Info about Tears of Metal:

Official game description:
Fight solo or up to 4-player co-op to reclaim your island alongside your Scottish battalion. On each campaign, gain new powerful Emblem synergies, rally your forces, and stop the invaders as they carve into the Mother Dragon Stone to harvest its power.
RECONQUER YOUR ISLAND
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Carve through hordes of enemies on vast battlefields, by yourself or with your friends. Difficult challenges await at every turn. Fight your way across the island and wield unique combinations of mighty powers on every attempt. Rally more Scottish troops and grant them permanent upgrades as they acquire experience and grow stronger.
The Dragon Stone Meteor event brought swarms of occupiers to your doors, and along with it, mysterious and dangerous powers. Inscribe your name in legends, and lead your troops in a campaign to reclaim your home.
COMBINE POWERFUL UPGRADES
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Obtain powerful upgrades and combine them with over a hundred artifacts to create distinctive and devastating builds. Choose from multiple unique playable heroes and unleash increasingly explosive and lethal attacks directly from the frontlines. As the action unfolds, prepare to face the ominous power mined from the Dragon Stone.
IMPROVE YOUR SOLDIERS
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Your soldiers gain permanent skills between campaigns. Recruit, upgrade and fight alongside them as they become essential assets in your upcoming battles.
EXPAND YOUR SETTLEMENT AND UNLOCK NEW WAYS TO PLAY
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Expand your settlement between campaigns to gain access to new shops and buy permanent upgrades or even unlock difficult challenges for greater rewards.
Complete special objectives to discover new artifacts, playable characters, cosmetics, upgrades and combos. Unearth plenty of secrets as you traverse the war-torn battlefields.
PLAY SOLO OR IN CO-OP
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Reconquer your island with your friends or by yourself through over 45 handcrafted environments with endless opportunities for unique scenarios and objectives. Invite friends to join your campaign and share the glories of victory!

Release date: Jul 22, 2026

Categories: Horde Shooter, Character Progression, Cooperative Multiplayer, Roguelite, Musou-style Combat, Build Crafting, Action RPG

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 35; verdict: Works with minor tweaks; summary: The game runs well on Linux and Steam Deck with Proton, delivering solid performance. A minor installation glitch exists that requires switching to Proton Experimental or Proton Hotfix, but once installed, the game plays smoothly.
- Steam Deck: score 75; verdict: Plays with Crashes and Tinkering Required; summary: The game has mixed Steam Deck performance: installation requires Proton Experimental or Hotfix, and while some users enjoy smooth gameplay, others face low framerates and frequent crashes that prevent completing sessions.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The 12-15GB VRAM cohort shows mixed performance due to multiplayer issues, while the 8-11GB and <8GB VRAM cohorts report mostly positive performance with only minor frame drops.
  - Sample size: 36 (11% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (mixed, 17 reports): Multiplayer performance issues cause frame drops and jitters, despite single-player running well for some users.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 9 reports): Game runs well and is well optimized, achieving high frame rates.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (positive, 5 reports): Performance is good with only occasional frame drops in crowded levels.
