With almost 1.5 years’ worth of free updates and content additions, it stands out as one of the best third-person shooters and Warhammer titles available, either solo or with friends. If you prefer other less stressful co-op titles, there’s Astroneer for PS4 and PS5 and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PS5 only) that offer some survival crafting fun.

EA Sports Madden NFL 26 on PS5 is for the sports fans, while Metal Eden may suit those looking for more fast-paced, first-person shooter action. If that wasn’t enough, PS4 and PS5 players can dive into Persona 5 Royal, which features new additions to the battle system, numerous quality of life improvements and an entire new story act over the original, complete with a new ending (with previous-gen players getting the Ultimate Edition).

Meanwhile, Premium subscribers get exclusive access to none other than Tekken: Dark Resurrection from the PSP era.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

When Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was announced as a first-person title, many fans would have understandably been skeptical as to how such an action-adventure-focused title would work within the context of a first-person game. But those skepticisms were pleasantly washed away when the game actually came out. In addition to a very engaging story with memorable characters, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle features intriguing puzzles and a great deal of flexibility in how you choose to go about quests.

Metal Eden seemingly references Project Eden – an initiative by humanity to preserve themselves in Cores, essentially defeating death. Or at least that was the plan. Sent over to Moebius, a city orbiting an unknown world, things have taken a mysterious turn (who would have thought), and they’re now seemingly at risk. As ASKA, a Hyper Unit, your task is to infiltrate Moebius and save the Cores. Which is easier said than done because the Engineers would rather deploy their Internal Defence Corps. Why are they so hell-bent on stopping ASKA? Has the Erosion, a strange phenomenon, worn away at their senses?

It’s up to you to find out, guided by the also-mysterious Nexus. ASKA is tasked with retrieving her old body, restoring her Hyper Unit functions in the process, but Metal Eden isn’t a rogue-lite. Going into further details would be to invite spoilers, but the campaign moves at a linear pace, even if ASKA senses that some things aren’t quite right. What’s the deal with the Hyper Units? What is the relationship between Nexus and the Engineers? Who is the Overseer, and why does their demeanor feel far from villainous? How is ASKA so special anyway?

"I can appreciate the developer trying to effectively world-build while maintaining some sense of intrigue and not simply dumping all the lore. But as you wall-run, grapple, and traverse these Brutalist environments, it’s all too easy to lose track among the semi-stream of consciousness rambling."

This will all be familiar terrain for those who played Ruiner, as Nexus (and later, other characters) provide exposition between various areas. The results are mixed, and not just because of the overall creepy vibe of some narration. I can appreciate the developer trying to effectively world-build while maintaining some sense of intrigue and not simply dumping all the lore. But as you wall-run, grapple, and traverse these Brutalist environments, it’s all too easy to lose track among their semi-stream of consciousness rambling. And since these voiceovers chime in between combat arenas, a character will begin a thought, pause, and continue it after the battle is over, again and again. Overall, less verbiage, more soaking in the aftermath of high-speed violence would have been appreciated.

On the latter front, Metal Eden has plenty to offer. Despite her unassuming appearance and extensive mobility for zip-line riding, wall-running, and grappling through environments, ASKA is armed to the teeth. You start with an SMG, which passively regenerates ammo over time, but quickly obtain a heavy pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, and even a plasma rifle. However, she can also perform Core Extraction, ripping out an enemy’s Core and either tossing it back as an explosive projectile or consuming it to activate Booster and Super Punch. The fact that this process is timed means

Super Punch helps break through armored targets, which otherwise take pitiful damage from your kinetic weapons. Managing the cooldown of Core Extraction, even if the upgrades help tremendously, can take some getting used to. It can sometimes feel finicky, not activating even if you swear you hit L1. However, my biggest pet peeve is hitting the button and holding it down, always thinking it smoothly transitions into Core consumption. Alas, that’s not the case, resulting in some extra awkwardness, but not quite as awkward as aiming at an armored foe and instead Super Punching the nearest minion.

Some weapons can diminish armor more quickly, but as the campaign ramps up, introducing more “regular” armored foes on top of the heavy hitters, managing ammo becomes a necessity. Of course, you could melee an enemy normally to cause them to take more damage, but that can be riskier.

"Outside of claustrophobic hallways and indoor arenas, Metal Eden also tosses in some outdoor locations with much more space, allowing ASKA to shift back and forth between Hyper Unit form and the Armored Ramball, which can boost, jump, and navigate hazardous terrain."

