A Slug or a Fox? Meet Uruc’s Protagonist
Upcoming metroidvania Uruc had me sitting up in my chair pretty quickly. Its debut trailer begins with flash cuts of horrible masses of worms before showing our protagonist, a character who I initially parsed as a banana slug but seems to be some manner of sable or fox with no limbs. This incongruously cute little guy is in the grand tradition of adorable metroidvania protagonists.
A Grim World and Its Inspirations
In the trailer, we see that this little guy is up against militaristic mecha straight out of Ghost in the Shell or Metal Gear, rampaging across a dead or dying world of industrial hulks and unnerving statuary. The game’s key art, featuring the worm-fox basking in an open wasteland, provides a striking visual. Uruc seems to capture both anime-inspired mecha and the desolate, eerie landscapes reminiscent of H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński.
The Mind Behind Uruc
Uruc is being created by a first-time developer, Stefan Haasbroek, who also happens to be a progressive metal artist. His most recent EP, “Spectral Tardigrade Mole Station,” shows his deep roots in the prog metal scene. This influence is evident in Uruc’s trailer music and overall aesthetic. The game’s inherent progginess is something that many will find appealing, adding layers of depth to its atmospheric world.
Concept and Future Prospects
PC Gamer contributor Jon Bolding noted that “somebody played Rain World too much and now it’s everybody’s problem,” referring to the game’s distinctive charm and horror elements. Uruc appears to offer a more traditional metroidvania experience, influenced by, yet distinct from, Rain World’s survival aspects. The blend of cosmic horror elements with a melancholic exploration of a ruined world creates an intriguing premise. True cosmic horror is all about confronting the unknowable, and Uruc seems to have captured that essence.
Uruc currently has no set release window or presence on Steam or itch.io. However, Haasbroek is crowdfunding via BackaBuddy, and you can follow the developer on YouTube or Bandcamp for updates. As we await more material, Uruc has certainly piqued my interest, and I’m eager to dive into its unique, proggy world once it’s available.