  - Caveats: 36 of 332 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $24.99
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews affirm the current $24.99 price as 'perfect' or 'well worth it,' while others call it 'steep' and suggest waiting for a sale, indicating the upper bound of the fair range is around the current price. The negative reviews imply the price is too high at full value, so a lower bound (around sale prices) is considered fairer by some. This mixed evidence points to a community-fair range roughly between $15 and $25.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 12.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Both quotes explicitly report single-session playtime lengths: one 3.4 hours and another 12 hours non-stop. These indicate that typical sessions can last multiple hours, with the 12-hour report being a clear session duration. No other metrics (game completion, story completion, endgame) have specific hour claims from players who have completed those stages; all references to acts are partial or qualitative. Therefore only sessionLength is supported.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is generally fun immediately due to satisfying combat and an addictive gameplay loop, though some players experience initial frustration or multiplayer stability issues.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: initial frustration due to learning curve; multiplayer desync and stability issues
  - Unlock drivers: character progression; troop upgrades; learning enemy patterns
  - Conditions: playing solo vs co-op; persistence through early runs; multiplayer stability
- Player Archetypes:
  - Musou Roguelite Connoisseur (buy)
    - Motivation: Unique genre fusion of roguelite progression and musou crowd-clearing combat
    - Playstyle: Experimental build-crafting, crowd-clearing, deep meta-progression
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Dynasty Warriors; Risk of Rain 2; Lost Castle; Hades; Megabonk
  - Co-op Buddy (buy)
    - Motivation: Shared cooperative experience with friends
    - Playstyle: Group play focused on chaotic fun with friends, often couch co-op
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Dynasty Warriors
  - Cautious Early Access Observer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Wanting a polished, stable multiplayer experience
    - Playstyle: Cautious, may attempt multiplayer but quickly frustrated, prefers to wait for patches
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Solo Progression Grinder (buy)
    - Motivation: Progression and unlock systems
    - Playstyle: Solo, methodical grinding, focused on meta-progression and build optimization
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Great for Dynasty Warriors fans (weight 0.55): Reviewers note the game appeals to Dynasty Warriors fans with its inspired combat while being more challenging and engaging. It blends roguelike elements with the musou style.
- Fun hack and slash combat (weight 0.53): Players praise the satisfying, exhilarating, and enjoyable hack and slash combat that makes them feel powerful. This feedback comes from clusters about dynamic combat and roguelike elements.
- Excellent art style (weight 0.46): The art style is frequently called gorgeous, incredible, and amazing, hooking players immediately. The Scottish theme adds distinctive charm.
- Great for co-op multiplayer (weight 0.39): Players enjoy up to 4-player co-op, finding it fantastic, satisfying, and a major enhancement. Multiplayer modes are reported to be fun and smooth.
- Addictive and fun gameplay (weight 0.38): Overall gameplay is described as addicting, very fun, and feeling great, making it one of the most enjoyable games in a long time.
- Roguelike elements well implemented (weight 0.37): The roguelike progression and hack and slash hybrid is praised as a perfect fit, providing solid replayability. The combination with musou mechanics is highlighted as excellent.
- Excellent soundtrack and music (weight 0.32): The music and soundtracks are praised as excellent, crazy good, and amazing, enhancing the atmosphere and enjoyment.
- Satisfying parry and dodge mechanics (weight 0.27): The blocking, parrying, and dodging mechanics are described as simple yet effective, adding depth and satisfaction. This contributes to a tough but fair difficulty.
- Challenging but fair difficulty (weight 0.14): The game is considered well-balanced, neither too easy nor too hard, with a tough but fair challenge. This balance keeps gameplay engaging.

Common complaints:
- Multiplayer has technical issues (weight 0.51): Multiplayer suffers from frequent disconnects, desyncs, frame drops, stuttering, and server instability. Players report inability to join lobbies and poor co-op synchronization.
- Character and skill variety is lacking (weight 0.46): Half the characters are locked or unavailable, and available ones have limited skill sets. Perks and abilities feel samey or imbalanced.
- Price is too high (weight 0.42): Many players feel the game is overpriced for its content, especially in early access. Suggestions include lowering the price to 15-20€ due to perceived lack of value.
- Enemy difficulty spikes and balance issues (weight 0.38): Enemies become overly tanky and deal high damage in later acts, with unfair guard-breaking attacks and elite archers causing frustration. Bosses are damage sponges with predictable patterns.
- Roguelike progression feels weak (weight 0.34): The roguelike elements lack meaningful variety, with upgrades feeling like minor stat changes and builds lacking distinct differences between runs. Randomness is low.
- Grinding is tedious and slow (weight 0.31): Progression requires excessive grinding for currencies and unlocks, with slow meta upgrades and sparse rewards. Players find the grind boring and unrewarding.
- Poor optimization and performance (weight 0.3): The game has framerate drops on crowded levels, memory leaks, high PC temperatures, and poor optimization overall. Technical issues hamper the experience.
