Ultrakill is a fast paced retro shooter developed by Arsi Patala and released in early access in 2020, starring V1, a machine that fuels itself with blood. Its parry system lets players punch projectiles back at enemies for extra damage and style points, which became a core skill in high level play. Clips of perfect parries spread through gameplay videos and edits, and the clean metallic sound became shorthand online for a flawless counter, deflection, or comeback outside the game as well.