The Sarcophagus drifts through space, a thrumming celestial ark with a mysterious deity at its thunderous center. Fighting the creatures in Hadoque’s gorgeous debut Ultros feels recognizable in generalized metroidvania genre terms, but this eventually takes a backseat to a most unusual gameplay core: landscaping and nurturing the curious flora within the massive spacecraft. It’s a sizable twist in a genre which often prioritizes combat, but it’s a compelling and encompassing experiment; once the game’s intricate narrative and expectations become apparent, players may find that they don’t even need a sword to succeed.