- UI, menus, and tutorials are confusing (weight 0.28): Menus are confusing, minimap is poor, and mechanics like currency spending and shop entry are poorly explained. Loading screens break due to fast SSDs.
- Controls and movement feel clunky (weight 0.26): Controls are delayed or unresponsive, with issues like dodge cooldown, dash not clearing obstacles, and two-stick look feeling awkward. Mouse feel is off.
- Combat encourages repetitive combos (weight 0.25): Combat devolves into spamming light, light, heavy combos, with little variety in weapons or skills. Most builds feel monotonous and lack strategic depth.
- Troops feel useless or weak (weight 0.23): Army units are passive, weak, and lack command options, making them feel like spectators. Players expected more control over troops.
- Lack of save features and checkpoints (weight 0.21): The game lacks save-and-quit options and checkpoints during runs, requiring long uninterrupted sessions. This is particularly frustrating in a roguelike.
- Multiplayer lobby and communication issues (weight 0.19): Players cannot join existing lobbies, lack quickplay or voice chat, and team members steal chests. Multiplayer feels unpolished for co-op.
- Early access has missing features (weight 0.19): Several promised characters like Shaman Man and Plague Doctor are absent, and the trailer was misleading. Players feel the game is incomplete.
- Co-op specific bugs and desync (weight 0.18): Co-op suffers from desync, disconnects, enemies freezing, and inability to rejoin sessions. Hotfixes are urgently needed.
- Healing and recovery are too scarce (weight 0.17): Healing items are expensive and rare, especially in the second area. Players request more free healing options and lower recovery costs.
- Visual clarity and visibility problems (weight 0.16): Art style and effects make it hard to see enemies and attacks, especially during bosses with dark backgrounds. Enemy attacks are unclear in crowds.
- Minor polish and translation issues (weight 0.11): Spanish translation has missing parts, and some interface terms need refinement. Polish details require attention.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dynasty Warriors roguelike hybrid (weight 0.82): The game combines the Musou-style hack-and-slash combat of Dynasty Warriors with roguelike progression and upgrades. Feedback highlights this blending of genres as a core appeal.
- Scottish theme with Musou (weight 0.5): The game is set in Scotland and features a Scottish/Braveheart theme, combined with the Musou-style gameplay. This unique setting differentiates it from other games in the genre.
- Cooperative multiplayer support (weight 0.29): Players can enjoy the game with friends through co-op multiplayer, including couch co-op. This feature is frequently mentioned as a positive aspect, enhancing replayability.
- Roguelike progression with unlocks (weight 0.24): The game features roguelike progression with unlockables and build-crafting before runs. Players can upgrade abilities and receive small buffs, encouraging repeated playthroughs.
- Army and soldier command (weight 0.18): A command system allows players to control armies, borrowing elements from games like Mount & Blade. This adds strategic layer beyond typical one-man-army action.
- Blocking and parrying mechanics (weight 0.11): Combat emphasizes dodging, blocking, and parrying, adding a defensive layer to the traditional Musou hack-and-slash. This mechanic is noted for increasing tactical depth.
- Gameplay loop with runs (weight 0.1): The core loop involves short runs with persistent progression, similar to roguelikes. This structure is highlighted as addictive and well-paced.
- Boss fights present (weight 0.1): Boss encounters are part of the game, providing challenging highlights within the hack-and-slash gameplay. These help break up the standard combat.
- Weapon combo system (weight 0.1): A combo system for weapons allows for varied combat strings, adding skill expression. Players enjoy the ability to chain attacks.
- Hades-style inspiration (weight 0.09): Elements inspired by Hades are noted, including narrative integration or similar progression mechanics. This appeals to fans of that acclaimed roguelike.

Performance notes:
- Mixed performance reports (weight 0.5): Some players report flawless performance (Clusters 1, 3, 6, 12, 15, 19, 20, 24, 28) while others experience frame drops and stuttering (Clusters 2, 7, 16, 25). This indicates performance varies widely by system.
