UltraGoodness 2 review for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Switch

Given how same-y a lot of twin-stick shooters feel, UltraGoodness 2 has a couple of points in its favour right off the bat: it looks good, and it has a fun hook.

First, the graphics. While the game admittedly doesn?t have to show off much — we?re talking about a top-down twin-stick shooter, after all — it?s still surprising how nice it looks. Everything has a paper cut-out vibe to it, and no matter how crowded and frenetic the levels get, they always look like they?re popping off the screen.

As for the hook, it?ll be familiar to anyone who ever played Superhot: the world slows down to a crawl any time you?re not moving or shooting. While it?s tempting to move and shoot as much as you possibly can because of the blasting music and massive explosions happening at all times, it?s important not to get sucked into all that. It?s not often that twin-stick shooters reward patience, but UltraGoodness 2 is an exception to that rule.

Of course, if you look even the tiniest bit deeper than that — by which I mean if you play this game for more than five minutes — you?ll quickly discover that UltraGoodness 2 is basically like any other top-down twin-stick shooter. You run around (albeit at your own pace), you shoot everything, you move on to the next level; it?s not very complex.

But it doesn?t really need to be to stand out from the crowd. It?s not as if twin-stick shooters are generally known for being memorable, so simply by being a little different from the norm, UltaGoodness 2 stands out. It?s not going to be the greatest game you?ve ever played, but if you like the genre and want something a little different, it may be worth your time.

Ratalaika Games provided us with a UltraGoodness 2 PS4/PS5 code for review purposes.