flailing, though. From the very first enemy, who is heavily protected unless you dash beneath and attack from behind, to bosses that shift between different forms and varying degrees of invulnerability, you need to be precise: spot an opening, dash in, strike, and then dash back to safety.
You’re constantly learning new strategies and encouraged to mix up your attacks. When an enemy is defeated, you can harvest its internal organs, and only the most precise and creative attacks will yield these organs in a decent condition. Once harvested, you can consume these organs – or store them for a particularly revolting rainy day – and then use the nutrition they provide to unlock new moves and abilities on a sort of expansive, Cabbalistic skill tree. I know, this game is extremely progressive, but it’s a progress that wants you to add an extra punch to your combo, gain more information from the map, and be able to strike enemies from behind for massive damage.
