Metal Eden Preview
I have only a vague idea what’s going on in Reikon Games’ new first-person sci-fi shooter, Metal Eden. But I do know I’m having a great time trying to figure it out.
I mean, I have a grasp on the basics. I am Hyper Unit Aska, a lithe android super-soldier tasked with freeing the citizens of Moebius from an invading cybernetic force called the Internal Defence Corp and the Engineers. Moebius is a sprawling orbiting city of corridors and shiny metal spaces. It’s a sci-fi world instantly recognizable from games like Doom or Unreal Tournament. The original Doom and its recent remakes provide at least a starting reference for Metal Eden, as do games like Titan Fall and the studio’s Ruiner.
In the first few hours of the game, I’m coached along by an unseen voice called Nexus that’s both encouraging and ominous. New mechanics are introduced at a breakneck pace. Hyper Unit Aska is incredibly mobile. She can run, dodge, double jump, hover, wall run, and use a grappling hook transport system. It’s clear from the start that Metal Eden is going for fluid movement and forward momentum. And even this early on, the game is nailing it.
Run and Gun
But a shooter’s gotta shoot, and Metal Eden’s combat already stands out, too. Rifles, shotguns, and laser pistols are super punchy and feel great. I’m very excited to see where the game’s arsenal takes me. It’s obvious that some surprises await, both narratively and in mechanics.
An important element of Metal Eden is melee combat, or at least landing power punches. Connected to bashing foes is the mechanic of ripping COREs out of enemies. On a cool-down timer, Hyper Unit Aska can suck the CORE power from some enemies and redirect it back. The COREs can be used for regenerating health as well as a crowd-controlling explosive.
Generally, the enemies so far are very fast and as agile as the player. Making use of the environment and constantly moving is key to survival, as is situational awareness. It’s easy to get swarmed. Like any game, Metal Eden has a learning curve. However, I never found it frustrating.
Making Promises
It’s obvious that Metal Eden has a solid fiction underneath the action, only a hint of which comes through in the demo. There’s a lot of ambiguity around the origin and motivations of everyone involved. Nexus’ disembodied voice is chilling and intriguingly written. It’s easy to invest in the story. Not incidentally, it looks every bit the current-gen, high-gloss game that it is.
While I can’t speak to the entire experience, Metal Eden so far is a high-concept shooter that’s lots of fun. It isn’t without precedent but its influences are all solid games. Make no mistake, Metal Eden is no copycat, though. It looks and feels brand new, and like something shooter fans will really enjoy when it releases on May 6, 2025.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.
