Morbid Metal PC Preview
Morbid Metal is Ubisoft’s upcoming roguelike that’s unique in some ways but doesn’t do much to break the mold. It offers a solid concept and great gameplay elements but has some issues that need addressing. Morbid Metal is a cyberpunk-like sci-fi roguelike shooter that has players begin as a mysterious warrior known as Flux, who has trained in combat and gets tasked by a mysterious lady called Eden to embark on a quest to take on enemies of her choosing. Not much else is known about the story so far aside from the fact that you are not her first pawn, and you may not be her last. She’s had others who failed before you who she refers to as your siblings.
Halfway into the demo, players unlock the new character called Ekku and start their first proper run. A new disembodied mysterious man called the Operator then appears and begins speaking in your ears between rounds, encouraging you to kill as many as you can to prove your worth while also making it clear he’s firmly against Eden. Who exactly he is or what exactly is going on is completely unclear, and I hope this narrative back and forth is something the full game will address. Otherwise, the narrative experience so far, while intriguing, is much more confusing. Additionally, it is worth noting that the two characters’ voice actors did a great job of voicing them, as listening to them is always engaging despite not giving us much.
Gameplay-wise, players are first introduced with Morbid Metal’s fluid and smooth movement system with parkour serving as the primary method of movement outside of combat. It feels much like Warframe, and works just as well in making players feel cool. Combat is the standard fast-paced, action-packed hack-and-slash structure except with more emphasis on stylistic moves. Players can switch between Flux and Ekku on the fly, who are two of the four characters to be featured in the game. Flux is fast and lands several swift blade attacks, while Ekku is more of a powerhouse who is slower but deals much more damage. While Flux certainly has his moments and fits my playstyle, Ekku is noticeably more effective in fights, and every upgrade after each round is better when compared to Flux’s. And while Ekku’s trade-off is his lack of speed, his movement more than makes up for it. As such, there aren’t many reasons to play as Flux due to how weak he feels in comparison.
Other than that, Morbid Metal’s combat system is solid but nothing fantastic. Like many roguelikes, players get several types of upgrades after each round. This includes more damage, a random chance of healing with each character death, upgrades to special attacks, enhancements under certain conditions, and more. Then there are upgrades called Devil’s Bargains. They provide significant upgrades but at a high cost. Examples include dealing more damage but also taking more damage, having a shorter cooldown on skills but also less maximum health, and healing with attacks while losing health every five seconds. They make gameplay more engaging, but some of them, like the last one, clearly do more harm than good.
Final Thoughts?
Other than that, it’s unfortunate to say that the demo I played was also not optimized well. I experienced several framerate dips and lags in specific areas of the game, especially during intense combat moments. Thankfully, they weren’t enough to make the game unplayable, but hopefully, these issues will be ironed out in the full release.
Overall, Morbid Metal certainly has potential, especially with its mysterious narrative. For now, however, it hasn’t shown enough to warrant high expectations, but it is certainly interesting enough to keep an eye on.
About the Author
Abdul Saad A seasoned entertainment journalist and critic, and has been writing for five years on multiple gaming sites. When he isn't writing or playing the latest JRPG, he can be found coding games of his own or tinkering with something electrical.
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