MetalGearSqualid

I haven’t felt this hyped about a release in a long time.

Played the recent server slam and wasn’t bowled over by the gameplay: it’s solid enough.

But each of the mechanics scratches a specific itch in a meaningful way, from progression and cooperation to loot jeopardy. Nothing astonished, but everything was exactly what it needed to be.

Why the excitement, then?

Because in a world of AAA titles that dazzle for a handful of hours but lack a compelling loop, this sort of experience is surprisingly rare: a game that chooses its demographic carefully and caters competently to their needs.

Indie titles do this very well, but it’s not often you see a title achieve it at this scale. And it might just catch a wave.

TLDR: if you like extraction shooters, you’re probably going to play this for a very long time. With a little luck and ongoing developer support, this might be the game that elevates the genre out of its niche.

This all feels like the beginning of a Black Mirror episode.