My current gaming trend has remained heavily focused on Metroidvanias. I’m a sucker for exploration. It brings me joy to solve puzzles and uncover large, ever-expanding worlds. It’s nice to have the choice to figure things out your own way.

My most recent explorations have come in the form of two Metroidvanias — ULTROS and The Last Case of Benedict Fox. Both share that common Metroidvania DNA, but my love for each game comes from totally different places.

ULTROS

“ULTROS is a psychedelic sci-fi adventure that creates a beautiful symphony of action and gardening. Players assume the role of Ouji, a nimble sojourner thrust into a visually stunning world of vibrant colors and strange creatures with art from the mind of renowned artist, El Huervo. As Ouji, players will take on bizarre enemies such as Puppaluppas, stringing together combos with satisfying fast, fluid combat and eating their guts to replenish her health and boost her nutritional stats. The frenetic action is counterbalanced with serene gardening gameplay, while the haunting soundtrack, inspired by classical and Peruvian music history, ebbs and flows with its own atmospheric style.”

-from Swedish Developer, Hadoque

Ever since the first game trailer, I was immediately interested in ULTROS. I was drawn to the colors and psychedelic art style (by El Huervo) that remind me so much of any episode of Rick & Morty, where they head into some strange new dimension. The creatures and food items even have ridiculous names, like a Rick & Morty episode. Names like Bupple Fruit, Cacomin, and Puppaluppas.

The tone of ULTROS is both silly and serious all at once. There is a focus on teaching the player that not every moving creature is out to hurt you. I ran into the same species multiple times, where some were aggressive and others peaceful. I’m sure I even went into rage mode on some peaceful creatures, and for that I apologize.

The game loop was what really kept me interested. While ULTROS is primarily a Metroidvania, there are also certain rogue-like/lite elements. After saving one of several “trapped souls,” you must start over with no abilities or weapons (other than those abilities you may have “memorized” during previous runs). 

With multiple “trapped souls” all over the map, and no particular order of operations, the first few runs were quite quick and easy. Once I was down to only two or three “souls” to rescue, I really had to pay attention to the map and where I was headed to next.

What has really stuck with me from playing ULTROS is the ultra-smooth combat, along with being rewarded for varied attacks and defensive maneuvers. By mixing different combos together when taking out an enemy, the food you acquire will be of better quality. The music is very calming and relaxing. Even with its smooth combat ULTROS is more focused on exploration and its strange world.

There were many times while playing ULTROS, where I found myself checking out the background (and foreground) art. The game is beautifully designed, and much of the world is interactive.

The game features the main goal of saving “trapped souls,” plus a few small additions along the way. It isn’t full of pointless side quests to keep the player busy, which can be fun at times in games but also distracting. So many side quests in games end up keeping me from getting closer to the main goal — beating the game.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox

Dive into a twisted world of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded murders. Enter the consciousness of the victims to explore their memories in search for clues. Take up the last case of Benedict Fox, a self-proclaimed detective bound to his demon companion.

-from Polish Game Studio, Plot Twist

The Last Case of Benedict Fox was another game that immediately grabbed my attention with the first game trailer. I was also interested in this game’s art style, but for completely different reasons. The Last Case of Benedict Fox has more of a Tim Burton-esque feel (The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride). The music also comes from that same universe. There were times where the soothing guitar strings felt like Gustavo Santaolalla (The Last of Us).

Unfortunately, the gameplay in The Last Case of Benedict Fox isn’t so smooth. I’ve had a terrible time mastering the combat, especially when it comes to timing enemy attacks. Unlocking new abilities has helped, but there’s still a steep learning curve when it comes to parrying (which is always one of my favorite game mechanics in combat).

What continues to intrigue me about The Last Case of Benedict Fox is the storytelling style. I love the way the game slowly reveals what you have learned as Benedict. New information is added to the loading screen as it becomes known. It’s a great use of a time where you may lose the player’s attention to their phone or have them get up and walk away altogether — I sometimes call loading screens or cutscenes “Snack Time.”

The relationship between Benedict and his cursed demon makes me think of Eddie Brock and Venom (especially the way Tom Hardy played both characters in the latest films). Benedict’s “inner voice” (or the voice of the demon) is deep and dark, and sort of a know-it-all. The demon feels as if he’s always saying “Come on, Benny. Get your stuff together!”

While this game isn’t as tight in the gameplay department as ULTROS, the story did enough to keep me wanting more. I’m excited to see how this studio (Plot Twist) continues to grow with their next endeavor. The Last Case of Benedict Fox is their first big story game.

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What I have learned from playing these two (very different) Metroidvanias at the same time is that my preference isn’t only based on the fact that a game falls within a specific genre. There has to be something more, something fresh that piques my interest. Something that pulls me in and doesn’t let go.

Both games, ULTROS and The Last Case of Benedict Fox, have that extra “shiny object” that made me want more. There was initially a third game that I was hoping to include in this post, but I dropped it because I didn’t find that extra shiny thing.

So, now I know that my recent obsession with multiple Metroidvanias has not been me playing the same exact game over and over, but more me looking for a common experience across multiple video gamesand seeing how different studios switch it up. How can they make their game stand out so it’s not just another Metroidvania, but also a great game.