Reikon Games, the team behind the stylish brutality of Ruiner, is back with another adrenaline-charged descent into chaos. Published by Deep Silver, Metal Eden drops players into a heart-pounding sci-fi first-person shooter where cybernetic warfare meets desperate survival. The game feels like a mix between Doom, Ghostrunner, and Titanfall all built into one package. 

Metal Eden throws players into the role of HYPER UNIT ASKA, a combat android on a high-stakes mission to infiltrate MOEBIUS, an orbital city turned deadly labyrinth. With COREs of innocent civilians at risk, the story blends intense action with moments of intrigue as you uncover the sinister secrets lurking beneath the city. The developers did a fantastic job blending adrenaline-fueled combat with plot-driven tension, giving players a reason to push forward beyond the gameplay. It’s a sci-fi tale that keeps you invested and wanting more throughout. 

The gameplay is fast-paced, fluid, and engaging, which kept me satisfied with the mix of hip-fire shooting and agile movement. It kept every encounter tense and exciting. On top of that, the game offers a great upgrade system, which allows you to upgrade both your weapons and your own abilities.

Upgrading your guns makes each firefight more impactful and allows you to cause more chaos along the way, while improving your player skills allows you to upgrade things like how you react to damage or what you can do with ripped cores.

CORE ripping is so satisfying, taking down enemies, and not only does it look cool, but it also plays into the gameplay, rewarding you with resources for upgrades. There was something cool about ripping out one of the enemy’s cores, charging, and unleashing the Super Punch, showing them what was up.

You will be greeted by various enemies along the journey, which are all from different backgrounds, and keep the story interesting it’s the same with the weapons each one is badass and does it’s job how it’s supposed to I’m a fan of the TAS-9 Shotgun it was almost a one tap to most things if you nailed them in the right place. 

I was genuinely impressed with the audio in Metal Eden. While there were moments where the dialogue hinted at AI-generated voices, it actually worked really well for the slightly robotic, futuristic feel. The background music, a futuristic sci-fi EDM backing tune, did a great job of carrying you through those levels and pumping you up in those sticker fights with the enemies.

The weapons sounded crisp and never grew repetitive, which was surprising, considering the footsteps could get a little repetitive at times. This contrast really stood out, especially since the game’s main objective involves a lot of running. Overall, the audio added a solid layer of immersion to the experience. 

 I was genuinely impressed with the controls in Metal Eden. Movement felt incredibly fluid and natural, making running, jumping, and zip-lining an absolute joy to execute. It took me a little while to get used to shooting enemies without aiming, as it was all hipfire, but that quickly became second nature. I would occasionally overestimate my jump distances, but that was purely an operator issue.

The ball form, however, was a bit trickier to get used to. It felt slightly janky, and more than once, I would accidentally transform myself into the ball when I didn’t intend to do so. Despite the minor hiccups, the controls felt tight, responsive, and really added a sense of freedom and agility in the game. 

I found myself sitting in awe, completely taken aback by the game’s visuals. From the half-broken city to the vibrant, neon-lit signs, every environment felt thoughtfully considered and handcrafted. The enemy models were polished, even if one looked a little like a grunt from HALO, the character models were detailed and lifelike, and the guns looked absolutely stunning.

Every element felt like it belonged in this world. It almost felt like a lovechild of Cyberpunk and Ghostrunner, giving birth to a stunningly beautiful sci-fi experience with a grungy edge. The cutscenes only added to this experience, delivering a cinematic quality that made you pause and truly watch every moment unfold, fully immersing you in the game’s striking atmosphere. 

Metal Eden is a visually stunning, adrenaline-fueled sci-fi shooter that delivers a thrilling blend of fast-paced combat, fluid movement, and satisfying progression. The graphics and world are breathtaking, and the controls are super responsive. The game’s overall polish, cinematic storytelling, and engaging combat make it a standout title in the sci-fi shooter genre.

Written by: Hayden Nelson