I was delightfully stunned by Metal Seed. Coming off of a row of disappointing stealth mechanics and poor AI in video games like Star Wars Outlaws (at launch) and Avowed, this motion stealth platformer has been a breath of recent air. And it is smart why contemplating it’s developed by Hitman sequence alumni. It actually looks like a better funds sport than it leads on, that includes crisp controls and environments that compelled me to cease and admire the main points. I initially didn’t count on a lot, however was immediately hooked by the post-cataclysmic world and uncooked enjoyable such an industrial surroundings supplies in its stage design. Armed with a neon sword and trusty turret droid at her aspect, Zoe platforms her manner via a robot-strewn facility to revive her dad’s consciousness and assist revive humanity within the course of. Let’s discover what makes this premise so satisfying to have interaction with, we could?
Having performed loads of indie video games with lackluster stealth mechanics, I used to be stunned at simply how satisfying the stealth is on this sport. Metal Seed is Storm in a Teacup Studios’ first sport, and but the Hitman DNA seeps via this indie sport’s veins offering refined stealth gameplay. Fundamental enemies have predictable patrol patterns, making it a frustration-free expertise to sneak up and stealth kill them.
I notably take pleasure in baiting enemies with a sound pulse as I conceal behind cowl solely to take them out as they strategy. Every enemy encounter you could have within the sport provides you with loads of obstacles to cover behind. There’s even patches of holographic grass that totally cloaks you whenever you’re crouched. You unlock a capability that remotely deploys these batches of holo grass afterward which turns into notably helpful in densely populated zones. And what I like is how natural the areas handle to look regardless of the plain gaminess right here, and that’s because of the incredible stage design, which we’ll get into in a bit.
“Patches of holographic grass cloaks your visibility whenever you’re crouched.”
In fact, stealth turns into damaged and irritating if the enemy AI isn’t satisfactory, and on this, Metal Seed doesn’t disappoint. Enemies catch you of their line of sight when you attempt speeding issues, alerting others within the space of your presence. You may’t simply crouch again within the grass or duck behind cowl and hope enemies will instantly overlook and retreat. They assault you till you utterly depart the realm or discover a adequate hiding spot like a climbable tower above their heads. The good enemy AI actually compels the participant to investigate the encircling space for satisfactory hiding spots and evac routes in case issues go improper.
Fortunately, it’s simple to get a broad environmental mapping of any scenario. Enemies have ranges of alertness, with a purple exclamation mark indicating pursuit and a yellow query mark prompting them to analyze. One of many fundamental methods to keep away from enemy patrols is marking them individually with Koby’s flight mode. You additionally unlock a patrol path marker skill later that reveals every enemy’s particular patrol route.
To high issues off, Koby can scan the surroundings for climbable ledges and hiding spots. You actually do really feel like Batman with all of the intel at your disposal, and that’s largely because of Koby. I additionally actually like utilizing Koby as a sort of shoulder turret. When you’ve performed video games with related mechanics, you know the way satisfying having your personal ranged drone attacker is. Koby will get various abilities all through the sport. Changing enemies to my aspect via the hacking talent specifically by no means will get outdated.
“Every talent has a prerequisite problem guidelines as a way to unlock.”
Every talent has a prerequisite problem guidelines as a way to unlock. Getting the Cranium Piercer talent requires you to destroy 10 enemies’ weak factors, for instance. It is a neat option to reward skillful play and encourage exploration of the sport’s varied mechanics. There’s a bunch of different stealth instruments at your disposal that get unlocked within the talent tree as nicely, so I received’t spoil all of them right here. However you don’t need to rely solely in your notion and stealth IQ in Metal Seed; shut quarters fight can be a viable, although much less satisfying, possibility.
I didn’t discover the fight as partaking or fascinating as stealth. You’re outfitted with a single neon-lit laser sword and naturally your ranged drone companion Koby for turret cowl. There’s no blocking or parrying in Metal Seed. Nor can you modify or improve your weapon.
The sport as a substitute hones in on dodging and brute drive. Excellent dodges are particularly essential contemplating the brutal quantity of harm every hit sustains to Zoe. On the traditional issue setting, two to 3 regular hits KO you. And with no block choices, dodging is the one option to keep away from getting steamrolled. Timing an ideal dodge rewards you with a follow-up heavy assault and a few power restoration, when you unlocked it on the talent tree.
“There’s no blocking or parrying in Metal Seed.”
My fundamental supply of apathy relating to fight isn’t with controls or something, however the restricted quantity of melee choices. You’ve got a light-weight assault and powerful assault, every with one combo, however you can not string the 2 sorts collectively easily. There’s no gentle assault sprint or gentle aerial slam assaults both, which additional limits melee choices.
A minimum of the lock-on works nicely sufficient and the overall motion feels responsive. Whereas fight isn’t essentially horrible, it does depart one wanting a bit extra out of shut encounters, particularly since hits are extremely punishing with little defensive package to offset it. That is one thing that’s simple to look previous contemplating the sport’s satisfying and various stealth mechanics, nevertheless it’s nonetheless felt when caught up in these shut quarters conditions the place there’s little else however well-timed dodges to fall again on.
Sadly, the foes you interact with aren’t any extra fascinating than your melee choices. The sport severely lacks in enemy selection. This primary 5 hours has virtually nothing however widespread patrol robots and it doesn’t get far more various from there. There’s not too many boss fights within the sport both, which I’m okay with contemplating the bigger emphasis on stealth overshadowing pure melee encounters. It’s possible the small enemy selection is due partly to the clever AI given to every enemy kind. They centered on high quality and never amount relating to enemy design, which I can admire to an extent.
