If you’ve ever wished for a game that combines Devil May Cry’s flash with Hades’ structure, Morbid Metal is your dream come true. This upcoming rogue-lite lets you shapeshift between two distinct characters mid-combat to deliver stylish, high-speed carnage.
Thanks to Ubisoft, I had the opportunity to play the demo that gives a slick 30-minute taste of what’s to come, and if this is just the start, we’re in for something special. After diving deep into the demo, I walked away impressed, adrenaline-pumped, and craving more.
The World Is Dying, But Looks Gorgeous Doing It
Set across different biomes ranging from desolate tech wastelands to overgrown ruins, Morbid Metal delivers visual variety with its semi-procedurally generated levels. Even though the demo only features one biome, it’s already packed with stunning little touches: glowing neon edges, broken machines covered in moss, and scattered ruins that whisper of a world long gone.
There’s a distinct sci-fi-meets-decay vibe here, almost like NieR: Automata had a baby with Returnal. The semi-automatic generation of the level design kept each run feeling slightly different, and I found a surprising number of hidden areas and side paths, even within the short span of the demo. That sense of discovery gave the game real replayability and made each run a little adventure. And honestly, this will grow by miles with more biomes on the official release. Well, I hope so!
In my run, at first, I was quite confused by the change of scenery. Then I realized how beautifully the developers kept the world generation fresh and attractive. Moreover, you must go through every detail to find healing, buffs, and even special perks like ‘Deal with Devil’ (more on this later). Additionally, a lot of things within the world are destructible, so even if it’s a fast world, you cannot skip a beat of exploration.
When One Warrior Is Not Enough
The core of Morbid Metal is its exciting hack-and-slash combat, with Ekku and Flux being the center of attention. It absolutely shines in the fast-paced slashing department. The ability to instantly switch between two playable characters, each with distinct attacks, movement, and abilities, makes every encounter feel fresh and reactive. I spent most of my time flipping between Ekku’s heavy ground-cleave strikes and Flux’s aerial acrobatics, juggling enemies like I was in a one-person fighting game tournament.
What sells the action is the fluidity. The transitions aren’t just fast-paced for the namesake; they’re seamless. You can knock an enemy into the air with one character, switch mid-animation to another, and finish them off with a flashy follow-up. It almost feels like a co-op game where you’re playing both characters at once, and it’s an absolute blast.
Without a doubt, the ability to swap characters mid-fight is the beating heart of Morbid Metal. It’s not just a gimmick, it’s the key to unlocking the game’s combat depth. Devil May Cry inspiration runs deep here, and for fans of action games, that’s a huge win. The game’s Steam page says there will be four different characters. So, yes, more chaos is what I expect in the official game.
Enemies, Death, and the Devil’s Deals
Let’s be real: enemy variety isn’t Morbid Metal’s strong suit in the demo, but that’s understandable for such a short preview. The few enemy types that do exist offer a decent challenge, especially when they swarm in. I wish we had a boss fight towards the end of the run for an additional spike in difficulty. That could showcase the potential for really intense battles before the full game drops.
One of the coolest features of this rogue-lite is something unexpected. The feature is ‘Deal with the Devil’ statues. You can interact with these statues to get powerful buffs, but they often come with a twist. On one of my runs, I got a huge critical damage boost, but my health took a serious hit.
Through the deal, I got myself a damage boost, but I also suffered more damage from enemies. It’s a neat high-risk-high-reward mechanic that adds strategy to your run without overcomplicating things.
Also, fair warning: death in Morbid Metal hits hard. This is a rogue-lite through and through—if you die, you’re back at square one. The developers intentionally disabled permanent upgrades in the demo to encourage experimentation, and I actually liked that decision. It pushed me to try different character combos and find the synergy that worked best.
Final Thoughts: Your Next Favorite Hack-n-Slash
While the demo is short and the enemy roster is limited, Morbid Metal already feels like it’s doing something special. The real-time character swapping, mixed with flashy hack-and-slash gameplay and roguelite structure, makes for a compelling foundation. Add in the stylish visuals and infinite replay potential, and it’s clear this one’s aiming for something big.
If this is just a taste of what’s coming, then Morbid Metal is absolutely worth keeping an eye on. Wishlist Morbid Metal on Steam now—you won’t want to miss it when it fully launches.
