Permadeath, limited character upgrades, and a growing battalion sure sound like the perfect combination to evoke the intensity of an army charging into battle with one "last hurrah." It's the strategy hack-and-slash roguelike Tears of Metal showed off during today's PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted with its new gameplay trailer signaling a plan to deploy in 2025.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes may have tinkered with the one-vs-one-thousand hack-and-slash formula, but Tears of Metal seems to go all-in on a truly perma-punishing Dynasty Warriors-like action game. Developer Paper Cult is no stranger to dabbling in the hardcore, either, as its first game was a violently silly brawl with all of the spirit and attitude of Samurai Jack. Take one look at the fast-paced shredding in the new footage and it's pretty easy to see how the progression from the studio's 2020 "murderballet," Bloodroots, leads to a chord like Tears of Metal.
You can't name a game "Tears of Metal" and not go Devil May Cry-style hard on the soundtrack. There is no reality in which I actually beat Dante Must Die mode, but the music makes me feel like I can, and that's what's important. Fortunately the same applies here if the trailer track is anything to go off of. Ashamed to admit I didn't know bagpipe metal was a thing, but now I do, and I'm better for it.
- Blades of Fire is a God of War-style action game coming to PC from the creators of Metroid Dread, and it's almost definitely a spiritual successor to Severance
- Romanian folklore, David Lynch, and heavy metal come together in a dark fantasy hack-and-slash action game 'with an even darker sense of humor'
All of that attitude aside, Tears of Metal is a neat one for me to see cued up after being on a bit of a co-op roguelike/lite kick. Typically the more committed to that recipe a game gets, the more inclined I am to fly solo, but I've been playing a ton of Ravenswatch, Don't Starve Together, and The Outlast Trials' Escalation mode lately. The risk and reward of individual, permanent choices mixed with RNG is a good time with the right group, and I can't say I have anything quite like Paper Cult's hack-and-slash in my library.
Tears of Metal is out next year, though you can keep an eye on it now by wishlisting the roguelike on Steam. And while you're at it, end 2024 on a good note by tuning into today's PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted for a top 25 list of even more games to look forward to in 2025 (hopefully).
