Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Metal Dungeon’s core gameplay is built around a dynamic real-time turn-based combat system that feels both familiar and fresh. Battles unfold in an Active Time Battle style reminiscent of classic JRPGs, but with an intriguing twist: once you assign actions to your mercenaries, they will carry them out autonomously until you intervene. This constant ebb and flow between strategic planning and on-the-fly adjustments keeps every encounter tense and engaging.

Character creation is a deep and rewarding feature. You can recruit and customize as many mercenaries as you like, but only five can venture into the facility at a time. Each character can be assigned one of five distinct classes—such as the hulking Heavy Gunner or the arcane-leaning Spellbreaker—each with its own unique weapons, spells, and skill trees. Facial features, body types, and equipment colors can all be tweaked, allowing you to assemble a party that not only plays to your strategy but also looks the part.

The dungeon-crawling itself is a test of adaptability. Every level of the research facility is procedurally generated and reshapes itself the moment you step away, ensuring no two expeditions feel the same. Caution is vital: chests scattered throughout may hold powerful loot or deadly traps, and a Weapon Monster lurks on every floor, demanding tactical finesse to overcome. Should a party member fall, you’re not out of options—if you’ve discovered a preservation room, you can obtain a fresh body and revive your teammate mid-dungeon.

Graphics

Visually, Metal Dungeon strikes a balance between grim biomechanical horror and vibrant customization. The Weapon Monsters are rendered with grotesque detail—gleaming metallic limbs, pulsating cores, and malicious red optics—emphasizing their nature as manufactured killing machines. Contrasting this, your mercenary team’s armor and gear can shine in a spectrum of colors, showcasing your personal aesthetic choices.

The facility’s environments are moody and atmospheric. Hallways lined with flickering fluorescents, steam vents hissing in dark corners, and laboratories strewn with broken equipment all contribute to the oppressive sense that you’re deep inside a rogue research complex. Textures remain crisp during exploration and combat, and dynamic lighting effects heighten the suspense whenever you turn a corner or open a suspicious chest.

On the downside, the procedural generation can lead to occasional repetition in asset placement, making some corridors feel all too familiar after extended play sessions. However, the varied enemy designs and the unpredictable layout shifts counteract this by keeping your visual experience fresh. Special class spells and combat animations—like electrified hammer swings or ethereal runic blasts—add flashy punctuation to otherwise tense battles.

Story

The narrative of Metal Dungeon is a dark saga of betrayal and vengeance. The world of Giamel teeters on the brink of annihilation as the Gods of Magic—once revered sorcerers—have been entranced and forced to produce biomechanical Weapon Monsters for a sinister plot of world domination. Your mission is twofold: free these sorcerers from their arcane trance and stop their creations from slaughtering humanity.

As you delve deeper into the research facility, fragments of lore emerge: datapads revealing the Gods’ harrowing captivity, transmission logs from panicked guards, and arcane runes hinting at an even darker force pulling the strings. This layered storytelling encourages exploration, rewarding players with a clearer understanding of the true mastermind behind the facility’s horrors.

Character-driven moments also shine through brief intermissions between levels. Conversations with your mercenaries—whether a grizzled veteran questioning the morality of their mission or a rookie eager to prove themselves—add emotional weight to each plunge into the ever-shifting depths. By the time you face off against the awakened Gods of Magic and their Demon Lord ally, you’re invested not just in the world’s fate, but in the survival of the team you’ve painstakingly built.

Overall Experience

Metal Dungeon offers a potent blend of strategic combat, deep customization, and atmospheric storytelling that will appeal to fans of dungeon crawlers and JRPG mechanics alike. The real-time turn-based system challenges you to think ahead while remaining flexible, and the ability to swap in fresh bodies for fallen comrades keeps progress moving forward even after setbacks.

Replay value is one of the game’s standout strengths. Procedurally generated levels, unlockable special classes, and a vast pool of potential mercenary recruits mean no two playthroughs need look the same. Whether you’re chasing new spells, experimenting with team compositions, or striving to breach deeper facility floors, there’s always another challenge waiting.

While occasional asset repetition and the inherent grind of randomized dungeon crawling may not suit every player, the compelling premise of rogue sorcerers turned biomechanical gods and the high stakes of your mission make Metal Dungeon a thrilling ride. For those seeking a dark, strategic adventure filled with customization and surprise, this title is well worth the trip into the depths of the facility.

Retro Replay Score

5.3/10