Thankfully, other options become available over time, including weapon attachments. By completing a weapon’s challenges and spending Dust, the main currency, you can unlock new attachments, like a grenade launcher for the AR. Subsequent upgrades make them even more potent, including more damage for your SMG, keeping it competitive with other options, and prepping a three-burst shot for your shotgun (even if holding the trigger down feels more effective).

ASKA checking each attachment upon unlocking them invites further comparisons, if they weren’t blatant enough. While a more original approach to weapon modules would have been appreciated, it still works well enough. The various passive upgrades for abilities like two Super Punches, triggering explosions on extracting Cores, and whatnot keep things interesting as well, while letting you lean into specific playstyles.

The combat arenas offer a decent mix of mobility and varying elevations, as you seek to outmaneuver and overcome the odds, collecting pickups to refresh Core Extraction when not maxing out armor. A few unique objectives, like remaining within a specific section of a room for a scan while fending off enemies or activating Overdrive to lay waste to multiple heavies, mix things up. It’s nothing particularly extraordinary or new, and I could honestly do without the announcement of incoming waves, just for the sake of maintaining tension, but it works in its own nuanced ways.

Outside of claustrophobic hallways and indoor arenas, Metal Eden also tosses in some outdoor locations with much more space, allowing ASKA to shift back and forth between Hyper Unit form and the Armored Ramball, which can boost, jump, and navigate hazardous terrain. It can also unleash homing missiles and channel lightning, giving new meaning to “They see me rolling.” Sadly, the actual transformation sequence is hilariously shoddy, more like a mini-loading screen between perspectives rather than a fluid transition. Regardless, the Ramball adds even more variety to the experience, maintaining the overall tempo and pacing of the action without overshadowing the core first-person shooting.

"It probably won’t have the same impact as Ruiner, but the gameplay makes up for it in spades."

Visually, there’s a lot to appreciate about the art direction, even if the architecture isn’t exactly for everyone. The lighting, reflective surfaces, and character models are fairly top-notch – as desolate as some environments may look, there’s a genuinely stunning vibe to their scale and detail. However, since this is an Unreal Engine 5 title (and you probably knew this was coming), there are some performance hiccups on PS5. While not occurring frequently, the sudden frame rate drops are still annoying, especially after enabling VSync and Performance Mode. The color balance also comes across as fairly harsh at times and is made all the more headache-inducing with all the fast-paced movement. At least the music is good, even if it lacks the same surreal, cyberpunk vibe of Ruiner in favor of more measured, fast-paced techno.

Metal Eden won’t see Reikon as the new king of first-person shooters anytime soon, especially with all the rough edges. Its efforts are almost contrary to their first title – sleek instead of raw, if a little too rudimentary, with a commitment to a specific narrative style, though more overbearing. The mystery of ASKA and how she fits into this ruined future may not stand out much initially – and her relatively stoic personality doesn’t help either. It probably won’t have the same impact as Ruiner, but the gameplay makes up for it in spades.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

While adept at slaying hordes of enemies, ASKA will occasionally fall. No, this isn’t a rogue-lite set-up akin to Returnal, but part of the story, and could have far more disturbing implications than initially revealed. The actual gameplay is quite similar, as players wall-run, grapple, and mow down hordes of enemies.

Metal Eden’s core mechanic literally revolves around Cores, as ASKA can rip them out of enemies and either consume them for a boost or toss them back for some fireworks. The DOOM influence is pretty obvious, but the sci-fi setting and overall mystery lend some intrigue.

For more details on Metal Eden, check out this gameplay trailer. You can also read our impressions of the demo.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Remember when this was just supposed to be a second playable character and DLC for Hollow Knight? Over six years since its announcement, Silksong is indeed real, and based on Team Cherry’s own admission, it’s as big, perhaps even bigger than its predecessor. Because you weren’t planning on anything for the rest of the month? Over 200 enemy types, more than 40 bosses, numerous new abilities – and based on demo impressions from Gamescom, best-in-class movement. Hollow Knight: Silksong releases on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and at this point, we’re beyond ready.

