- Dynamic and satisfying combat experience
- Strong performance and optimization
- Exceptional visuals and art style
- Excellent soundtrack and sound design
- Engaging story and world-building
- Short game length and value
Emotions
Players are highly satisfied with the game's polished performance, engaging and fluid combat mechanics, and appealing art style. Many found the game met or exceeded their expectations, offering a fresh and addictive shooter experience with good value for money.
Excitement stems from the game's thrilling, fast-paced, and dynamic gameplay, often compared to titles like Doom and Ghostrunner. Players are hooked by the superb quality, amazing combat feel, and the overall 'roller coaster of METAL-PUNK MAYHEM' experience, with many looking forward to future content.
Disappointment is primarily driven by the game's short length, which many felt was insufficient. Other causes include a confusing or declining story quality, repetitive gameplay mechanics, mediocre boss battles, and perceived visual downgrades or missing features like DLSS frame generation.
Frustration arises from technical issues such as inconsistent performance, frame dips, and various bugs, including a persistent cursor on screen. Some players also found specific mechanics, like the core consumption or wall-running, to be clunky or difficult to master, and felt the game's content was too short for its price.
Players express joy over the game's fresh and fun core-absorb mechanic, its status as a 'gem,' and the overall immersive experience provided by the world setting, narration, and music. Many consider it a 'dream come true' for FPS veterans.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 96% · Negative 4%. Score: 4 / 100
Positives:
- The combat system is highly lauded for its fast-paced, fluid, and engaging nature. Players enjoy the brutal and frantic fights, the powerful and satisfying feel of each weapon, and the autonomy offered in tackling encounters. The gunplay is a particular highlight.
- Many players report excellent game performance, noting smooth gameplay, quick loading times, and a lack of stutters or lags, even on older hardware or Steam Deck. Improvements in optimization since the demo are frequently highlighted.
- Players consistently praise the game's stunning graphics, unique art direction, and overall aesthetic, often highlighting its use of Unreal Engine 5 and cyberpunk vibes. The visual design, cinematics, and attention to detail are frequently mentioned as top-tier.
- Players who experienced the demo are largely impressed with the full release, stating that it delivered on expectations, improved performance, and resolved previous issues. The game is seen as a polished and complete experience.
- The game's music and sound effects receive high praise, with players noting the fantastic soundtrack that perfectly complements combat and the pleasant ambient music outside of battles. The overall sound design is considered top-notch.
Negatives:
- Many players feel the game is too short, with completion times ranging from 4-6 hours, which is considered insufficient for its $40 price point. This brevity, combined with repetitive gameplay elements, leads to a perception of low value.
- Several players encountered bugs related to movement, such as getting stuck in doors, crashing into invisible walls, being thrown under platforms during climbing animations, and difficulties with zipline switching due to unclear prompts.
- The core consumption and cooldown refresh mechanics are described as clunky and disruptive to gameplay rhythm. Additionally, the limited fuel for Q-skill time slowdown and difficult wall-running initiation are noted as frustrating.
- Players feel the combat methodology is repetitive, lacking variety and depth. The reliance on weak, infinite creeps for ammo, armor, and health replenishment, along with the limited core extraction and shield-lowering mechanics, contributes to this feeling.
- Players noted the absence of a slide mechanic, a map function, and options for minor exploration, which are common in similar games and would improve the experience.
Gameplay:
- Players have access to a variety of weapons, each with unique secondary fire modes and upgrade paths, allowing for tailored playstyles. Key mechanics include a time slowdown ability (Q-skill) and a core extraction system for grenades or melee boosts.
- The plot involves humanity transferring souls into digital 'Cores' for immortality within the orbital city of Moebius. Players control a Hyper Unit on a mission to rescue these Cores, guided by an AI named Nexus.
- The main character, Aska, can transform into a metal ball to quickly traverse locations and engage enemies, adding a distinct mobility and combat option.
- Ammo reserves are low, but supplies are frequent during combat. Lower-level enemies serve as sources for ammo and cores, while specific weapons or secondary fires are crucial for dealing with shielded or armored foes.
- The game incorporates wall-running, grappling hooks, and ziplines, requiring fuel management for sustained movement. These elements contribute to the dynamic combat and traversal.
Performance:
- The game is built on Unreal Engine 5, which is noted by players, and its performance is compared to other titles using the same engine.
- Players found that various upscaling technologies, including DLSS, TSR, FSR4, and XeSS, contribute to good performance and visual quality. FSR4 can be injected and is considered indistinguishable from TSR by some.
- One player specifically mentioned that the Steam Deck becomes noisy when running the game, indicating potential thermal or fan activity issues on that platform.
Recommendations:
- Players highly recommend this game to fans of fast-paced, stylish first-person shooters, especially those who enjoy titles like Ghostrunner, Titanfall, Doom, and boomer shooters, appreciating its cyberpunk aesthetic and challenging gameplay.
- The game receives strong general recommendations, with several reviewers giving it high scores (8/10, 9/10) and praising its potential to be a top FPS title if technical issues are polished. It's seen as a worthy addition for fans of the genre.
- Many players suggest starting the game on Hard difficulty. They feel that Normal mode is too easy and that Hard mode better teaches essential mechanics like dodging, providing a more engaging experience from the outset.
- Players recommend trying the game's demo before purchasing. They indicate that the full game builds upon and improves the demo experience, making it a good way to gauge interest.
- One reviewer cannot recommend the game until a specific DLSS frame generation issue is patched, indicating a critical technical problem that could lead to a refund if not addressed.
Miscellaneous:
- There's significant discussion around the developer's recent layoffs and the controversial use of AI for dialogue. While the developer clarified AI was used for only a few lines, players are still concerned and hope for its removal, though some defend cost-saving technologies.
- Players acknowledge that the developers are actively working on updates and fixes, and are perceived as taking player feedback seriously. This indicates a positive outlook on post-launch support.
- Players are discussing minor details like the ability to disable the kill marker sound and speculating about the game's lore connections to previous titles. These are specific points of interest for engaged players.
- The game's availability in Russian and its Polish production origin are mentioned, providing context about its regional presence and development background.
- It's noted that the game is not an AAA production, which helps set expectations regarding its scope and budget.
