The pitch for Metal Eden probably went something like, “The developer of Ruiner makes a title in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi future but with far more yapping.” A dash of Metroid Prime, hoverpack and wall-running can mask it, yet it’s hard to deny the influence of contemporary shooter series. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, and Reikon Games offers its own spin to mostly positive results.
Metal Eden seemingly references Project Eden – an initiative by humanity to preserve themselves in Cores, essentially defeating death. Or at least that was the plan. Sent over to Moebius, a city orbiting an unknown world, things have taken a mysterious turn (who would have thought), and they’re now seemingly at risk. As ASKA, a Hyper Unit, your task is to infiltrate Moebius and save the Cores. Which is easier said than done because the Engineers would rather deploy their Internal Defence Corps. Why are they so hell-bent on stopping ASKA? Has the Erosion, a strange phenomenon, worn away at their senses?
It’s up to you to find out, guided by the also-mysterious Nexus. ASKA is tasked with retrieving her old body, restoring her Hyper Unit functions in the process, but Metal Eden isn’t a rogue-lite. Going into further details would be to invite spoilers, but the campaign moves at a linear pace, even if ASKA senses that some things aren’t quite right. What’s the deal with the Hyper Units? What is the relationship between Nexus and the Engineers? Who is the Overseer, and why does their demeanor feel far from villainous? How is ASKA so special anyway?
“I can appreciate the developer trying to effectively world-build while maintaining some sense of intrigue and not simply dumping all the lore. But as you wall-run, grapple, and traverse these Brutalist environments, it’s all too easy to lose track among the semi-stream of consciousness rambling.”
This will all be familiar terrain for those who played Ruiner, as Nexus (and later, other characters) provide exposition between various areas. The results are mixed, and not just because of the overall creepy vibe of some narration. I can appreciate the developer trying to effectively world-build while maintaining some sense of intrigue and not simply dumping all the lore. But as you wall-run, grapple, and traverse these Brutalist environments, it’s all too easy to lose track among their semi-stream of consciousness rambling. And since these voiceovers chime in between combat arenas, a character will begin a thought, pause, and continue it after the battle is over, again and again. Overall, less verbiage, more soaking in the aftermath of high-speed violence would have been appreciated.
On the latter front, Metal Eden has plenty to offer. Despite her unassuming appearance and extensive mobility for zip-line riding, wall-running, and grappling through environments, ASKA is armed to the teeth. You start with an SMG, which passively regenerates ammo over time, but quickly obtain a heavy pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, and even a plasma rifle. However, she can also perform Core Extraction, ripping out an enemy’s Core and either tossing it back as an explosive projectile or consuming it to activate Booster and Super Punch. The fact that this process is timed means
Super Punch helps break through armored targets, which otherwise take pitiful damage from your kinetic weapons. Managing the cooldown of Core Extraction, even if the upgrades help tremendously, can take some getting used to. It can sometimes feel finicky, not activating even if you swear you hit L1. However, my biggest pet peeve is hitting the button and holding it down, always thinking it smoothly transitions into Core consumption. Alas, that’s not the case, resulting in some extra awkwardness, but not quite as awkward as aiming at an armored foe and instead Super Punching the nearest minion.
Some weapons can diminish armor more quickly, but as the campaign ramps up, introducing more “regular” armored foes on top of the heavy hitters, managing ammo becomes a necessity. Of course, you could melee an enemy normally to cause them to take more damage, but that can be riskier.
“Outside of claustrophobic hallways and indoor arenas, Metal Eden also tosses in some outdoor locations with much more space, allowing ASKA to shift back and forth between Hyper Unit form and the Armored Ramball, which can boost, jump, and navigate hazardous terrain.”
Thankfully, other options become available over time, including weapon attachments. By completing a weapon’s challenges and spending Dust, the main currency, you can unlock new attachments, like a grenade launcher for the AR. Subsequent upgrades make them even more potent, including more damage for your SMG, keeping it competitive with other options, and prepping a three-burst shot for your shotgun (even if holding the trigger down feels more effective).
ASKA checking each attachment upon unlocking them invites further comparisons, if they weren’t blatant enough. While a more original approach to weapon modules would have been appreciated, it still works well enough. The various passive upgrades for abilities like two Super Punches, triggering explosions on extracting Cores, and whatnot keep things interesting as well, while letting you lean into specific playstyles.
The combat arenas offer a decent mix of mobility and varying elevations, as you seek to outmaneuver and overcome the odds, collecting pickups to refresh Core Extraction when not maxing out armor. A few unique objectives, like remaining within a specific section of a room for a scan while fending off enemies or activating Overdrive to lay waste to multiple heavies, mix things up. It’s nothing particularly extraordinary or new, and I could honestly do without the announcement of incoming waves, just for the sake of maintaining tension, but it works in its own nuanced ways.
Outside of claustrophobic hallways and indoor arenas, Metal Eden also tosses in some outdoor locations with much more space, allowing ASKA to shift back and forth between Hyper Unit form and the Armored Ramball, which can boost, jump, and navigate hazardous terrain. It can also unleash homing missiles and channel lightning, giving new meaning to “They see me rolling.” Sadly, the actual transformation sequence is hilariously shoddy, more like a mini-loading screen between perspectives rather than a fluid transition. Regardless, the Ramball adds even more variety to the experience, maintaining the overall tempo and pacing of the action without overshadowing the core first-person shooting.
“It probably won’t have the same impact as Ruiner, but the gameplay makes up for it in spades.”
Visually, there’s a lot to appreciate about the art direction, even if the architecture isn’t exactly for everyone. The lighting, reflective surfaces, and character models are fairly top-notch – as desolate as some environments may look, there’s a genuinely stunning vibe to their scale and detail. However, since this is an Unreal Engine 5 title (and you probably knew this was coming), there are some performance hiccups on PS5. While not occurring frequently, the sudden frame rate drops are still annoying, especially after enabling VSync and Performance Mode. The color balance also comes across as fairly harsh at times and is made all the more headache-inducing with all the fast-paced movement. At least the music is good, even if it lacks the same surreal, cyberpunk vibe of Ruiner in favor of more measured, fast-paced techno.
Metal Eden won’t see Reikon as the new king of first-person shooters anytime soon, especially with all the rough edges. Its efforts are almost contrary to their first title – sleek instead of raw, if a little too rudimentary, with a commitment to a specific narrative style, though more overbearing. The mystery of ASKA and how she fits into this ruined future may not stand out much initially – and her relatively stoic personality doesn’t help either. It probably won’t have the same impact as Ruiner, but the gameplay makes up for it in spades.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
