PAX West Spotlight: Metalcore

By: Mithrandiel

Probably one of the most active booths this year at PAX West is at Metalcore - a first/third person shooter that features Tanks, Planes and Mechs (oh my!)

I had the opportunity to experience a solo demo with within the hallowed booth walls.

The game was introduced as an open-world style shooter where players join flashpoint battles against other factions for control over territories. The demo experience is a 5v5 match, but the full game will have up to 100 players active simultaneously in a 50v50 game.

You may have previously heard Metalcore being pitched as an ”NFT-based” game, but the level of NFT involvement is fairly low - there may be unique ”minted” NFTs for various infantry loadouts, but they do not impact gameplay in any way, nor are they required.

As I played through the demo, I asked what the developers did to make playing as a human just as fun as playing in a mech, tank, or flying around in a jet. ”There will be 30 different classes among the human players, each with their unique specials and abilities. In addition there will be 48 different varieties of mechs, tanks and planes.”

And honestly, if you are addicted to combat in the bigger machines, that’s okay! Just understand that at the end of the day, the humans have to move to control points.

The creators of MetalCore, which has only been in active development for 9 months (!!), took inspiration from MechWarrior, of course, as well as elements from the beloved, though overlooked Titanfall 2. They even have some seasoned developers from the MechWarrior team helping to bring MetalCore to life.

The result? A fast paced, approachable shooter that promises frenetic and wild combat on a massive scale. Even with the 10 player matches, the battles seemed to be pulled straight out of a AAA Sci-Fi blockbuster film.

If you’re at PAX West this weekend, definitely check it out! Otherwise, keep a close eye on their webpage for the latest updates!