Machines, it has been awhile indeed. But what stands before you is a complete visual and technical overhaul of ULTRAKILL.
Worked upon for nearly a year. BEHOLD:
Watch on YouTube
And yes, your ears do not deceive you. That's the mighty KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD you're hearing. As we've added not ONE, not TWO, but THREE songs from The Gizz into ULTRAKILL. (Available for your listening pleasure in the Cyber Grind.) Thanks, Lads!
Now you may have some questions!
Why did we do this?
Well you see, much of ULTRAKILL's codebase was very messy, especially the enemy behaviors. So much so that not only would it make it harder for us (and modders) to work on the game in the future, but even for us to do some of the new things we wanted to do in Layer 8.
So we (Pitr, Heckteck, and the New Blood programming team) decided to rewrite (revamp) it!
https://youtu.be/p9wWGd5r4us?si=gaYA9vT08bb7eB1a
While some of this work is STILL IN PROGRESS - we didn't want to put off development of Layer 8 any longer so the full enemy rewrites will be rolled out later in order for Hakita and co. to work on Layer 8 at the same time. You're welcome.
And knowing this would take a long time, Hakita and Victoria decided to use that time to REVAMP a lot of the visuals from the previous layers to bring them up to par artistically to where the game has reached by Layer 7.
We think the results speak for themselves:
Watch on YouTube
Not only that, but some bits of this visual rework are technical marvels. For instance: LUST now has an actual 3D city beneath it!
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/elEgzJ
And while you won't notice a lot of the technical work that's been done under the hood of the game - what you WILL notice is the improved performance.
YES WE HAVE IMPROVED THE VISUALS OF THE ENTIRE GAME WHILE ALSO IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN EACH AND EVERY LEVEL.
But is there any new playable content in this update?!
Indeed there is! Two Encore levels!
What are Encore levels?!
Encore levels, which you may previously thought of as mere replayable levels with radiant enemies... are now so much more.
They don't look anything like the levels they're based on, they don't play anything like the levels they're based on, and they're about 10x harder than the levels they're based on.
GOOD LUCK. (They only unlock once you beat all the base levels available the game)
And since you have been so patient waiting for this REVAMP, Hakita has decided to release these two Encore levels for you! (which he had time to work on while the programming team was working on their rewrites)
The rest of the Encore levels will be released as a post launch update (free of course) so look forward to that. Or don't because they're insanely hard. Harder than any level in the base game. Because that's the point of them. You've been warned.
And speaking of happy surprises to celebrate this momentous occasion - The Gabriel plushies from our friends at Makeship are abvailable to PRE ORDER... NOW!
We have reached a landmark deal with Makeship to produce tens of thousands of these little dudes - and they cannot sell out - so don't panic! Or do... from joy?!
Anyway...
What comes next?!
Well we imagine there will be an inveitable update for this update after we get feedback and testing from all of YOU... but after that?
AFTER THAT MY DEAR FRIENDS WE ARE FINALLY ONTO LAYER 8: FRAUD.
And after that? THE GRAND FINALE!
After THAT?! THE ENCORE.
And after that?! Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We still have much work to do. But thanks to this ULTRA_REVAMP - the work that still remains will only go more smoothly. Like butter, if you will.
Thank you for your patience over the last year and even moreso as we begin our work towards Layer 8 and The Grand Finale.
The end is in sight, machines...
See you again SOON™
-Big Dave on behalf of New Blood, Hakita and the ULTRAKILL Team
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1229490/ULTRAKILL/
Oh and don't forget we're having a New Blood anniversary sale!
Save big on ULTRAKILL and all our other games. We WILL be increasing the price of ULTRAKILL this year, so as usual - the SOONer you buy the MORE you save.
TL:DR
- Full visual overhaul
- Full technical overhaul
- Improved performance
- New Encore Prelude & Limbo levels
- Layer 8 is next
- OMG King Gizzard
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