Is Ertugrul of Ulukayin a legendary adventure or a historical misstep?

A Journey into the Heart of Anatolia

The action-adventure genre has seen countless iterations, from sprawling open worlds to tightly crafted narrative experiences. Each new entry seeks to carve its own niche, offering a unique blend of combat, exploration, and storytelling. Ertugrul of Ulukayin, developed by Tekden Studio, steps into this arena with a bold promise: to transport players to 13th-century Anatolia, a land steeped in Turkish mythology and historical conflict. Drawing inspiration from its namesake, this title aims to deliver a cinematic experience that intertwines myth with the brutal realities of medieval warfare. The question, then, is whether this ambitious undertaking truly delivers on its potential to be a gripping historical epic. Read on to find out!

The Steppe’s Call and the Key’s Mystery

Ertugrul of Ulukayin invites players to immerse themselves in a narrative rich with legend and conflict. Set in 13th-century Anatolia, the story plunges players into the chaos of the medieval era. The Kayı Tribe, once living peacefully, finds itself under attack from the Mongol Empire. Players assume the roles of Ertugrul, Turgut, and Meryem, each a distinct character with unique weapons and combat styles.

The central premise revolves around Ertugrul’s brave defence of his people and his personal quest to uncover the fate of his vanished brother. This journey is intertwined with a larger mystery surrounding “The Key of the World,” a powerful secret believed to hold the salvation of humanity, yet capable of causing ruin in the wrong hands.

Ertugrul of Ulukayin aims to provide an evolving narrative across its chapters, where players will save innocents, defeat enemies, and strengthen their Oba, all while striving to become the leader their people deserve and stand against evil.

An issue that I had was around the controls, which felt clunky and were sometimes slow to react. For example, when sprinting, or blocking during combat, there was a delay when I pressed the button until the action took hold, as such. It felt longer than I expected such actions to take, and as a result it threw my rhythm off to the point where it interfered with the gameplay. As the version I played is a demo, this delay will hopefully be addressed before the main release.

The Art of the Warrior

The mechanics of Ertugrul of Ulukayin are built around dynamic combat and exploration within a semi-open world. As you progress, you can upgrade your character to enhance their skills and refine their combat styles. The world itself encourages hunting and crafting, providing resources for survival and progression.

The combat system aims to be engaging, with players battling various foes, including Mongol invaders, legendary creatures from Turkish mythology, and members of a secretive order. Exploration involves traversing the Turkish steppe, discovering historical landmarks, and encountering evolving challenges.

Ertugrul of Ulukayin also incorporates a unique mythological element through vivid dreams, which can offer wisdom or lead to nightmares, providing cryptic messages and hidden clues that influence the fate of the world within the narrative. Whilst implemented in a creative way, some players might find such dreams slightly too far-fetched.

A Canvas of Anatolia

Ertugrul of Ulukayin looks great, with impressive environments and character models, showcasing a commitment to an authentic medieval setting, and aiming to immerse players in the steppe life and the spirit of the Turkish warriors. Unfortunately, there is a lot of clipping and despite looking good, this can break immersion. An example of this is when my horse got stuck in a mountain, and there was literally nothing I could do to rescue it. As such, I had to load the last checkpoint, which subsequently caused me to lose the progress I had made since then. As with the control issues mentioned above, hopefully this issue is demo-specific and will be addressed and fixed before the main release. The audio design, however, is top-notch, with decent voice acting and sounds in general. Battle cries, weapon slashes, horse noises and environmental sounds all sound great.

Conclusion

The demo of Ertugrul of Ulukayin sets out with a compelling premise: a historical action-adventure infused with rich Turkish mythology. The semi-open world and the interwoven narrative around the Key of the World make for an immersive and engaging experience. With all of the ingredients of a true epic and the high level of ambition shown in the demo, there are unfortunately a number of issues which were too big to ignore, such as clipping, and slow, clunky controls. On the other hand, with great visuals and incredible audio design, Ertughrtul of Ulukayin has great potential!

Grade: 6/10 – Above Average