[EARLY ACCESS] Morbid Metal – Great Idea Still Finding Its Shape

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• DEVELOPER: SCREEN JUICE
• PUBLISHER: Ubisoft
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Roguelite / Action
• RELEASE DATE: April 8, 2026
• STARTING PRICE: 17,99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Morbid Metal ended up being a genuine surprise for me. I first played it during last year’s Steam Next Fest, which still feels like a strange move considering how far away the early access release was, but that first impression stuck. Coming back to it now, I can confidently say that the game is really fun. At its core, it’s a fast-paced hack-and-slash with roguelite elements, although that roguelite side feels noticeably underdeveloped. It’s there, but it doesn’t fully support or elevate the much stronger combat system, which is clearly the main attraction.

Smooth fast-paced combat

The structure revolves around pushing through different areas toward a final boss, then repeating that loop with various upgrades. It takes a while for the game to properly open up, mostly because resource gain is on the slower side and upgrades aren’t particularly plentiful. You do unlock new things and expand your options over time, but the builds you end up creating tend to feel very similar across runs, especially when playing with the three available characters. That lack of meaningful variation holds the roguelite aspect back more than anything else.

Where Morbid Metal truly shines is in its combat system. The game lets you switch between three characters Flux, Ekku, and Vekta on the fly, and this mechanic is easily the best part of the game. Flux is fast and agile with a sword, Ekku is slower but hits hard with a massive weapon, and Vekta offers ranged options along with utility abilities like pulling or pushing enemies.

The real magic comes from chaining them together mid-combat. You can dash in with one character, launch enemies into the air with another, then switch again to continue the combo or reposition. The possibilities feel fluid and satisfying, and it creates a combat rhythm that’s both dynamic and rewarding.

The world itself leans into a dark, sci-fi dystopian aesthetic, with machine enemies and visually strong character designs. Bosses, while limited in number, are well-designed and come with multiple phases, making them more than just simple encounters. Biomes are distinct and visually appealing, each introducing different enemy types, which helps keep things somewhat fresh even if the overall structure doesn’t change much. The main path through levels is fairly fixed, though you’ll occasionally come across optional challenges or side activities for extra resources.

Bugs disrupt the experience

There are also platforming sections between combat encounters, and while they initially feel like a nice change of pace, they quickly become repetitive. The movement itself: jumping, dashing, and grappling works fine, but the way it’s used doesn’t evolve enough to stay interesting. Maps can also feel a bit too large at times, which only emphasizes that repetition. Secret areas exist, but they mostly reward you with resources rather than anything particularly exciting or game-changing.

During runs you’ll come across Emporium, a place where you can upgrade abilities, stats, and passive bonuses before major encounters. There are some interesting ideas here, like summoning a small robot companion or applying status effects like bleeding, but overall, the upgrade pool lacks depth. Skill customization is another area that sounds better on paper than it feels in practice. You can swap abilities as you progress, but many of them end up being less useful than your starting kit. Even when you find higher-tier skills, the difference often feels minimal.

Presentation-wise, the game does a solid job. The combat feels smooth, animations are responsive, and the soundtrack stands out with its blend of heavy metal and Japanese-inspired elements, which fits the tone surprisingly well. Story, on the other hand, is almost nonexistent. It’s there in the background, but it’s not something you’ll pay much attention to or remember.

One of the bigger problems is the number of bugs. They’re not completely game-breaking most of the time, but they are frequent enough to be annoying. I ran into issues where my character couldn’t dash, enemies got stuck behind walls, or my character briefly became invisible. These are the kind of problems you expect in early access, but they still disrupt the flow of a game that relies so heavily on responsiveness.

The final verdict

Upon defeat, you are returned to the main lobby to spend your rewards on various upgrades. Here, you can unlock new skills for future runs, new starting abilities for your characters, and secure permanent starting bonuses. In the end, Morbid Metal is a solid early access title with a fantastic core idea that’s already working in its favor.

The combat system, especially the character-switching mechanic, is genuinely fun and gives the game a strong identity. At the same time, it’s clear that it needs more content, more variety, and more refinement across several systems, particularly its roguelite elements and overall balance. The bugs don’t help either, even if they don’t completely ruin the experience.

This review is based on the retail copy I purchased