Morbid Metal Preview
Designing a really engaging roguelike must be an immense challenge. Each run has to feel unique and rewarding enough to make the player want to try again. There have to be skills and mechanics that only click in after multiple attempts. Developers are getting better at hitting the sweet spot, and it looks like Morbid Metal might have found the secret sauce, too.
Familiar and Different
Although the game’s title suggests a heavy metal goth vibe, Morbid Metal is a futuristic sci-fi action roguelike hack-and-slash game. It sounds like it covers a lot of genre territory, but in fact Morbid Metal is pretty tightly focused. You play as an AI trapped in a simulation, guided by a disembodied voice called Eden. Your goals are to defeat your fellow AI kin, discover the secrets behind the downfall of humanity, and “become the next step in the evolution of mankind and repopulate Earth together with Eden.”
Of course, the Early Access version of the game only includes the first two biomes and a trio of playable characters. Much of the narrative remains incomplete and a little vague. But what’s there — both explicit in the voice over and implied through the gameplay — is interesting.
Many Iterations
Although it’s layered in jargon, Morbid Metal’s actual gameplay loop feels immediately recognizable and pretty easy to jump into. After completing the tutorial the player lands in the persistent home area called the Void Hub, where they eventually spend credits on various upgrades (Corpora) and new skills (Protocols). During each Iteration — the game’s name for a run — players can also access temporary upgrades and consumables, both as pickups and in the Emporium, a safe space that appears randomly mid-run.
Where Morbid Metal gets interesting and diverges from other games is after the player unlocks additional characters. Each has specific weapons, skills, and upgrades and the player can instantly switch between them in combat. This makes it possible to chain together attacks from different characters in one sequence. The mechanic adds an incredible amount of depth and replayability to each run.
The Early Access version of the game includes three characters: Flux, Ektu, and Vektra. These represent classic types like a fast-moving fighter, a heavy-weapons tank, and a ranged specialist. They’re all equally useful and important to master.
Double Biome Beat Down
Morbid Metal’s early access version includes two biomes: the Sublime Garden and Steel Sanctuary. The first is a once-lush natural area and the second, a post-apocalyptic urban environment. A successful iteration through each biome ends with a powerful boss. The first is Saru, who is something of a challenging tutorial boss. Saru is a skill check, requiring players to have mastered the game’s initial moves and mechanics. The second boss is Prophet, far stronger but less agility-based than Saru.
Counting the tutorial area and two biomes, the developers estimate there around 10 hours of content in the Early Access version. Of course, that’s deceptive. A roguelike’s longevity is less about a drip-feed of new material than becoming more familiar with what’s already there. Additionally, Iterations include special challenge areas called Operator’s Trial, which offer unique or extra rewards for completion. A one-hour demo is also available that highlights a slice of the first biome and two playable characters.
Feelin’ Good
“Sci-fi roguelike shooter” describes dozens of games. Where Morbid Metal has a great chance of catching gamers’ attention is in its wide range of upgrades and skills, its switchable player mechanic, and its smooth, fluid controls and movement. These are all firmly in place. Morbid Metal looks great and feels fun to play. Although its longevity will depend on a steady stream of new content, what’s there is a fantastic start.
***Code provided by the publisher for preview***
