Who doesn’t like a good run-and-gun shooter? And, for that matter, a good run-and-gun shooter that lets you mercilessly blast away at aliens that are simply asking for it? That’s the general plot for Metal Suits: Counter-Attack, Eggtart’s over-the-top blastathon that has you playing a man out for revenge. And how does he do it? With super-powered suits, of course.
The game is side-scrolling shooting goodness, where you get to pick up one of ten random suits, each with their own special powers. And these are wonderful powers, from a guitar that grants you electrical capabilities to a bear suit that lets you fling explosives. You can’t pick and choose your suits – they’re given away at random – but each one offers cool experimentation. And destruction, of course.
The game retains a fun retro style presentation, with great pixelated visuals and a rock soundtrack. Plus the gameplay’s a lot of fun, even though most of the enemies pose very little challenge. But then the ones that do are a bit too punishing. Not to mention that some of the levels do go on a bit too long.
But I digress. Metal Suits still has creative, wanton destruction aplenty, all encased within a joyous retro-style shooter. If you’re a fan of run-and-gun, you should definitely put these Suits on your shopping list. Especially with its reasonable $10 price tag.
Metal Suits Brings Plenty of, Ahem, Suitable Destruction
Kevin is a retired war hero who’s simply minding his own business alongside his dog. But leave it to aliens to be a bunch of nasty dicks, sending him flying across the universe and leaving him for dead. But…big mistake. An AI entity manages to pick him up and transform it into a super-powered hero, offering him suits to exact his revenge. And boy, does he.
Metal Suits is all about traveling through levels and destroying aliens (and the environment) however you see fit. And the ten-plus suits you’ll come across offer a great deal of variety. Want to drive through their hearts with a powerful laser sword (not a lightsaber, something lighter)? You got it. Want to don a teddy bear get-up and drop explosives everywhere? Hey, go for it.
The suits are scattered across each stage, and you can keep what you have or try something new. I think the experimental angle works wonders for Metal Suits, but, hey, you find what works for you. Overall, the gameplay really delivers on its destruction, and will keep you exploring into the next stage.
That said, it’s not quite perfect. The game has a weird difficulty balance. It’s too easy to mow through enemies in some stages, but then you have others that will test you to your very core. It’s also got a weird level balance to it, where some are too short and others are a wee bit too long.
But at least the destructive giddiness remains, along with an unlockable Override Gauntlet mode that’s a BLAST! There’s a lot to destroy here, and the gameplay holds up very well, especially with some of the suit’s capabilities. It’s not every day you can wield a guitar that shoots electricity.
Metal Suits could use a little tweaking here and there, but it faithfully recaptures what makes a good run-and-gun shooter work well. Eggtart definitely did its homework here.
Does Metal Suits Fit the Bill With Its Presentation?
Overall, Metal Suits does have a bit of inspiration behind it when it comes to classic adventures like Mega Man.
The visuals are nicely represented here, with cute little animations and cinematics. And, of course, high carnage levels of the aliens you destroy. Not to mention the level design is very good, though, again, it’s slightly off with some of the larger stages. Overall, though, you’ll enjoy the game’s funky look, and its cute little story cinematics (even if it’s a bit generic).
As for the music, there are some rock-worthy themes here, along with lots of booms and bangs to go along with the on-screen carnage. It’s not exactly rocket science, but follows the blueprint for a game like this. I definitely like what I hear with this one.
Is Metal Suits Worth Adding To Your Closet? Yup!
Hopefully we’ll see some mild tweaks down the road, but, overall, Metal Suits: Counter-Attack delivers on its mission. It brings creativity with its suits, while at the same time packing lots of carnage-inducing gameplay in a Mega Man sense. Not to mention its presentation is nostalgic enough, and, hey, its $10 price tag isn’t bad. It also works great on Steam Deck, which is also a huge plus.
There are plenty of run-and-gun goodies out there, but Metal Suits is worth a look. You just might like the way it fits you.
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Eggtart for providing us with a review code! Metal Suits: Counter-Attack is available now for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam/PC/Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch!
Want more run-and-gun thrills? Check out our review of Bitmap Books’ Run ‘n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters!