- Multiplayer performance issues (weight 0.18): Multiplayer mode suffers from constant frame drops, jitters, and lag (Clusters 2, 17). High ping from distant players causes slowdowns (Cluster 14). Co-op needs optimization for large enemy groups (Cluster 17).
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.18): Steam Deck performance is mixed: one player reports 30-40 fps with missing graphical options (Cluster 11), while others say it runs great (Cluster 29) but requires a Proton Hotfix (Cluster 21) or setting Proton Experimental (Cluster 8).
- Performance on high-end PCs (weight 0.17): High-end PCs run the game smoothly, with reports of 120 fps (Cluster 13) and up to 100-120 fps on max settings at 1440p (Cluster 26). The game runs like a dream on such systems (Cluster 3).
- Optimization concerns (weight 0.17): Opinions on optimization are split: some say it needs work (Cluster 4) or is terrible (Cluster 7), while others call it excellent (Cluster 6) or well optimized (Cluster 12). This reflects inconsistent experiences.
- No performance issues reported (weight 0.11): One player reports no performance issues (Cluster 15), which is consistent with those who find the game runs properly (Cluster 20) or smoothly (Cluster 28).
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.09): One player reports frequent crashes (Cluster 5), but another reports no crashes in co-op (Cluster 18). This suggests crashes may be intermittent or hardware-specific.
- Frame drops with hordes (weight 0.09): Small FPS drops occur when huge hordes appear (Cluster 16), and frame drops happen on crowded levels (Cluster 25). This suggests the game struggles with large numbers of enemies.
- Proton Hotfix necessity (weight 0.09): The game requires a Proton Hotfix for installation on Steam Deck (Cluster 21), and a download glitch was resolved by setting Proton Experimental (Cluster 8). Steam Deck users may need to adjust settings.
- High temperatures on low-end PCs (weight 0.09): The game may cause high temperatures on low-end PCs (Cluster 23), and one player reported high PC temperatures (Cluster 10). This indicates thermal issues for lower-spec hardware.
- Memory leak issue (weight 0.07): A specific memory leak is reported, consuming up to 10,000 MB (Cluster 9). This is a critical bug for affected users.
- Linux Proton performance high (weight 0.06): On Linux via Proton 11, the game runs well at 1440p with around 100-120 fps average on max settings (Cluster 26). This indicates good compatibility.
- Older hardware runs well (weight 0.05): The game runs well on older hardware (Cluster 24), suggesting it is not overly demanding for some legacy systems.
- Online not laggy (weight 0.05): One player explicitly states online is not laggy (Cluster 27), providing a counterpoint to the general multiplayer performance complaints.
- Steam Deck OLED performance (weight 0.05): A video shows performance on the Steam Deck OLED (Cluster 22), suggesting the game is playable on this device, but specific metrics are not provided.

Recommendations:
- Overall strong recommendation (weight 0.71): A large number of players give a general high recommendation, calling it a 10/10 and an easy recommend. The game is praised as enjoyable and worth playing.
- Good value for money (weight 0.47): Several reviewers feel the game is a steal at its price point, around $20-$25, and well worth the cost. It is considered feature-complete and a good purchase even in early access.
- Recommended for hack and slash fans (weight 0.45): Many reviewers strongly recommend this game for fans of hack and slash, musou, and action roguelite genres. The combat is described as fun and polished.
- Recommended for musou and Dynasty Warriors fans (weight 0.34): Multiple comparisons to Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi indicate the game appeals directly to fans of those series. The Scottish/Braveheart theme is also highlighted.
- Not worth full price (weight 0.22): A few reviewers caution that the game is not worth its current price and recommend waiting for a sale or a lower price point. Some suggest it should be half the price.
- Early access is promising (weight 0.2): The game is seen as promising and worth buying even in early access, with a full campaign already justifying the price. Some still recommend waiting for more updates.
- Enjoyable with friends or solo (weight 0.17): Reviewers mention the game is fun both alone and with friends, and one notes multiplayer stability may need improvement. Co-op play is a positive feature.