“It’s factor the essential controls are as tight as they’re because you’ll be platforming via a large portion of the sport.”
Fight selection apart, Metal Seed is simply plain enjoyable to regulate. Motion is snappy and Zoe’s flip radius is razer sharp. She has a double leap that will get her parkouring throughout the terrain with a breeze. I do want there was a mid-air dodge, however the slick slide-to-crouch and basic dodge roll suffice nicely sufficient in most conditions. I can’t even complain concerning the digital camera management, which was erratic pre-patch, however has since been drastically smoothed out with its personal sensitivity settings. And it’s factor the essential controls are as tight as they’re because you’ll be platforming via a large portion of the sport.
3D platformers are amongst my favourite genres, and I’ve received to say I used to be stunned how nicely Metal Seed scratched that itch. I went in anticipating a gradual paced stealth sport, however there’s lots right here to fulfill the parkour crowd too. The monolithic subterranean robotic facility you’ll be adventuring via is a platforming paradise. It’s crammed to the brim with stability beams, precarious platforms, lethal gaps, wall-run panels, and towering buildings with everybody’s favourite yellow paint dotting climbable ledges.
“Each space has distinctive visuals and challenges, offering a recent expertise all the best way to the tip.”
There’s quantity of environmental storytelling all through these platforming sections too. Every strategy of robotic manufacturing will get explored intimately with refineries glowing with purple warmth and complicated caves housing darkish secrets and techniques. Every surroundings dovetails into the subsequent in an natural manner too, making the big robotic facility really feel all of the extra immersive to journey via. One thing else that impresses me is the variability between environments. I by no means received fatigued by any repetitiveness in any respect (nicely, besides in enemy selection); each space has distinctive visuals and challenges, offering a recent expertise all the best way to the tip. I completely loved the 3D platforming facet of the sport, a lot in order that it sits alongside the stealth as my favourite function that Metal Seed reveals. That brings me to the sport’s total construction and circulation.
You see, Metal Seed isn’t strictly linear nevertheless it’s not open-world in its design both. You’re going to hate me for utilizing the dreaded comparability, nevertheless it’s by far the closest I can consider. Metal Seed’s ranges are structured in a Soulslike method, Demon’s Souls specifically. Quick-travel checkpoints compartmentalize every of the big zones (or Nodes as the sport phrases it) into ranges.
Whereas there’s little or no of the traditional looping design from Soulslikes right here, there’s loads of secrets and techniques off the crushed path with some branching areas right here and there. The fast-travel stations, known as S4VI or Savi, restore well being in return for respawning the realm’s enemies. It’s additionally right here the place you unlock abilities and save the sport. The sport does autosave as you go, however your solely handbook possibility is at these S4VI stations. Oh, and quick journey stations point out the completion proportion for every stage, giving completionists much more incentive to scour each nook and cranny. I discovered the gameplay loop of platforming and stealthing my manner from one S4VI station to the subsequent to be fairly addicting and enjoyable.
“Quick journey stations point out the completion proportion for every stage, giving completionists much more incentive to scour each nook and cranny.”
There’s additionally a hub space that you simply return to after retrieving every sport’s main plot shards. Curiously sufficient, the hub is dwelling to a piano minigame. When you’ve performed Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, you’ll immediately acknowledge the interface and performance because it’s virtually equivalent. Though there’s no sheet music to play to, you’ll be able to play fundamental melodies utilizing scales and chords and even alter the pitch vary. At the moment, the chords don’t present notation for something exterior of fundamental main and minor harmonies, and the F be aware is at all times sharped for some purpose, nevertheless it’s a cool music minigame nonetheless.
Anyway, when you’re performed tinkering the ivories, you’ll discover that the hub acts as the house for a majority of the sport’s plot and development. Your core goal all through the sport is retrieving 4 shards to carry your dad, and the way forward for humanity, again from a devastating cataclysm. Whereas the hub supplies loads of the core plot development, there’s extra to be discovered via exploration. Knowledge journals are scattered throughout ranges serving to shed extra gentle on the huge facility and its historical past.
Being that it is a post-cataclysmic setting, there’s not a ton of plot development all through the sport. You’re retrieving the 4 McGuffins to avoid wasting humanity and that’s largely the gist of it. I admire the simplistic plot system as a result of the sport does job filling out the background lore of Zoe’s scientist dad and his managing of the power nicely. And regardless of being a post-cataclysm, the journey doesn’t really feel completely silent or lonely both. Zoe and her droid companion banter and work together all through the sport in an endearing manner that didn’t grate or irritate me.
The voice appearing is nice throughout the board and by no means felt misplaced or overdone both. From a gameplay perspective although, the compelled strolling sequences throughout exposition and character reactions gradual issues all the way down to a crawl, and the true bummer? There’s no option to skip them. I’d a lot reasonably have conventional skippable cutscenes than unskippable gradual stroll sequences, particularly since lots of them are positioned proper earlier than a tricky battle or parkour sequence the place reloads are certain to happen as a result of a mistake or 5.
“The compelled strolling sequences throughout exposition and character reactions gradual issues all the way down to a crawl.”
I’ve received to say, I’m completely stunned by Metal Seed. It’s a really competent stealth motion platformer from a brand new indie studio. The ambiance and stage design is awe-inspiring at occasions and the second to second motion feels nice because of responsive controls and enjoyable stealth mechanics. Extra melee choices would’ve helped range the gameplay up so much, nevertheless it’s serviceable as is. When you’re seeking to scratch that stealth motion itch, or somebody who’s desperately clinging to something resembling 3D platforming collectathons, like me, Metal Seed comes extremely really useful.
This sport was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
