PREVIEW : Utopos (PC)
Jani Penttinen’s URG (previously known as Gun Tech) is the newest title to emerge from closed beta and be released on Steam. Many moons ago, Penttinen was recognized for a release that was extremely similar to URG. The game is called Utopos, and it was launched in 1993 for the Atari ST. After doing some more investigation into Penttinen and Utopos Publishing, it appears that a remake of Utopos is in the works. Unfortunately, we don’t have much to go on because this is still in closed beta. It does, however, appear to be extremely similar to URG.
Utopos Rocketship Game – Set Radars To On
Top-down shooters are fun to play; the most recent one I tried was Steambirds Alliance. I got hooked. Therefore I’m looking forward to seeing how URG unfolds, and who knows? I may have to revisit the Atari ST, as I believe someone I know owns one! If you’ve already played URG, please share your opinions in the comments section below!
Gameplay
URG is a top-down shooter, as previously stated, which is a genre with some amazing old classics. You take control of one of the few accessible spaceships in URG and battle your way through a variety of themed stages. The themes range from seasonal to jungle-themed! In addition, you have certain objectives for each of the levels. The objectives can range from rescuing the crew to defeating many opponents to even collecting items.
As you progress through the levels, they become slightly more tough, becoming exceedingly difficult later in the game. You can enhance your craft to make the stages simpler. In addition to being able to do so, you can also choose from a variety of weaponry. You can upgrade your weaponry to add more punch to your craft once more.
While playing URG, I experimented with both a keyboard and a controller, and I must admit that I preferred the keyboard. The controller was significantly more user-friendly, making the game far more pleasurable to play.
The tutorial, which is the first level you play, teaches you the fundamentals of the game. From here, you’ll need to devote time to mastering the craft’s control. This will have you flying through the levels and drifting around the curves in style in no time. The grind begins here, with you attempting to fight as many foes as possible to obtain coins, which you may then use to complete the previously described upgrades. Even though it was difficult at times, it was a lot of fun.
Graphics & Audio
URG is fairly simple in terms of graphics. Thus you won’t need many resources in terms of requirements. However, I was playing on a 2060 Super, which is far too powerful for this game. The environment’s textures are flat; for example, rocks appear jagged and squared in some spots. The weapon and craft effects in the game are exactly what you’d expect from a game like URG. They didn’t blow me away by any stretch of the imagination, but you didn’t notice that when playing the game.
While you’re concentrated on steering your ship, even though I had no graphics issues, I did lose my radar, which made the game rather tough. The border might also be restricted; I got lost a lot and couldn’t figure out how to get back because I didn’t have any radar.
The sound effects are the most important aspect of audio. Starting with the craft, the afterburners that appear as you thrust throughout the map remind me of games from the 1990s. This is a lovely nod to the past in the game. There are a lot of weapons to choose from but nothing to scream and shout about. They do, however, work well in the game. I don’t get why there is a beta version of the Utopos game on the Steam library. This game appears to have better visuals and music, yet it costs half as much.
Longevity
Although URG isn’t a large game in terms of gaming hours, getting acquainted with the mechanics. This means that you might not be able to 3 stars on every level on your first run-through (excluding the tutorial). As a result, the completionist will have to go over everything again. The game also includes a co-op mode. However, it is limited to couch co-op. As a result, if you’re gaming with pals right now, you won’t be able to play co-op URG due to COVID19 restrictions.
Because this is a top-down shooter, the devs could easily add more levels and content to spice things up. Seasonal levels are an excellent illustration of this in the game. Also, depending on the game development techniques available, releasing a design of your level pack would be a fantastic chance. However, such factors are not as straightforward as they appear.
Final Thoughts
URG is a game I’d come back to after a few patches. It has the makings of a classic top-down shooter; all it needs now is a final polish to put it in that category. It’ll be fascinating to see how URG evolves compared to Jani’s other in-development titles, which are very similar. I’ll be watching them both closely to see where they finish up.
