Mrten, the game designer at Hadoque, a brand-new studio based in Sweden, has been busy developing our first game, which we are excited to show you today.
Ultros was revealed during today's PlayStation Showcase. It's a sci-fi exploration-adventure game layered with mystery, with deep lore and meta themes. Players will want to know and share information about what the truth really is.
Ouji wakes up after apparently crashing her ship on a massive cosmic sarcophagus, carrying an ancient evil entity known as Ultros (we've all been there, right?). Anyone unlucky enough to be trapped in the sarcophagus will have their psyche examined by experts.
This loop-based gameplay mechanic allows you to explore secrets at every turn while unlocking different abilities on a branching skill-tree. This allows you to adapt to your preferred playstyle and affect the environment across multiple loops.
Ultros's vivid neon color palette and eccentric art style are what sets it apart from other artists' hypnotic influences. We've combined hand-drawn art with big juicy sprites, topped off with dynamic zooming, creating a hypnotic effect.
Similarly, Ultros' music is intentionally orchestrated with a beautiful, emotional, symphonic soundscape, breaking with the old science fiction narratives that mainly utilize classic synthesizers; instead, we draw inspiration from, and record, analog instruments, including the cello, viola, violin, ands pump organs. We visited Peru and the Amazons to record sounds of nature, classical instruments, and other sound-making tools from Peru's rich history.
Ultros is a unique close-combat game that takes Ouji to the Sarcophagus, allowing you to maneuver your own fighting style, creating a sort of "dance of death."
The Sarcophagus, a peaceful game, is centered around preserving the ecosystem and planting seeds. From unlocking abilities and leveling-up abilities to solving puzzles, you will discover new plants and make the game world more alive.
We're so grateful to have our work featured on the program, and we're excited to reveal more soon, as there's a lot more to discover.
Ultros will be available in 2024 as a PS5 and PS4 exclusive console exclusive.
2023 PlayStation Showcase
Announcements from PlayStation Studios and third-party publishers
- Final Fantasy XVI launch trailer, Salvation, revealed
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay revealed
- Introducing Concord—a new PVP multiplayer FPS from Firewalk Studios coming to PS5 and PC
- Bungie unveils Marathon
- Watch the first trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2, Capcom’s upcoming action-RPG
- Tower of Fantasy, an immersive cyberpunk open-world RPG, hits PS5 and PS4 this summer
- Two new playable characters join the Granblue Fantasy: Relink roster
- First Assassin’s Creed Mirage gameplay revealed, launches October 12
- Alan Wake 2 launches on PS5 October 17
- Foamstars, a fresh new party shooter revealed for PS5 and PS4
- Helldivers 2 drops on PlayStation 5 later this year
- New Immortals of Aveum trailer highlights enemies of the realm
- Introducing Fairgame$, a competitive heist experience coming to PS5 and PC
PS VR2 release dates are now available.
- New gameplay details revealed for Crossfire: Sierra Squad, coming to PS VR2
- Beat Saber launches on PS VR2 today with new Queen Music Pack
- Immersive PS VR2 action-shooter, Synapse, launches on July 4
- First look at Arizona Sunshine 2 revealed, launches on PS VR2 this year
- First PS VR2 footage for Resident Evil 4 VR Mode revealed
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 – hiring again on PS VR2
An announcement about the Indies is here.
- Revealing Ultros, a psychedelic sci-fi side-scroller coming to PS5 and PS4 in 2024
- Welcome to Revenant Hill, where your journey to become a witch’s familiar begins
- Towers of Aghasba hits PS5 next year – new gameplay details
- Revealing Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean, coming to PS5 and PS4 next year
- Phantom Blade Zero: a new beginning in a long journey
- Teardown hits PS5 later this year
- Meet the friends and foes of The Plucky Squire’s storybook world
- Introducing Neva, the beautiful new game from the developer of Gris
- The Talos Principle 2 brings mind-bending puzzles and haunting beauty to PS5
- Introducing Sword of the Sea, a new game from Giant Squid
