El Huer vo takes us aboard Ultros’s ‘cosmic uterus’ to discuss the art of cultivating a more constructive variety of Metroidvania

By Chris Schilling

Game Ultros Developer/publisher Hadoque Format PC, PS4, PS5 Release Q1 2024

Nicklas ‘El Huervo’ Åkerblad is perhaps still best known for the art he produced for Dennaton Games’ Hotline Miami. As such, it’s no surprise when he invokes perhaps its most famous quote, in which the game’s protagonist – and, by extension, the player – is confronted with an uncomfortable question: do you like hurting other people? “Violence talks to us in a weird, weird way,” he says. But when developing the debut game from Hadoque, the studio Åkerblad set up with Mårten Brüggemann six years ago, he began to consider a less destructive alternative for progressing through this psychedelic world. If most videogames aim to provoke one of two types of physiological response – either ‘fight or flight’ or ‘tend and befriend’ – Ultros presents a space at which those approaches can coexist.

Nicklas ‘El Huervo’ Åkerblad, creative director and art director, Ultros

“OUJI IS AN EMPT Y SHELL, A VESSEL THAT THE PL AYER FILLS U P, AND THE IDEA IS TO FIND CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS”

That apparent dichotomy – one of several in a world Åkerblad describes as both a uterus and a sarcophagus, death and birth constantly in close proximity – is reflected in the game’s protagonist, Ouji, whose role came into sharper focus when he painted her as a saint, as seen in the image on p68. “Saints of old were almost schizophrenic,” he says. “People would say, ‘You have the voice of God’ and revere their visions. I wanted to touch upon the aspect that Ouji is an empty shell, a vessel that the player fills up, and the idea is to find constructive solutions to problems.”

Which isn’t to say Ultros is ever quite as simple as that. Shortly into your adventure, you find a sword embedded in a corpse. When you happen across a creature nearby, you do what comes naturally – an act that has additional benefits for Ouji. When Åkerblad talks about filling her up, he means it in a very literal sense, too. She is what she eats, the nutrients from the creature’s remains factoring into the skill upgrades available to her when she rests in one of the floating pods scattered throughout the world, which double as save points. You’ll need to adopt a balanced diet to unlock the more esoteric abilities, while you’re encouraged to use precision and variety in combat by a mechanic that means you get higher-quality, more nutritious spoils when you don’t just hack away gracelessly.