Hell is Us

If you’re in the mood for a different kind of action-adventure, one that very adamantly won’t hold your hand, there’s Rogue Factor’s Hell is Us. A dark horse of sorts, it’s semi-open-world-ish, focusing on peacekeeper Rémi, who explores Hadea in search of his parents. The country has seen better days – it’s devastated by war and Hollow Walkers emerging in the wake of the Calamity. With just the bare minimum, you have to gather clues and ultimately unravel the mystery behind Rémi’s parents while uncovering the mysteries of Hadea. With Souls-lite gameplay and a mysterious yet foreboding vibe, Hell is Us could very well make a name for itself when it launches on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Cronos: The New Dawn

For a different flavor of horror – the sci-fi survival third-person shooter kind – there’s Bloober Team’s Cronos: The New Dawn, where players control a Traveller under the mysterious Collective, tasked with extracting the essence of key individuals. Or not – you don’t really have to, though that could affect the ending. Between these choices, you’re exploring run-down buildings and structures infested with monsters born from the mysterious Change, using shotguns, SMGs and flamethrowers to bat them back, while casually manipulating gravity and the environment to progress forward. It’s very Dead Space-esque on first appearance, but the mysterious narrative and time travel elements help set Cronos apart when it launches on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion

I’m not the biggest Daemon X Machina fan out there, but credit to Marvelous Inc. for doing something different with the sequel. You’re still in this world of Arsenals and Outer factions, destroying similarly armored foes and extracting their parts for your own usage, but Titanic Scion veers hard by turning Arsenals into power armor. The vast open world also facilitates new traversal methods, such as horseback riding, which is as hilarious as it looks, and even a larger Arsenal frame for dealing big damage in a limited window. Launching on September 5th for Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and PS5, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion could very well be the standout mecha title of the year.

Borderlands 4

It’s funny to think we’ve gone from…whatever Borderlands 3 was meant to be to this epic tale of resistance against a dictatorial figure on an unknown planet that Gearbox promises is its biggest yet. And yet, from everything showcased thus far and against all odds, Borderlands 4 doesn’t look half-bad. The four new Vault Hunters – Vex, Rafa, Amon and Harlowe – all look great in their own ways; the prospect of Licensed Parts for combining different gun manufacturer pieces into one weapon is great; and the addition of grappling, dashing, double-jumping, and more feels just right. Whether the story will stick the landing remains to be seen (I still haven’t forgiven you for Maya, Gearbox), to say nothing of the endgame, but as a co-op looter shooter with slightly classier mayhem, Borderlands 4 could excel. It’s launching on September 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Silent Hill f

As the newest mainline title in the Silent Hill franchise since 2012’s Downpour, Silent Hill f ventures into unknown territory. It’s the first title set in Japan, specifically the fictitious town of Ebisugaoka in the 1960s, and features Ryukishi07 as the writer (with artist kera behind the creature designs). As Hinako Shimizu, who finds herself swallowed up by the fog, players embark on a more action-packed journey, one with a heavier emphasis on melee combat. Don’t let that fool you, though, as it offers some of the most disturbing creatures and sights in the franchise yet. After the success of Silent Hill 2 remake, here’s hoping Konami can pull off another when Silent Hill f launches on September 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

NBA 2K26

Another year, another NBA 2K and even if last year’s iteration sported solid gameplay, one has to wonder if NBA 2K6 is worth the upgrade. Outside of the improved player and arena visuals, you can embark on The Playoffs online; a new MyCareer mode sees you working up the ranks to the NBA, with The City returning; and all the usual modes, including MyTeam and The W, return with various improvements. Maybe it’ll be enough to hold one over till next year, but for now, NBA 2K26 launches on September 5th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Dying Light: The Beast

Techland has been on a venerable marketing overdrive for Dying Light: The Beast, promising its “most diverse world,” a fairly lengthy experience (about 40 to 50 hours for the story and side content), and much more. And based on the gameplay thus far, it seems like a return to everything that made the Dying Light franchise great while continuing the story of Kyle Crane, who now possesses powerful beast-like abilities. Whether it can redeem the series after the whelming second entry or not, the call of the night is hard to resist. Dying Light: The Beast arrives on September 19th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

EA Sports FC 26

With how underwhelming FC 25 turned out, EA is listening in a big way with the latest entry. Various gameplay improvements include faster overall gameplay and two experiences – Competitive and Authentic, each determining the style of play and pace. Archetypes are also debuting and will be added to Clubs to shake things up. There’s honestly a lot more, and it could be the most exciting sports offering from EA in years when it launches on September 26th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, PC, PS4, and PS5.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition

If you thought the title was a mouthful already, this is actually Part 1 of Survios’ VR title-turned-regular-first-person shooter. It follows Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks as she investigates a Weyland-Yutani black site. Which, to no one’s surprise, is full of Xenomorphs. While it may seem like a running and gunning affair, Rogue Incursion also features classic tools like the Motion Tracker, creating a familiar wave of dread when a Xenomorph periodically shows up. Launching on September 30th for PS5 and PC, Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition will support 60 FPS and DualSense functionality.

