I shouted a loud 'yes' when I saw that this game features a worm fox trapped on a dying planet, and a louder scream when the trailer showed the Metal Gear mechs.

The trailer for the upcoming metroidvania Uruc made me sit up and take notice. It begins with a flash cut of horrifying masses of worms, before showing us our protagonist - who I initially thought was a banana slug but is actually some sort of sable with no limbs - an incongruously adorable little guy in line with other incongruously adorable metroidvania characters. Then we see this little guy facing off against militaristic mecha from Ghost in the Shell and Metal Gear, destroying a world of industrial hulks with unnerving statues. I'm in.

Uruc was created by Stefan Haasbroek. He is also a progressive-metal artist. His most recent EP is about as prog-metal as it gets: "Spectral Tardigrade Mole Station." This helps explain why the music in Uruc’s trailer was so moving, but the whole thing also has this inherent 'progginess' that I really dig. The key art of a worm-fox basking on an open wasteland is it? Pretty proggy. It's about an innocent creature caught in a war and horror that is beyond its comprehension? Is this a concept album or a game?

PCG contributor Jon Bolding said that "Someone played Rain World too many times and now it's everyone's problem." You can see the Rain World influence on the wee fox man's distinctive form, as well as in the horror of an animal trapped in ruins of a civilisation it doesn't know. Uruc, however, gives me the impression of a more conventional metroidvania - at least based on what we have seen so far - than Rain World's unique mix of survival elements.

I love the look and sound Uruc. It features anime-inspired mechas of the Armored Core "technology is dehumanizing", seemingly marooned on an ancient, dead planet whose blasted landscapes and strange monuments are reminiscent of H.R. Geiger and Zdzislaw beksinski, or Scorn (a game heavily influenced by both artists).

True cosmic horror is when you are confronted by something that is beyond your ability to reason and deduce, like an ant exploring circuit boards. It's a feeling that few games have ever brought out in me. Uruc seems to have that special sauce, and I can't wait to play it. Haasbroek has not yet announced a release date or made the game available on Steam or Ignition. You can follow the developer via YouTube or Bandcamp.