ULTRAKILL

Selokhu sakhishwa ngo-2020, i-ULTRAKILL izakhele igama njengomunye wemidlalo yokudubula (first-person shooter) eshesha kakhulu futhi entsha kakhulu emhlabeni wamanje wemidlalo yekhompyutha. Lo mdlalo, owenziwe ngu-Arsi "Hakita" Patala futhi washicilelwa yi-New Blood Interactive, uhlanganisa isivinini nodlame lwemidlalo yakudala efana ne-Quake, kanye nezindlela zokulwa ezinodlame neziyinkimbinkimbi zemidlalo yesimanje efana ne-Doom kanye ne-Devil May Cry. Ngaphandle kokuthembela ekukhumbuleni izikhathi zakudala ngokusebenzisa ihluzo (graphics) zakudala ezifana nezomdlalo we-PlayStation 1, lo mdlalo uphusha imingcele ngokusebenzisa indaba ejulile, amazinga akhiwe ngokucophelela, kanye nohlelo lokulwa oluyinselelo kodwa oluvuzayo. Isisekelo somdlalo sichazwa ngokushesha ngomlayezo wawo othi: Isintu sishonile, igazi liwuphethiloli, futhi Isihogo sigcwele. Abadlali badlala njengo-V1, umshini wokulwa othuthuke kakhulu ozulazula emva kokunyamalala kwabantu emhlabeni. Ngemva kwempi eyabhubhisa konke, imishini eyakhiwa ngabantu yaphelelwa yizinsiza phezulu emhlabeni, ngakho manje yehlela ezindaweni ezijulile zeSihogo ifuna igazi ukuze iqhubeke nokusebenza. Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi umdlalo unikeza incazelo yokuthi kungani usebenzisa ihluzo zakudala: u-V1 neminye imishini ibona umhlaba ngezithombe ezilula ukuze ikwazi ukucubungula imininingwane ngokushesha okukhulu. Lokhu kwehlela esihogweni kusa u-V1 ezindaweni ezimbi kakhulu ezikhuthazwe yi-Dante's Inferno, lapho ehlangana khona nezidalwa zamademoni, imiphefumulo yabantu engaphumuli, nezingelosi ezikhuza isijeziso. Okuhlukanisa lo mdlalo kweminye indlela obhekana ngayo nempilo yomdlali kanye nokusebenzisana kwezikhali. Azikho izikhwama zezempilo (health packs) ezisakazwe kulo mdlalo, futhi impilo ayibuyi uma ucashile. Esikhundleni salokho, u-V1 unembozo encane emunca igazi lapho luthintana nalo, okusho ukuthi indlela kuphela yokululama ukulwa eduze kakhulu nokucheliswa igazi lezitha. Le ndlela iphoqa abadlali ukuthi bahlale beqhubekela phambili ngodlame, bejezisa ukuhlehla futhi bevuzayo ukuthatha izingozi ezibaliwe. Lokhu kuhambisana nenqwaba yezikhali ezingasebenza ngokuhambisana, njengezibhamu (revolvers), izibhamu ezinamandla (shotguns), izibhamu zezipikili, nezinye eziningi. Umdlalo ukhuthaza ubuhlakani obukhulu ngohlelo lwe-Style Meter; abadlali bangavikela ukuhlaselwa, baphonse izinhlamvu zemali emoyeni ukuze bashaye izindawo ezibuthaka zezitha, futhi bagcine izitha emoyeni ukuze bathole amaphuzu aphezulu. Umkhankaso uhlelwe ngokulandelana ngezikhathi nangezinyathelo: i-Prelude kanye nezenzo ezintathu: Act 1: Infinite Hyperdeath, Act 2: Imperfect Hatred, ne-Act 3: Godfist Suicide. Lezi zenzo zisa umdlali ezingqimbeni ezahlukene zeSihogo, njenge-Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, ne-Fraud. Esikhundleni sokubukeka kufana, isigaba ngasinye sishintsha lokho umdlali akulindele. Ngaphandle kwezinkundla zokulwa ezinamandla, umdlalo uvamise ukushintsha indlela odlalwa ngayo ngokufaka amazinga afihliwe ashintsha ngokuphelele isitayela somdlalo, uze uphenduke ube yincwadi yezithombe (visual novel), umdlalo wemibuzo, noma ngisho umdlalo wokudoba. Ngokwezindaba, umdlalo unomlando ojulile nonobuhlungu, lapho abaningi bewuthola ngezincwadi ezifihliwe nemiyalezo evela kumatheminali, okuyizinhlelo ezihlakaniphile ezisakaza ukubulala kuka-V1 ukuze zizijabulise. Abadlali abakhulu bambalwa kodwa banethonya elikhulu. U-V1 uvamise ukulwa no-V2, umshini omdala ongezikhali eziqinile kodwa ongenalo ikhono lokumunca igazi. Umdlali ophambili futhi oyinhloko ngokomzwelo ngu-Gabriel, uJaji weSihogo. Ekuqaleni eyiNgelosi ezinikele ngokweqile eyayidelela u-V1, ukunqotshwa kuka-Gabriel izikhathi eziningi ngu-V1 kushintsha indlela abona ngayo umhlaba. U-Gabriel uphetha ngokubuyela ezulwini eyobulala uMkhandlu onkohlakali ngenxa yokuzenzisa kwawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umdlalo unabaqashi abazifihle kakhulu abaziwa ngokuthi ama-Prime Souls, njengoKing Minos no-Sisyphus, abazama ukwakha kabusha izigaba zabo zeSihogo ngaphambi kokuba bajeziswe yiZulu. Ngemuva kweminyaka, ukuthuthukiswa komdlalo kukhule kakhulu. Okwaqala njengephrojekthi yomuntu oyedwa, u-Hakita, kuye kwashintsha ngaphansi kwe-New Blood Interactive kwaba umzamo ohlanganyelwe owenziwa ithimba labahleli, abaculi be-3D, kanye nethimba leziculi ezidumile. Izibuyekezo eziqhubekayo ziqinise izinhloso zalo, kuletha intuthuko ebonakalayo. Ngenxa yokujula kwezindlela zokudlala, ukulandiswa kwezindaba, nokuzibandakanya komphakathi, umdlalo uba yimpumelelo engapheliyo. Ngokuphatha ukuhamba nodlame njengephazili esheshayo, lo mdlalo uyaqhubeka nokuba wumsebenzi wobuciko wokubhujiswa oklanywe ngokuhleleka.