Lately, I’ve been playing too many games that heavily rely on their story, so Morbid Metal came as a refreshing change with its (very) fast-paced combat and hordes of enemies you need to cut through to reach the bosses. Let’s start from the beginning. Morbid Metal is a hack & slash roguelike developed by a small team – SCREEN JUICE and published by Ubisoft. It is currently still in its early access phase and, although it only offers two biomes so far, the game will instantly hook you with its combat and the way you can combine attacks from characters you control.
First of all, you begin this game as a character named Flux. In the tutorial area, you will get familiar with your abilities like Dash and Grapple, which help you reach certain points and then it’s time for combat. Your attacks include a basic combo of several strikes, as well as two abilities, such as Blink Strike, which sends you forward toward an enemy or teleports you behind them for a backstab and Nano Blades, which lets you fire deadly energy from your sword. On top of that, you also have an ultimate ability.
Combat is incredibly fast and dynamic. Sometimes it will force you to make quick decisions where some enemies will become your priority (such as drones, for example, which were always a problem for me, therefore they were the first ones to be destroyed). Along the way, you will always seek to get the highest score when it comes to your rank style so you could get more points for the next upgrade, while the music will simply make the fights more epic and fill you with adrenaline.
In the first biome, after defeating several enemies, you will encounter a very interesting scene where you gain the ability to Shapeshift, or rather, transform from one character into another, from Flux to Ekku. While Flux is focused on fast combat, Ekku is slower but delivers much heavier and more powerful blows, acting as a heavy weapon type designed to brutally crush enemies. You can switch between Flux and Ekku at any time and the game rewards you for doing so by adding a style rank that improves the more varied your combos are. The higher the rank, the more points you earn, which you can later use for upgrades in The Void. Also, each time you defeat enemies, you will receive upgrades that enhance your attacks or provide different advantages, such as a drone which can also attack the enemies, a shield which will be of huge help against stronger enemies and “leak” which is a stackable status effect that grows over time and deals massive increasing damage, etc.
While some upgrades are temporary and last only until you die and restart, others are permanent and allow you to increase your health, perfect dodge, new abilities and so on.
Sometimes you will also need to pay close attention to your surroundings, as you might find hidden health pickups, upgrade points, alternative skill types or even bits of lore about the world and its enemies.
The first boss fight was particularly interesting. Instead of simply walking through a fog gate or dropping into a boss arena like we’re used to, YOU summon this boss in a very unique way. As for the boss fight itself, this will come as a true test of your skills and speed, since bosses have three phases and if you die, you go back to The Void where you have the chance to upgrade your abilities before starting over. What’s interesting is that the game never makes you feel like it’s punishing you for losing; every time you come back stronger and more prepared to fight your way back to the boss until you finally defeat it and move on to the second biome. And that’s where you will probably start thinking, “Okay, things are getting pretty serious now.”
In the second biome, you’re introduced to a third character named Vekta. Like Flux, Vekta relies on speed, but also specialises in ranged combat, throwing shuriken at enemies and being able to push or pull enemies with her kinetic abilities which allows you to switch to a different character and chain together powerful combos. While in the first biome you will occasionally have to avoid lasers, in the second biome you will deal with something like a toxic waste…for robots. On top of that, you will encounter new enemies or stronger versions of those from the first biome. If you want an extra challenge, you can find doors marked with crossed katanas, where you must survive waves of enemies within a time limit to earn some nice rewards.
Even though the game is primarily focused on combat, there are lore fragments that provide some context to its story. You play as an AI created by a being known as The Operator, who occasionally speaks to you before or after battles, pushing you forward to fight enemies and defeat bosses, where, as he says, new fights against the old, or his past mistakes. Alongside The Operator, you will also meet Eden in The Void, who encourages and advises you each time you’re sent back into battle.
During early access, you can explore the biomes called Sublime Garden and Steel Sanctuary. Although the game is set in a dystopian sci-fi future where humanity has disappeared and robots have taken over, you can still see glimpses of human civilisation, particularly in the ruins of old Japanese architecture. You will notice how nature is slowly reclaiming her world, blending organic with artificial elements.
The character designs are fantastic and detailed. Flux, Ekku and Vekta are all unique in their own way, combining android elements with traditional Japanese aesthetics, fitting perfectly into the environment inspired by the same style. Sound design is truly excellent, and every battle (especially boss fights) is accompanied by great music that suits the game perfectly. The voice acting, although pretty rare, is interesting and the clear difference in tone between The Operator and Eden creates a compelling atmosphere whenever they speak.
In the end, this early access offers a truly refreshing experience in the world of video games. Morbid Metal is fast, challenging and features a very interesting concept of switching between characters and combining attacks and abilities. If you’re a fan of this genre, Morbid Metal is definitely worth your attention and I have no doubt that, with time and continued support during early access, this team will bring their game to a wider audience.
We would like to thank Ubisoft for providing us with a copy of the game for review purposes.
