The latest AAA games are more than enough to occupy our time, but there’s no denying that Steam has some hidden-gems stashed away if you’re willing to go looking for them.
One game I don’t see getting enough credit is a lightning-fast first-person shooter that could rival Doom in its violence and movement, Ultrakill - a game where mankind is dead, blood is fuel, and hell is full.
See the trailer for Ultrakill below.
Ultrakill is a game where players storm the levels of hell as a homicidal robot that could probably give Doom Guy a run for his money.
The objective is simple: work your way through the levels while blasting demons, picking up new weapons and buying upgrades along the way to deal out more punishment. What’s not simple is the gameplay. Ultrakill is a game where skill is mandatory, especially as you progress to some of the late game levels and stumble into the secret levels. Boss fights in particular are hell if you’re not prepared, and it quickly reaches the level of a soulslike with how often you’ll have to retry the boss.
Advert
The real difficulty comes from the speed. Combat is fast and standing in one place can quickly result in your unfortunate demise, so constant movement is a must for survival. Think of it as the floor is lava, and try to stay in the air as often as you can.
Then, there’s the gunplay, the best part of the game as the weapons you find and their upgrade paths are silly and wacky like any good game about dismantling hell should be. For instance, there’s a magnum that gives you the ability to flip a coin into the air. Shoot the coin while it’s airborne, and you’ll ping it towards the nearest enemy at high-velocity - and you can throw more than one for extra damage. There’s also a pump-action shotgun that’ll explode if you pump it too much, which is handy for launching yourself off the map for secrets… There are loads of weapons to find along the way, and ammo is unlimited so you can go nuts with as many or as few as you’d like.
However, the most entertaining part of the game is without a doubt the parry. You can parry basically any attack in the game, and there’s one boss in particular where that’s basically all you should be doing, and it’s a real spectacle when it happens. Parrying a projectile sends it flying back at the enemy, and you can even parry some of your own attacks if you’re using the right weapon, parrying them at the exact moment you fire.
Advert
It’s one of the few games that’s skill-issued me but not made it feel like a punishment, as the levels are quite short and there are frequent checkpoints along the way, including one outside boss arenas. Gameplay never fails to be engaging and fun, and for those who quickly master it, there are loads of secrets and challenges to take on to keep things fresh. The lore is also incredible, and it features some top-tier voice acting for some of the bosses.
There are hundreds of first-person shooter games you can play on Steam, so it’s a good thing Ultrakill isn’t a game, it’s an experience. From start to finish, you’ll feel consistently engaged by the gameplay, and when you get really good at it, you can then start to break it in fun and creative ways, like the aforementioned shotgun you can turn into an out-of-bounds cannon.
Ultrakill is unfortunately exclusive to PC, and there’s no sign of an Xbox or PlayStation port anytime soon. That being said, I’d more than recommend it to anyone who frequents Steam, and it’s even verified for Steam Deck.