When you consider WarGaming, video games like World of Tanks, World of Warships, and whatnot come to thoughts. So, what precisely impressed the studio to create Metal Hunters? Was it a need to ship aggressive multiplayer with lifelike mechs? Huge fight situations on various scales the place two armies might combat it out, finishing numerous targets a la Battlefield? Possibly it wished to go the MechWarrior route and provide a aggressive shooter with intensive customization,
When you study what Metal Hunters truly is – a PvEvP extraction third-person shooter the place the mechs are akin to heroes – the thrill dulls. The gameplay movement is comprehensible and straightforward to get into, however this melting level of genres is equal to visiting the 4 Corners Monument. You’re not getting one of the best expertise every might provide, and the intersection itself isn’t all that fancy.
“The general variety of gamers doesn’t provide a lot room for chaos, and although the danger of being third-partied is nearly non-existent, there have to be a happier medium than this.”
The “premise” is {that a} catastrophic occasion has altered the Earth and brought on the emergence of Starfall. This useful resource is efficacious for some motive, and numerous factions emerge to collect it, utilizing big mechs referred to as Hunters. Granted, it’s possible little greater than a motive to elucidate away the variance in Hunter design, like why one faction has largely bog-standard human-like mechs with workhorse kits or why one other consists fully of quadrupedal beast machines that might give the Maximals a run for his or her cash. I’m okay with this, however when you’re anticipating one thing deeper or actually any semblance of lore, you’ll have to attend.
That being stated, I’ve some gripes on how the premise components into the general movement of matches. After finishing Fundamental Coaching, two modes open up – Final Stand and Skirmish. The previous sees 12 gamers battling with numerous AI combatants on the map, whereas the latter solely options PvE threats, possible to assist familiarize gamers with completely different targets. It actually can’t be to study extra about coping with the AI foes as a result of there’s at the moment just one sort – drones – and their solely different assault is asking down a missile strike.
Thus, the 12-player Final Stand is the place you’ll spend most of your time. When you land, the impetus is on taking out drones, gathering Vitality to stage up your Hunter to enhance its stats and unlock different skills, and discovering Modules to enhance your injury, shields and base well being. Increased-rarity modules equal larger will increase.
Sadly, Final Stand solely facilitates two-player squads with 12 gamers in whole, which ends up in some battles feeling fairly tame. The general variety of gamers doesn’t provide a lot room for chaos, and although the danger of being third-partied is nearly non-existent, there have to be a happier medium than this.
“It’s not an extraction shooter the place you collect loot, exit the map, and curate a loadout earlier than leaping again in.”
Even then, matches shortly whittle down to 3 surviving squads. If half of these are bots – and based mostly on their goal and general injury output, they might be – then it feels extra like 2v2v2. This implies quite a lot of downtime and quite a lot of taking pictures comparatively innocent drones.
Since Modules solely provide straight will increase to your stats (and no random perks or something worthwhile), it’s higher to disregard the small fry and Unusual Provide Pods from stage 2 onwards and deal with the Guard Drones, Rogue Drones or Legendary Scouts to get extra XP and probably larger rarities. There are particular consumables which give advantages like lowering the cooldown on skills and reworking you into a large Colossus mech, however the latter felt so uncommon in matches that it wasn’t value pursuing.
As a result of the match movement is so fast, it’s not lengthy earlier than you’re level-capped with sufficient high-rarity modules. There’s nothing left to do afterwards however rush to the extraction zone, seize it and watch for the timer to tick down whereas the only real surviving workforce (or two) makes an attempt to cease you. Whereas it’s initially thrilling to roll up on a duo and attempt to take them out, particularly when drones are within the combine, these duels shortly grow to be one-note.
This raises one other downside with the general construction of Metal Hunters. It’s not an extraction shooter the place you collect loot, exit the map, and curate a loadout earlier than leaping again in. There aren’t zones with larger risk ranges or more durable enemies that might incentivize this, nor are there various means to extract. Extraction is just a way to drive PvP towards the final remaining squad. Whether or not you are available in first or second doesn’t actually matter both.
