Hadoque, a Swedish developer, announced their new game, ULTROS. ULTROS is inspired by the psychedelic art style made popular in the 60s and 70s. The game is a Metroidvania set in a vibrant alien environment. The player will get to explore lush areas and meet extraterrestrial characters designed by El Huervo, the mind behind the Hotline Miami art style.

The story starts with the player crashing into a giant mysterious black hole that makes up the world of the game. The world, aptly titled The Sarcophagus, provides a ton of hostile creatures, a vivid living breathing world, and a demon named ULTROS, thus the name of the game. Fighting these lifeforms is based on blade combat. But this won’t carry progression by itself. Utilizing the flora to traverse obstacles and reach new heights is crucial as well. This means tending to the plants in The Sarcophagus for a peaceful reprieve from combat. Take care of the plants, and they’ll take care of the player.

Death makes an appearance as a mechanic here too. But with the power of The Sarcophagus, the player will be revived to repeat the loop in true roguelike fashion. This isn’t a complete reset, but a chance to return to previous story beats with new knowledge. This information will open new routes and changes to the overall experience. ULTROS revolves around the themes of mental health, death, and karmic cycles which creates a surprisingly deep narrative experience.

Each loop will provide new information to the player which allows for the discovery of the world’s many hidden secrets and the potential to break the cycle of death. But can the cycle truly be broken? What is the demon ULTROS’s part in the loop?

ULTROS will launch in 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.