Ultros is an unconventional psychedelic game with a unique progression system. Unlike other games where players level up and rank high the more they play, Ultros' leveling up system is different. Players must search for upgrades and abilities to free themselves from the loop. Each ability and upgrade in the game is stored in the player’s memory in the Cortex, but all are disabled when the game starts.
Players must unlock these memories in the Cortex to retain the upgrades and abilities and to defeat beasts roaming the Sarcophagus. Unlocking Cortex memories is crucial to gaining access to more exclusive and unique upgrades while providing a passive benefit to your world exploration. Here’s a guide on how to unlock Cortex memories.
Ultros Offers a Trippy Alternative to Hollow Knight: Silksong
Ultros was a pleasant surprise announcement at the PlayStation Showcase and looks to be a unique Metroidvania that can ease the wait for Silksong.
How to Unlock Cortex Memories in Ultros
To unlock Cortex memories in Ultros, players must consume food to gain the required amount of nutrition needed to unlock a memory. Foods in Ultros have specific nutrient values, which fill up a bar with four separate stats. When all four bars are filled to the brim, players can unlock a Cortex memory to use when exploring the Sarcophagus. Some of the memories players can unlock include:
- Sneaking
- Air Tesseract
- Track Gardens
- Combo
- Drop Kick
- Two-step Jump
Cortex memories can be unlocked in the Cortex, which is found by entering a spaceship on the map. After game hunting and gardening for food, locate a spaceship and click the Triangle button on your controller to enter. Select the memory you wish to unlock, and a graph with four bars will pop up. If you have food that will provide the nutrients required to unlock the memory, long press the X button to unlock it. If you don’t have sufficient food, you’ll see a flashing icon that states, “Eat.”
Unlocked memories turn green, while unlocked memories remain red.
Unlocking a memory in the Cortex triggers other memories that remain unlocked until the player acquires the essential nutrients. An easy way to ensure players get food with a high nutritional value is to get the best enemy spoils. The best enemy spoils are high-quality meat whose potency remains intact after killing. Consuming this meat fills the food bar quickly, ensuring players can unlock Cortex memories. Alternatively, players can garden and plant seeds as a source of food.
Although Ultros is overly colorful and 2D, it’s a great trippy game to play if you love Metroidvania indie games.
