What the Hell is Metal Eden?

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In terms of narrative structures that allow for excessive violence, Reikon Games has a history of this, as seen in “Ruiner” and now in “Metal Eden“. The latter is due to release on September 2nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, following a delay for further refinement. Instead of the sleek cyberpunk setting, the game now adopts a more severe, Brutalist style (using Unreal Engine 5). You’ll experience the action not from an overhead perspective but through ASKA, a potent Hyper Unit, who viciously confronts the opposition.

As I slice through the artificial adversaries like a red-hot knife, I can’t help but question my own reality, hinting at an underlying turmoil. This emotional rollercoaster is most evident in the free demo, where I stumble upon my past self’s relics, extract the vital Core to reinstate my Hyper powers, and battle wave after wave, only to be mercilessly beaten by a shrouded enemy. Throughout this ordeal, the cryptic and seemingly-innocent Nexus sheds light on my predicament and the grand scheme of things.

In essence, humanity has reached an unprecedented level with the creation of a colossal city called Moebius, perched above the planet’s surface and monitored by beings known as Engineers. The Overseer appears to manage these Engineers. Unfortunately, a malady named Erosion has affected the city, trapping our Cores within HIVE. It falls upon ASKA to rescue them, despite the Engineers sending their top forces, the Cleaners, to impede her progress.

In Chapter 0, they truly excelled, earning well-deserved recognition. However, ASKA stands out as unique among other Hyper Units – a concept not officially recognized according to Nexus. Interestingly, ASKA’s consciousness is human-like and upon her demise, it returns to the base for reincarnation in a new body. After her latest death, she seemed to hear something from within her Core, which, considering past hints, might not be cause for immediate concern.

Recently, The Overseer issued a public announcement in the latest trailer, stating that ASKA is on a destructive path towards them all. This is unexpected given her usual stance of upholding justice, love, and human protection. One might question if this warning is propaganda or if perhaps we find ourselves in a more antagonistic role than previously thought.

A multitude of questions arise, and considering Ruiner’s hint, the truth might not be as straightforward as we think. I suspect that the Cores of the IDC could possibly be linked to the humans ASKA is trying to protect, mainly because such a revelation would be both surprising yet foreseeable.

The game, Metal Eden, while sharing some similarities with rogue-lite games due to ASKA’s respawning feature, is actually a linear single-player campaign. It’s not like a first-person shooter spin on Returnal. However, considering the unique circumstances of ASKA, it’s possible that Reikon might introduce an unusual element to keep things interesting.

As a Hyper Unit, she possesses unique skills such as grappling for swift transportation using zip-lines and wall-running equipped with a jet-pack that offers multiple jumps, hovering, and both ground and airborne dashing. Additionally, she has the ability to tear apart enemies, offering an extra choice: Consumption. By extracting Cores from largely unprotected adversaries, you can restore some health and prepare for a Super Punch, a powerful attack that shatters enemy armor, making them vulnerable to gunfire.

Instead, you could hurl the unstable Core towards opponents for inflicting damage. Each one has potential enhancements to expand their capabilities. For instance, you might choose to gain extra perks when acquiring a Booster after consuming a Core, or perhaps a small amount of armor gets restored upon consumption, or perhaps equip yourself with two Super Punches simultaneously.

As a passionate player, I’d love to see Core Ripping become a game-changing offensive strategy! How about making it so that extracting Cores triggers an explosive blast, eliminating nearby enemies or amplifying the explosion radius and damage when tossed?

As you progress through stages, there are numerous upgrades waiting to be discovered. Even though the concept might seem simple at first, the possibilities are quite powerful and entertaining to tinker with. Plus, you can upgrade your weapons using a separate currency called Dust, allowing for alternate firing modes like charged laser shots for the pistol (which consume more ammo but pack a serious punch).

So let’s make this explosive idea a reality!

It might appear that Metal Eden is a gritty shooter due to its mobility features, Core ripping mechanisms, and weapon enhancements. However, the gameplay tends to be more measured and deliberate initially, with a slower pace compared to other action games. The starting SMG automatically reloads ammo but has a cooling-off period. Similarly, extracting Cores also comes with a cooldown. Consequently, you’ll spend brief moments moving through levels, making use of your mobility to gather ammunition, health, and armor, and resetting the ripper by picking up stationary items as more enemies join the fray.

Initially, it may require some adjustment, but as you progress and gain additional upgrades such as the handy skill to pluck Cores from further away, and enhance your weapons, the battles get notably more intense. The Core extraction cooldown compels you to strategize whether to use it for health recovery, a powerful punch, and swift elimination of an enemy, or hurl it into a group to eradicate multiple foes. Moreover, Cores deteriorate over time, so hoarding them is not feasible, introducing an engaging aspect of resource management to the overall experience.

The demonstration not only showcased various goals for each level, such as activating markers, standing in changing areas to fill a gauge while enemies continuously attack, but also included moments like zipping from one line to another while firing at airborne foes (yes, slow-motion is part of it), and the action felt smooth and fast. In some aspects, it resembled the original Ghostrunner, yet without its brief lifespan or katana.

Although the demo presented was just two levels from a month ago and may not fully reflect the final quality of the game “Metal Eden“, there are several other aspects that deserve closer examination. For instance, the Armored Ramball is capable of plowing into enemies with immense force and can discharge electricity too. Although melee attacks could benefit from more power, the shotgun provides a satisfying kick. I anticipate that other weapons will offer similar satisfaction, particularly the Tesla gun that fires electric orbs and arcs lightning between foes, and the assault rifle that appears to immobilize enemies with its alternative firing mode.

After considering VULCAN, the world below, we ponder if it provides a more lively environment for exploration. Is Moebius just a deception, and could it be that the surface is full of life and color instead? It’s difficult to tell, but with the intriguing turns taken by Ruiner, I am eager to discover where the city concludes and ASKA’s journey truly starts.

Amidst the numerous high-profile releases in September – such as “Hell is Us”, “Cronos: The New Dawn”, “Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion”, and “Hollow Knight: Silksong” – all launching within the same week, with even more to come in following weeks like “Metal Eden”, it’s possible that this game may be overlooked by many action enthusiasts. However, if the complete version is polished sufficiently, it could catch the eye of those searching for a more fast-paced, mobility-focused first-person shooter experience.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

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2025-08-27 12:12