EA Sports NHL 26

Not one, not two, but three sports games in September? What a deal! NHL 26 launches on September 12th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, packing several changes, including reworked X-Factors (now with three tiers), goalie size and style now affecting how they play, a new Goalie Crease Control System with over 80 new animations, and more. EA Vancouver has its work cut out after last year’s release, but thus far, it’s looking decent.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants

Everyone’s favorite archaeologist returns in a new story DLC, building on the stellar base experience by returning to Rome, as players venture deeper underground to learn more about the Cult of Mithras and the legendary giants. Based on the latest trailer, it seems the undead are also involved. In terms of puzzle-platforming goodness, The Order of Giants should be another compelling adventure for Indy when it launches on September 4th for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

Metal Eden

Metal Eden launches on September 2nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and sees ASKA, a Hyper Unit, venturing into Moebius to save humanity’s rapidly decaying cores. All the usual weaponry, from a pistol, shotgun, SMG and whatnot, awaits. However, Aska’s main calling card is ripping out enemy Cores and either consuming them for a boost (and rocket punch) or tossing them back to deal explosive damage. Paired with a Brutalist aesthetic, extensive mobility and an intriguing narrative, we’re keen to see how deep the cyber-punk rabbit hole goes.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Everyone has their dream remake, and for a subsection of role-playing game fans, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is pretty much it. A ground-up remake of the 2004 classic, it offers fully 3D environments and characters alongside Daybreak’s dual turn-based/real-time combat system. And while there are new voicovers and localization, the tale of Estelle and Joshua, who venture across Liberl, changing lives along the way, remains as timeless as ever. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter launches on September 19th for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, with a free demo currently available.

Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac

This may or may not fall under “dream remake” – really, it depends on how much you love Pac-Man – but Pac-Man World Re-Pac wasn’t half-bad. Re-Pac 2, launching on September 26th for every platform, follows in the same vein, remaking Pac-Man World 2 with gorgeous new visuals. However, its latest comparison trailer highlights noticeable differences in levels (which have also been expanded) and Bandai Namco promises quality-of-life improvements, updated bosses, and even a two-player mode.

The proverbial hot knife through her autonomous machine foes, but with some self-doubt about her existence (or at least hints of the same) and a cycle of suffering. This is illustrated best in the free demo, where ASKA discovers her previous remains, harvests the all-important Core from it to restore her Hyper abilities and fights through waves to end up brutally curb-stomped by a mysterious foe. All the while, the enigmatic and totally-not-suspicious Nexus explains her situation and the overall set-up.

Long story short, humanity really did it this time. Corpo decisions led to the construction of a massive city called Moebius, hanging high above the planet’s surface with the Engineers overseeing it (and with someone, appropriately named the Overseer, seemingly in charge of them). Something caused the city to become corrupted with Erosion, which is bad news because humanity’s Cores are trapped inside, in a place called HIVE. It’s up to ASKA to save them, even as the Engineers throw their best Internal Defence Corps (better known as Cleaners) to stop her.

And hey, credit where it’s due – they did a pretty good job in Chapter 0. ASKA, however, is different from other Hyper Units (which definitely don’t exist, per Nexus). Her psyche is actually human, and upon death, she sends it back to base to enter a newly rebuilt body. She hears some noise from her Core after the latest death, but if foreshadowing has taught me anything, it’s probably fine. The Overseer also put out a PSA in the latest trailer, warning that ASKA is on her way to destroy them all, which is completely unlike her stance of justice, love, and protecting humans. Propaganda, or are we really the baddies?

Plenty of questions, and if Ruiner is any indication, the truth probably won’t be that straightforward. My money is on the Cores of the IDC actually belonging to the humans that ASKA is trying to save, if only because it would be the most shocking (but still predictable) twist.

