Upcoming metroidvania Uruc had me sitting up in my chair fairly rapidly: Its debut trailer begins with flash cuts of horrible plenty of worms earlier than exhibiting our protagonist—who I initially parsed as a banana slug, however who really appears to be some method of sable or fox with no limbs—an incongruously cute little man within the grand custom of incongruously cute metroidvania protagonists. We then see that this little man is up in opposition to militaristic mecha straight out of Ghost within the Shell or Metal Gear, rampaging throughout a lifeless or dying world of commercial hulks and unnerving statuary. I’m in.
Uruc is being created by a primary time developer, Stefan Haasbroek, who can also be a progressive steel artist—his most up-to-date EP has about as prog steel a reputation as you may get: “Spectral Tardigrade Mole Station.” It helps clarify how the music in Uruc’s trailer was so affecting, but additionally the entire thing has this inherent progginess that I’m actually digging. That key artwork of the worm-fox basking in an open wasteland? Pretty proggy. Oh, it is about a bit creature caught amidst conflict and horror past its ken? Are we speaking a couple of recreation, or an idea album right here.
PCG contributor Jon Bolding noticed that “Somebody performed Rain World an excessive amount of and now it is all people’s drawback,” and you may positively see the Rain World affect within the wee fox man’s distinctive form, in addition to the very explicit horror of being an animal trapped within the ruins of a civilization it would not perceive. But Uruc is giving me the vibe of a extra conventional metroidvania—at the very least going off what little materials we’ve thus far—than Rain World’s distinctive mix of survival parts.
I’m in love with the look and sound of Uruc, with anime-inspired mecha of the extra Armored Core, “expertise is dehumanizing” selection seemingly marooned on or assaulting (or each) an historical, lifeless world whose blasted vistas and unusual monuments remind me of the artwork of H.R. Geiger and Zdzisław Beksiński (or Scorn, a recreation closely impressed by each artists).
True cosmic horror is being confronted with one thing past your powers of purpose and deduction, like an ant exploring a circuit board, and it is a feeling few video games have ever evoked in me. Uruc actually looks like it has that secret sauce, and I’m desirous to play it. The recreation at present has no launch window or presence on Steam or itch.io, however Haasbroek is crowdfunding for the sport by way of BackaBuddy, and you may as well observe the developer on YouTube or Bandcamp.