“It’s additionally value mentioning that the whole roster isn’t accessible to unlock from the beginning – finishing the introductory missions gives Constructs (sure, one other foreign money) for unlocking two extra Hunters.”
What about Starfall, the explanation that every one these factions are combating? You’re awarded Starfall Shards on the finish of a match, which will be transformed into Starfall with Platinum. You’ll be able to then spend this to improve your Hunter’s stage and unlock Factors, which can be utilized to unlock sure passives of their Talent Tree. Sure upgrades require Credit, additionally earned from matches and the distinguished Battle Cross.
Why this complicated system? Nicely, Platinum can be used to improve the free Battle Cross into Professional and Premium tiers. There aren’t any microtransactions, but when Platinum turns into the default premium foreign money, then I’m undecided how I really feel about utilizing it to primarily enhance your Hunter’s stage, particularly because you unlock entry to stat will increase and talent upgrades at larger ranges. Final Stand matches in accordance with a variety of Hunter ranges, which ought to stage the beginning discipline considerably.
Nonetheless, you continue to get Talent Factors from leveling a Hunter, which may go into upgrades within the present tier. Due to the matchmaking vary, the probabilities of a very stage begin that’s dependent in your map information and talent could be very low, if non-existent. And apart from, combating over Starfall, when everybody – which can as nicely be two different groups – obtains Shards whatever the outcomes, causes the entire premise to collapse.
It’s additionally value mentioning that the whole roster isn’t accessible to unlock from the beginning – finishing the introductory missions gives Constructs (sure, one other foreign money) for unlocking two extra Hunters. You’ll be able to earn extra Constructs by leveling your account, which is all nicely and good proper now, however I’m nonetheless skeptical about probably monetizing this as nicely.
I’ve gone on concerning the development and general match movement, however what concerning the Hunters themselves? Although they’re slower than, say, the mechs in Titanfall and even Mecha Break, I type of like the general weight of their actions.
“However, I’m nonetheless perplexed about WarGaming’s long-term purpose with Metal Hunters. Possibly it felt {that a} typical hero shooter wouldn’t have a lot room to outlive within the present market (which is comprehensible).”
Tying leap and sprint to the identical costs felt annoying at first, however You’re not leaping in the course of fight as a result of the latter are too beneficial for avoiding injury, so it’s largely for traversal. In that case, why do all of the Hunters have such measly, pathetic jumps that hardly ever surmount a lot of the terrain?
Capacity-wise, there’s nothing that you simply haven’t seen earlier than, however credit score the place it’s due for making every Hunter really feel completely different, even among the many identical faction. The Ursus performs like an up-close brawler with its short-range cannon and armor, whereas the Fenris makes use of extra hit-and-run ways, probably closing the hole to melee a weak enemy. The mod choice for altering their skills is fairly restricted proper now, however not less than they guarantee a bit extra selection to your play type. I didn’t really feel all that a lot synergy between completely different heroes (like in your common hero shooter), however given the movement, it’s unsurprising.
Metal Hunters doesn’t provide a lot content material at the moment. Nonetheless, it’s free-to-play, so nothing is stopping you from giving it a whirl. The general aesthetic of the mechs offers Transformers vibes (extra Michael Bay than Hasbro), but it surely works, and the quips from every Hunter present a bit extra persona with out feeling overdone. Sound design can be on level, reinforcing the heft and weight of those machines.
However, I’m nonetheless perplexed about WarGaming’s long-term purpose with Metal Hunters. Possibly it felt {that a} typical hero shooter wouldn’t have a lot room to outlive within the present market (which is comprehensible). Nonetheless, it might do way more with the premise, mechanics, and Hunters than merely a superlite extraction shooter with dollops of confounding development. The present plan is to stay in early entry for 4 to 6 months whereas including new modes, Hunters, development paths and maps. Hopefully, it lives as much as its potential and ups the chaos past this surface-level hodgepodge of genres.
This recreation was reviewed on PC.