- Appeals to roguelike enthusiasts (weight 0.14): The game is recommended for players who enjoy roguelikes and roguelites, though one reviewer warns it may not satisfy those who prefer deep buildcrafting.
- Not for those who dislike difficulty (weight 0.13): Some feedback warns that the game is challenging and may not suit players who dislike difficult roguelikes. One reviewer says be ready to get humbled if expecting typical Dynasty Warriors.
- Try demo before purchase (weight 0.08): Due to the steep price, some suggest trying the demo first. The demo is seen as a good reflection of the full game.
- Positive for short sessions (weight 0.05): The game is described as worth playing for short, relaxing sessions, appealing to casual play.
- Uncertainty about content length (weight 0.04): A single reviewer is uncertain about the amount of content in the game, indicating potential concerns about longevity.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.16): Players are thrilled by the unique fusion of roguelike and Dynasty Warriors combat, combined with excellent music and addictive gameplay. The co-op mode, variety in runs, and anticipation for future updates drive strong positive enthusiasm.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.13): The game delivers solid, polished gameplay that blends beloved franchises with smooth mechanics and rewarding builds. Players appreciate the fair difficulty, excellent soundtrack, and good value for the price, meeting or exceeding expectations from the demo.
- Frustration (weight 0.12): Major complaints include lack of a save-and-quit feature, poor optimization, bugs, and imbalanced combat with tanky enemies. Multiplayer issues like desyncs, missing heroes, and limited communication options further detract from the experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players find the game fun due to its Dynasty Warriors-like combat, gorgeous art style, and thematic Scottish atmosphere. Co-op gameplay, well-telegraphed attacks, and smooth performance on devices like the Steam Deck contribute to the positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment stems from repetitive combat, locked characters, lack of content, and high price. Issues like weak allies, poor multiplayer functionality, and missing features from the demo leave players feeling let down.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Players admire the game's gorgeous art style, satisfying handfeel, and seamless blend of genres. The Scottish setting and captivating soundtrack are frequently praised as exceptional.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Players look forward to the full release with more characters and content. The game's potential as a promising roguelite generates excitement for future updates and features.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): The game brings joy through its fun multiplayer experience, addictive gameplay, and unique Scottish Dynasty Warriors style. Players feel happy with the overall quality and performance.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Players hope for continued content updates and improvements, recognizing the game's potential. Many plan to give it more time to grow into a fuller experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiastic players describe the game as excellent and highly engaging, praising the roguelike Dynasty Warriors concept set in Scotland. The art style and grungy theme earn perfect scores and strong recommendations.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the meaningful combat mechanics, great aesthetic, and awesome soundtrack. The mix of grunge metal and highland pipes is a standout feature.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy comes from playing with friends, charging into mobs, and enjoying the game's soulful design. Multiplayer doubles the fun and adds memorable moments.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players find humor in historical references, Scottish accents, and actions like kicking English enemies. Free healing from chicken spits and ironic praise add to the amusement.
- Optimism (weight 0.01): Despite limited playtime, players are optimistic about the game's bright future and potential to improve. They expect it to evolve into a 10/10 experience.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoy the game, even if it is not their typical genre. The experience exceeds initial expectations.
- Fun (weight 0.01): The game is found fun both solo and with friends, offering great pacing and a tutorial. It stands out as a unique co-op experience without similar alternatives.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players feel relief after resolving download glitches and deciding to keep the game once it becomes enjoyable. It is praised as a playable Musou game on PC.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): The game evokes nostalgia by bringing back childhood memories of Dynasty Warriors and couch co-op. It reminds players of old PS2 days, making them feel like a kid again.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players are grateful for the developers' active listening and quick hotfixes, especially for crossplay bugs. The opportunity to support the game and its music and atmosphere is appreciated.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): The game is highly engaging, with players spending long hours immersed in its challenging combat. It feels more engaging and challenging than Dynasty Warriors, keeping players hooked.}