PlayStation Plus announced its free game line-up for February 2026 yesterday and one game above all caught my eye.
In fairness there wasn’t much competition. February’s line-up is pretty weak compared to what we’ve had in the past and felt like an extension of January’s offering, which was also disappointing.
That’s not to say Ultros isn’t worth your time though because I believe it very much is, especially for the Hollow Knight fans out there.
Available for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users Ultros is a metroidvania set inside The Sarcophagus. This is no moon nor space station, it’s actually a “giant, space-drifting, cosmic uterus” according to the game’s description.
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Inside lies a demon called ULTROS, and it’s your job to decide whether you’ll free the monster from its prison or destroy it before it can break out. It’s a wild premise I know but that’s what makes us want to play.
Personally I’m just a sucker for a metroidvania and after Hollow Knight: Silksong left me oddly disappointed and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond left me oddly hollow I’m eager to try something new.
Ultros feels like exactly what I need and that’s not just because of the bizarre plot but the visuals too.
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They come from artist El Huervo who some gamers might know from the Hotline Miami series. With that context the wacky, psychedelic art style makes more sense and is all the more appealing.
The other aspect of the game I’m eager to experience is what sounds like a time-travel mechanic. Metroidvania’s aren’t known for multiple endings or overly interactive stories but in recent years they’ve been more readily embraced. Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong are good examples as they both have entire areas you’d never encounter if you didn’t have a specific ending in mind.
Ultros apparently has a “unique loop-based mechanic” that’ll let you revert back to previous parts of the game, allowing for different choices to be made that’ll likely lead to different story developments and another ending. I love the sound of this, as it’s nice to know you have options and aren’t locked into one playthrough.
Everything I’ve seen and read about Ultros sounds great and while February’s PlayStation Plus has failed to impress most subscribers there is a silver lining. When the subscription doesn’t deliver the heavy-hitters we were expecting we’re at least blessed with the occasional hidden gem, and Ultros feels like one of those treasures.
Topics: PlayStation, PlayStation Plus, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4