Metal Eden preview: We were the first to play new sci-fi first-person shooter - this is what we think

Ahead of Metal Eden being announced at the PlayStation State of Play event on Wednesday (February 12), indy100 got the chance to play through its opening main mission.

Metal Eden is an 'adrenaline rush sci-fi first-person shooter' according to studio Reikon Games, which created Ruiner and is made up ofindustry veterans from CD Projekt Red (which develops The Witcherseries) and Techland.

The game will be published by Deep Silver and was explosively revealed at PlayStation State of Play through a trailer with a release date of May 6 set; it's coming out on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Metal Eden explores a world where humanity's consciousness has transcended flesh and is set in a universe that embraces the cybernetic dimension of life.

There are eight unique missions where players take control of ASKA, an advanced Hyper Unit android built around a digitised human psyche, being plunged into cybernetic warfare to uncover the mysteries of a lost paradise.

indy100 was among the very first to play it and this is what we thought while playing through the first main mission 'Paradise Lost'.

During the playthrough, it quickly became apparent that staying still for any amount of time is the fastest way to get yourself killed in this high-octane game.

The main opening level is a linear gauntlet navigated through with futuristic parkour mechanics and arena-like areas where players have to take out waves of enemies and complete objectives to progress in parkour playgrounds.

Starting with the traversal, moving through the mission was an absolute thrill once the fairly straightforward mechanics were learned, zipping through the level by dashing, grappling and wall running.

The game is being badged as an 'adrenaline rush' and it's certainly that once a flow is hit while taking out enemies that regretfully stand in your way on the fly.

Traversal in Metal Eden is an absolute blast / Screenshot from Reikon Games

Even in the arena sections, keeping on the move is key and ripping out cores, a unique take in this sci-fi FPS, never got tiresome.

Players can rip out cores to destroy enemies then either throw them at other foes to reduce their armour or completely take them out, or consume them to regenerate health or for a special melee attack that offers up an opening to assault more heavily armoured foes.

Following arena sections, skills are earned and can be upgraded in three different trees of core power, core ripping and body suit.

Core ripping is a unique take on the sci-fi first-person shooter genre / Screenshot from Reikon Games

More guns are picked up as levels progress and these can be upgraded; the gunplay is incredibly fast paced, bloody and just generally badass.

Upgrading weapons isn't just a case of collecting enough resources, objectives like a certain number of kills using specific guns need to be met too.

indy100 hopes further levels will continue to provide enough variety in its arena sections from feeling too similar as time goes on.

Players take on the role of ASKA / Screenshot from Reikon Games

The sound is immense - there's a mostly electronic soundtrack that's fairly ambient during times of traversal, including 80s inspired tracks, and dials up when enemies are in play, especially in arena sections where it can cross over into more rock or metal.

At the end of the level, a summary is given of how long it took you to complete, along with records of kills, deaths, cores extracted and dust (used to upgrade weapons) collected.

The sci-fi settings are quite dark and dystopian / Screenshot from Reikon Games

If the opening main mission is anything to go by, Metal Eden is shaping up to be the 'adrenaline rush' Reikon Games is promising with its unique take on a sci-fi FPS.

Although it seems as though it will be a short but high-octane title, indy100 has its fingers crossed there's enough variety in the remaining missions to stop it from becoming anywhere close to predictable.

Elsewhere, check out everything else that was announced at PlayStation State of Play and a classic Call of Duty title could be on its way to Game Pass very soon.

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