One of the more surprising reveals from Sony’s February State of Play event was Reikon Games’Metal Eden. A slick, futuristic sci-fi FPS with more than a passing resemblance to games likeTitanfall,Sprawl, and One More Level’sGhostrunnertitles,Metal Edengrabbed a lot of players' attention thanks to its impressive visuals and presentation. But anyone familiar with Reikon’s previous work with the cult indie hitRuinerlikely knows thatMetal Edenlooks to back up its eye-catching style with plenty of substance. After going hands-on withMetal Eden, it’s safe to say it stands as one of the most exciting titles to release in 2025.
Game Rant recently had the chance to play through a preview build ofMetal Eden that containedboth a prologue chapter and what’s ostensibly the game’s first full mission. Refreshingly,Metal Edenharkens back to a bygone age for the genre, focusing on super-satisfying gunplay and momentum in a purely story-driven, single-player campaign. And in a move that’s sure to make a sizable contingent of FPS fans take notice, there’s a ton ofDoomandDoom EternalDNA inMetal Eden’s combat, which emphasizes constantly being on the move and pressing enemies through a vast array of offensive options while simultaneously wowing with its visuals and soundtrack.
Metal Eden’s Demo Hints At a Dark, Dystopian Sci-Fi Narrative
Players inMetal Edentake on the role of ASKA, one of several “Hyper Units” — highly advanced combat androids — tasked with protecting the futuristic sci-fi metropolis Moebius. Centuries in the future, after humanity has taken to the stars, Moebius is constructed as a sort of utopian hub where a new era of human civilization can begin, but it becomes readily apparent that something, somewhere, has gone wrong. With no other guide than a mysterious voice calling itself the Nexus, ASKA sets off on her mission to fight back against Moebius' Internal Defence Corps to set the citizens “free”, without a full understanding of what that exactly entails.
Metal Eden’s story comes across as something that, in the full game, will be a major focal point and incentive to push through the campaign, just like in Reikon’s previous gameRuiner. While the grander focus of the playable demo wasMetal Eden’s gameplay, there’s enough narrative threads to raise some intriguing questions and create a desire to learn more. What initially seems like a fairly standard dystopian sci-fi tale becomes anything but, as the layers peel back to reveal that Nexus is both helpful and sinister, calling to mind other malevolent AI likePortal’s GLaDOSor2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL.
There’s Equal Parts Blade Runner and Elysium in Metal Eden’s Sci-Fi Atmosphere and Setting
Considering its sci-fi setting and plot,Metal Edenis bound to share some similarities with iconic media treading similar territory, and the city of Moebius is a curious blend of the gritty neon-soakedretrofuturism ofBlade Runnerand the gleaming, pristine spires of the titular city from Neill Blomkamp’sElysium. While Moebius appears like the proverbial “promised land” of a futuristic, space-faring society likeMass Effect’s Citadel, ASKA has to tread deeper into the unseemly parts of the metropolis that are choked with clutter, debris, and decay. In one area, players might be treated to futuristic and angular architecture, while the next might see them maneuvering around enemies in dark alleyways and cargo holds that look like they could’ve been plucked straight from other dystopian future sci-fi likeDeus Ex.
All that to say,Metal Eden’s art direction and environmental design are incredibly impressive. Players have a slew of traversal options at their disposal that include wall-running a laGhostrunner,Sprawl, orTitanfall, adouble jumpand jetpack for crossing large gaps, and propulsion pods that they can use to launch ASKA into the air, sometimes even quickly latching onto zip lines that allow for quick access from one part of Moebius to another.Metal Eden’s level design works overtime to not only support these traversal elements but to do so while calling back to several iconic science fiction properties that make Moebius feel like it fits right in with some of the more recognizable settings in the genre.
Combat in Metal Eden Will Immediately Hook Fans of Doom (2016) and Titanfall 2
Despite being intrigued by what narrative is on offer inMetal Eden’s demo build, it admittedly takes a backseat to its gameplay, which is firing on all cylinders for anyone who is a fan of more traditional, story-driven single-player FPS campaigns. Our initial impressions ofMetal Edensuggested that it would share a lot in common withTitanfall 2, and while its movement and sense of speed definitely call back to Respawn’s much-loved 2016 FPS, its moment-to-moment combat shares a surprising amount in common with2016’sDoom. It’s a mix that works wonders, keeping players constantly on the move to survive waves of enemies in densely packed arenas that are bursting with opportunities for player expression.
The regular cannon fodder enemies inMetal Edencan be dispatched with firearms, but ASKA also has a melee attack that causes them to drop health pickups (a laDoomandDoom Eternal) or a nifty “Core Removal” technique that opens up further branching opportunities for how to take down foes. Once an enemy’s core has been removed, ASKA can absorb it to gain some health and a brief “Super Punch” move, or throw it at an enemy like a grenade, watching them explode into gibs.
Cores are also essential for dealing with more powerful armored foes, as ASKA will either need to Super Punch them to temporarily break their defenses or launch Cores at them to break their armor, quickly responding with a flurry of shots from her firearm of choice afterward. Combined with the plethora of traversal options at the player’s disposal, there are dozens of micro-decisions that the player has to undertake in each encounter, all while making sure to stay on the move. It turns each shootout into the same kind of “push-forward” combat puzzle that madeDoomandDoom Eternalso appealing, only with the more streamlined set of options of the former rather than the latter.
Metal Eden’s Skill Trees and Character Progression Are a Pleasant Surprise
One element ofMetal Edenthat was unexpected but a welcome surprise is the inclusion of branching skill trees and fully-fledged weapon upgrade terminals that players can interact with during missions. There are a total of three skill trees, one of which enhances ASKA’s suit, while the other two improve her Core functions and her Core power, respectively. While there were only a couple of upgrades available in the demo version, it’s a system that promises plenty of strategic depth in how players choose to develop and build out ASKA in the full release. The same can be said of the weapon upgrade terminal, which trades a currency called “Dust” for increasingly powerful upgrades on the player’s favorite firearms.
Ultimately,Metal Eden’s brief demo did what all great demos do — it left us wanting more and excited for the prospect of the full release. For anyone who playedRuiner, it’s no surprise to see Reikon firing on all cylinders with another shooter, but it’s impressive to see what the studio has accomplished with more resources, shapingMetal Edeninto astory-driven FPSthat ticks all the boxes for anyone seeking a competent shooter with a surprising amount of depth and freedom of player expression.
Metal Edenlaunches May 24, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this preview.
