Utopos

Gravity, Guns, and Glorious STe Action

Yet another game I love, but without a write-up here on AtariCrypt. Which is just weird! Well, from my point of view, anyhow. Developed in 1993+ by Jani Penttinen and Jan Achrenius, Utopos is a slick "Gravitar"-style shooter specifically designed for the Atari STe. And when I say slick, I mean greasy-spoon slick!!

We are dropped into the cockpit of a nimble spaceship, trapped in a series of cavernous levels. As with Oids, Rotor, Thrust, etc, we are still fighting gravity and inertia, but you can alter these settings to your own tastes. Warning: the learning curve is massive, so it pays to tinker with them!! Once you're happy, things become more forgiving, and you will be zipping about, dodging obstacles, and blasting stuff like a pro.

Utopos takes inspiration from games I've just mentioned, but with a more arcade-like approach that favours speed and action over realism. What makes Utopos really stand out is its (overscan) presentation and superfast frame rate. It glides like warm butter on a non-stick frying pan in zero gravity! The backgrounds are subtle but effective, and the STe’s enhanced sound chip gets a proper workout with music and effects.

"This joystick feels like it came from the war." – My daughter, after 30 seconds.

As a single player, it's incredibly tough. Perhaps too tough? It doesn't appear to have the playability or strategic depth of Oids, as it prefers a fast-paced, arcade-style over realism. Personally, I think it's best as a two-player, even though nobody here (ahem) can control their ship. In fact, my daughter hated this game, so I'm left to go it alone - but don't listen to her, she's mad and wrong about this stupendous Atari STe game.

• Atarimania appears to have every version (demo and registered), but it seems that the one-player mode was dropped from the final release? I had to use version 1.52
• A must-watch video by Maarten/Atari Legend.
• A remake appears to be in the works, even supporting the Mac!!
• Being an STe game automatically enters it into the Enhanced List. Check that out!!
• This post is dedicated to our eldest daughter, Katie. 🤍
• If you are one of the few visitors to look back through the Crypt's archives, you’ll see an old recording of mine that I posted all the way back in October 2014. How has over a decade passed so quickly? Anyhow, the link is on the right-hand side if you scroll down a bit (or click here!) :^)

The one-player game is next to impossible without altering the gravity...

...and even then, it's next to impossible!

The two-player game is an absolute killer...

...well, if your family can get their head around the controls.