After two and a half years, the journey of Metal Unit has come to an end and a new beginning. The roguelike action title Metal Unit has stepped out of Steam Early Access and received its 1.0 patch today, indicated that Metal Unit has officially launched. After a short time in Early Access, this sci-fi action game that combines anime inspirations, giant robots, and attractive anime pilots is now available for all PC players.
The news comes from Neowiz through a press release by Team Critical Hit PR. Metal Unit is an action roguelike filled with betrayal, corruption, and a pursuit of the truth about humanity. Players play as Joanna, a specially trained soldier who can pilot a specially advanced combat suit; the M-Suit. Joanna pursues her traitorous sister, who has taken her M-Suit and allied herself with the alien enemy that is hellbent on destroying the surviving humans of Earth. The environments are large and diverse, encouraging exploration, and players use a combination of close-and long-range weapons to fight back. This is war, and on this mission, players make difficult choices that will greatly impact the outcome of the mission.
Metal Unit was first announced in 2018 and was seen in various conventions, including PAX East 2020. As the game evolved, the team at JellySnow Studios listened closely to their players, shaping and adjusting Metal Unit based upon the feedback from players. At PAX East 2020, Metal Unit was announced to begin Steam Early Access, where got to play the game as it was actively being made and adjusted. Throughout that time, Metal Unit continued to receive high ratings and praise from players. As of this news post, has been ranked ” Very Positive” based out of 537 reviews.
“During Early Access, Metal Unit has gone through numerous iterations to integrate feedback and suggestions from the community,” said Felix Soumpholphakdy, CEO of JellySnowStudio. “Now, we are proud to release the 1.0 version which is the result of over 2 years of passionate work and collaboration from JellySnow, Neowiz and our supporters.” With the release of patch 1.0, the development journey of Metal Unit comes to an end, but the post-launch journey begins. The 1.0 update features a massive overhaul of the game, and it includes several languages. While JellySnow Studio will be fully updating and supporting the PC release of Metal Unit, the team intends to release Metal Unit for the Nintendo Switch later in 2021.
Having played Metal Unit at PAX EAST last year, I was struck at the imagination behind Metal Unit. On the surface, Metal Unit appears like other retro-inspired roguelikes, but as I played the demo and learned the story behind it, I found Metal Unit to be quite remarkable and different for an over-populated genre. Metal unit is greatly inspired by mech-based anime, with a focus on psychological themes and cosmic horror, akin to the likes of Evangelion, Knights of Sidonia, and the manga All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazuka. The gameplay was strong and engaging, which was a feat being that Metal Unit had just entered Steam Early Access at the time. Metal Unit’s anime influences are worn on its sleeve with the focus of its female anime pilots and an intriguing story involving a traitorous sister. The developer indicated that the story would go further than most rogue-likes, focusing on the loss of humanity through the use of technology and the temptations of the enemy. Metal Unit is a roguelike, but it’s set to be a roguelike unlike anything players have experienced.
Metal Unit is now available on Steam, for $11.99 USD until February 3rd, after which the set price will be $14.99 USD.
