What if Doom was too slow? That's a question few games have asked, and fewer have answered. But Metal Eden, an upcoming FPS from Reikon Games (of the deeply underrated Ruiner), takes id Software's 'cover is for cowards' approach and runs with it – quite literally. Playing as a human psyche uploaded into a powerful machine body, you'll sprint along walls, jetpack over stomach-churning drops, and kill rival robots with their comrade's innards.
You may have spotted Metal Eden during Sony's latest State of Play, and it was certainly one of the best offerings in the showcase. But after blasting through the game's exhilarating first two levels, take it from me: no matter how cool you thought it looked, its trailer was nothing compared to the breathlessness of actually playing it.
Bouncing off the walls
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Set in a Blade Runner-esque future where humans have learned to digitize their consciousness, Metal Eden follows Aska: a machine-enhanced Hyper Unit with a digitally-transplanted consciousness. Without the meaty constraints of flesh to worry about, Aska is a powerhouse. Shootouts with robots – which vary from small bipedal grunts to floating drones and larger mechs – feel less like fights for survival, and more like a freight train hitting wet cardboard.
Besides a range of guns and a hefty melee attack, Aska's most important ability is being able to magnetically rip out an opponent's Core. This can either be thrown as a deadly explosive attack that also creates ammo, or consumed to grant a powerful punch that strips defences from armored opponents. Core ripping comes with a hefty cooldown, and since armor is difficult to whittle down with bullets alone, you're forced to think about the order in which you kill. Sure, you can kill a grenade-blasting robot with a quick spray of assault rifle fire, but if you can survive until your core ripping ability comes back online, you can rip out his insides and use them to beat the walking tank that's trying to cut you in half.
Though Aska is deadly, she's not the most durable. Her own armor and health can only weather a few seconds of focused fire before zeroing out, which means your only recourse is to not get hit in the first place. Metal Eden's on-rails levels are designed with constant movement in mind. Aska can dodge and fly with a built-in jetpack, but limited fuel (don't worry, it regenerates very quickly) means it's better for you'll have to rely on the environment to stay in motion. You can also wall-run along certain strips of panelling, which are plentiful, and grapple to ledges. Each mechanic can be chained with one another, making for the sort of action that you immediately want to clip and show a friend – when you remember to breathe, that is.
When you're not using this movement tech to careen forward, you'll be relying on it to pull through a number of wave-based survival sections. These happen fairly regularly, and their difficulty ramps up quickly – by the end of the preview's second level, I was having to use every trick in Aska's book to stay alive. These rounds take place in tight arena-style environments – complete with health packs and launch pads – but rather than limit your options, they make moving quickly even more crucial.
It lends itself to the sort of action you immediately want to clip and show a friend: during one particularly intense section I leapt from a wall and used my jetpack to stay in the air for a second longer, picking off two bullet-spewing drones before lashing out with my grappling hook to careen into shotgunning range of three more enemies. This happened yesterday, and the fact I'm still bragging about it should tell you everything about how slick Metal Eden feels.
Gunning for the best
Shooting feels fantastic, though trying to hit anything at Metal Eden's breakneck pace is a feat in itself. If you're using DualSense, you can aim by turning the controller. I tend to hate motion controls in even the best Switch games, but the tactile twitchiness felt fitting here – I don't know whether I'd enjoy it for the entire game, but this is the first time I've ever not been inclined to immediately switch the feature off.
I only got to try out three of Metal Eden's guns: an assault rifle with unlimited ammo but a punishing overheating system, a pistol that feels like it shoots miniature nukes, and a four-slug shotgun which specializes in turning rival robots inside-out. Ammo is very limited, so I quickly got used to cycling between all three (often in mid-air, because of course).
Each gun can be upgraded at sporadic PIG Shops, which offer meaningful mods. Your assault rifle's cooling system can be upgraded, for example, while your pistol can get a chargeable laser shot. Aska can also be upgraded through an RPG-style tree – one option turns extracted cores into explosive grenades, while another grants armor every time you consume one. The added depth is neat, and I'd love to see what a shootout with a fully-kitted Aska looks like later in the game.
Generally, there's a lot more I'd love to see. Aska's constant companion is a mysterious voice that waxes lyrical about humanity's penchant for improving itself into oblivion, and I still don't fully understand what I've been destroying hundreds – yes, hundreds – of robots for. Its vibe is reminiscent of Hotline Miami's nihilistic death spiral, though the bigger picture remains to be seen, and I was a little miffed when the preview came to an end.
That didn't stop me from immediately playing both levels again, though. Metal Eden's blistering speed and parkour thrills have quickly made it my most anticipated shooter of 2025, and although the full game isn't too far away – it launches on May 6 – my agonizingly fleshy legs are already itching for more wall-running.
Besides Metal Eden, check out everything else that was announced at the PlayStation State of Play
