Metal Eden Hands-On Preview: High-Octane, Hard-Hitting Action

High-octane, hard-hitting action that's felt all the way to the bone marrow. That's probably the best way to describe Reikon Games' new first-person shooter, Metal Eden. In other words, the same people who brought us the indie gem Ruiner years ago, and who are now back with something that builds on many of the same principles and foundations. Because while much is new in Metal Eden, and the differences from Ruiner are clear, the two games share much of the same essence.

As you know, the adrenaline-fuelled experience was showcased during the recent State of Play in a short but porky teaser, and we can now, after sitting down for a number of hours with the game's first two missions, reveal a little more. In Metal Eden, you take on the role of Aska, a so-called Hyper Unit Android, sent on a deadly mission to save humanity, all to ultimately uncover the big secret behind a project simply referred to as Eden. The monolithic city that was supposed to be the cradle of civilisation has instead turned into a death trap and Moebius must be stopped at all costs.

But let's be honest here, few people are going to get into Metal Eden because of its gripping story. No, we're talking about eight unique missions that combine the best of Doom and Ghostrunner, both gameplay-wise and aesthetically. Fast-paced, intense battles with a focus on futuristic parkour where you are forced to constantly keep moving. Standing still is tantamount to death and your speed and agility are thus directly crucial.

Caution is not rewarded here and the levels in Metal Eden, at least as far as we were able to play, are clearly designed with this intensity and movement-based combat in mind. Running along walls and using grappling hooks is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the game's approach to manoeuvrability. In addition, you also have an arsenal of weapons that you can fine-tune and upgrade between missions, as well as a number of modules, divided into three distinct trees, that enhance your basic abilities.

Core Power which provides increased strength and punching power, Core Ripping which is used to extract cores from enemies in battle - one of Metal Eden's defining mechanics that gives you some tactical choices, depending on what you choose to do with those particular cores. Which can either boost your health, be thrown back at opponents to paralyse them and provide you with ammo. Finally, we also have the Body Suit, which increases your movement ability. This gives you as a player an opportunity to tailor Aska to your own preferred play style.

Visually, Metal Eden is reminiscent of both Doom and Armored Core, peppered with neon and a gritty cyberpunk aesthetic. It's polished and sleek, with dark industrial landscapes and overwhelming futuristic architecture. An extremely cool visual style that is also complemented by an intense, electronic soundtrack. Even if, as a player, you don't often have time to actually stop, take it all in and really appreciate the grandiose environments.

It goes without saying that it still needs a bit of polish, but judging by the brief time we were offered with Metal Eden, Reikon Games has something really nice going on here. It's slick as a whip, drenched in a stunning, gloriously futuristic design and with a challenge to match. A game that will most likely satisfy all adrenaline junkies who crave intense, atmospheric experiences like, because there is no doubt that Metal Eden can be one of the most delicious and immersive experiences of the year.

Metal Eden is scheduled for release on the 6th May for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.