URG Press Kit
URG PRESS KIT
Developer: Jani Penttinen Contact: jani@utoposgames.com / +1.408.499.1321
Free demo available. Review keys available on request.
Release schedule:
- December 2020 for Atari VCS (as Guntech)
- February 1st, 2021 on Steam (PC and Mac)
- Early version soft-launched on iOS
Price: $19.99 on Steam, $24.99 on Atari VCS
History
URG is a remake of an Atari ST game called Utopos from 1993, so by the nature of it, URG is a retro game. The original Utopos game was the first published game made by Utopos Games founder Mr. Jani Penttinen.
The birth story of URG is really unique. Jani had already left the game industry behind years earlier when his young children found out that their dad had been a game developer long before they were born. The kids were really excited, and like a veteran musician dusting his guitar, Jani installed Unity, which didn't even exist when he last worked on games, and started learning how to make games again.
What is also special is that one developer built the entire game. Jani designed and programmed everything using Unity, and with help from the Unity Asset Store, took care of the art direction as well.
The game was originally called URG during development but was released as Guntech on Steam in January 2020. It was then ported to iOS and soft-launched in August 2020. The first full release was in December 2020 as an Atari VCS launch title, where it became the best-selling game on the platform.
The branding was later changed to URG because the Guntech name proved difficult to search for on YouTube and Twitter. URG for PC and Mac was released on February 1, 2021.
Reviews
Based on the soft launch, the magic is still there: App Store review score average is 4.9 out of 5.0, with gamers praising the playability and smooth controls, beautiful graphics, and the music.
Music
Music was composed by Frank Klepacki, a true game industry legend best known for his work at Westwood Studios, where he worked together with Jani on the Command & Conquer games.
WHAT IS URG?
URG is a retro-style arcade shooter. You, as a player, will take the controls of a rocket ship. The game takes place on the Asteroid Belt, in a region between Mars and Jupiter, in the distant future. You have escaped Earth in hopes for a better life, but instead, you find yourself fighting for survival, smuggling goods, and plundering old mines.
As the game progresses, you fight your way up. You acquire better ships, more powerful weapons, equip your ship with gadgets and in turn receive more challenging missions.
URG is a side-scrolling shoot'em up with detailed 3D environments. The game is a retro game to the heart, taking classic game play elements from the 80s and 90s and bringing them to modern touch screens and game controllers. Unlike many other retro games, URG is sporting state-of-the-art graphics with big explosions and colorful particle effects.
URG's levels are split into "Worlds" that each have their own characteristics. These worlds are placed around various asteroids located in the Asteroid Belt. Worlds to explore include "The Dark Worlds", an old defunct mining colony where the player has to descend deep into dark caves to find lost treasures, and "The Space Jungle", a green world with lush vegetation and weird mutated animals, a result of an agricultural experiment that got out of hand.
App Store Reviews
URG has a 4.9 / 5.0 review score globally and 5.0 / 5.0 in the US. Gamers are praising playability and controls, graphics and the music.