ASKA’s respawning ability also might make Metal Eden out to be a rogue-lite – a little first-person shooter spin on Returnal, if you will – but it’s not. This is a linear single-player campaign, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Reikon presents some other unique hook, given ASKA’s unique “condition.”

As a Hyper Unit, she has access to abilities like grappling, which also provides speedy transport via zip-lines, and wall-running with a jet-pack that also allows for double-jumps, hovering and dashing on the ground and in mid-air. She can also rip and tear while adding another option to the menu: Consumption. You can rip out Cores from most unarmored enemies, which can be consumed to recover some health and ready a Super Punch to destroy enemy armor, exposing them to gunfire.

Alternatively, you can toss the volatile Core at enemies to deal damage. Each of these has upgrades to diversify their functions. You can make it so that the Booster obtained upon consuming a Core provides additional benefits, or that a bit of armor recovers upon consumption, or roll around with two Super Punches at a time.

Want Core Ripping to be a major offensive tool? Make it so that extracting Cores generates an explosion, wiping out nearby foes, or increasing their explosion radius and damage when thrown. There are plenty of other upgrades to unlock as you clear stages, and even if it’s a little straightforward, the options are pretty potent and fun to experiment with. Of course, you can upgrade weapons with a separate currency, Dust, to unlock alternate firing modes, like charged laser shots for the pistol (which consume more ammo but dish out way more damage).

All of this would make it seem like Metal Eden is a gory shooter with its mobility options, Core ripping, and weapon upgrades, but the overall flow can feel slower and more methodical, at least initially. The starter SMG regenerates ammo but has a cooldown period. Even extracting Cores has a cooldown. As such, you’ll spend a few seconds navigating the level, utilizing your mobility to collect ammo, health, and armor and resetting the ripper with stationary item pick-ups as more enemies port in.

It admittedly takes some getting used to, but as you unlock more upgrades – including the ever-helpful ability to extract Cores from longer distances – and improve your weapons, the combat becomes much more frenetic. The cooldown on Core ripping means you’ll have to think carefully about whether to consume it for health and a Super Punch for a quick and easy kill, or toss it into a crowd to wipe out more enemies. Cores degrade over seconds, so holding on to them forever isn’t an option either, adding an interesting layer of resource management on top of everything else.

The demo also served to illustrate the different objectives that each level has to offer beyond slaying waves of enemies, like activating a marker and standing in shifting zones to fill a progress bar as enemies continually swarmed. Shifting from one zip-line to the next while shooting airborne enemies – and yes, slow-mo is a thing – also felt appropriately slick and responsive. In a way, the flow and pacing reminded me of the first Ghostrunner, but without the fleeting mortality or katana.

Granted, these were only two levels, that too from a month-old demo, which doesn’t represent the game’s final quality. But there are several other aspects of Metal Eden that we’ve yet to really dive into, including the Armored Ramball for charging into enemies with devastating effect (and can channel electricity). And while some elements like melee impact could use a bit more oomph, the shotgun had the right amount of kick to it. I expect the other weapons to feel just as good, especially the Tesla gun, which fires electric orbs and chains lightning between foes, or the assault rifle, which can seemingly freeze enemies with its alternate firing mode.

Then there’s the prospect of VULCAN, the world below. Does it offer a more vibrant world to explore? Is Moebius simply a lie, and maybe everything is bright and peachy on the surface? It’s hard to say, but once again, given the interesting twists that Ruiner took, I’m keen to see where the city ends and ASKA’s journey truly begins.

With all the heavy hitters launching in September – Hell is Us, Cronos: The New Dawn, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, Hollow Knight: Silksong all in the same week alone, never mind the weeks to follow – Metal Eden may end up overlooked by the vast majority of action fans. However, if the full release has the right amount of polish, it should warrant a look from those seeking a more fast-paced, mobility-heavy first-person shooter.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

While there is plenty to see and love in the new trailer, we also get a look at new character, named The Operator, who seems to have some sort of strange relationship with the protagonist. We also get a great look at some of the arsenal that players will get in the game, from an assault rifle, to a high-powered shotgun, and even an energy gun that can latch its beams on to enemies.

Along with this, we also get to see a new ball form that players will be able to take to quickly traverse through the environment. Rather than just being a traversal tool, however, this ball form is also equipped with its own set of weaponry.

Metal Eden was unveiled back in February with a reveal trailer. Since then, Reikon games has also put out a demo, which is currently available for free. Metal Eden is coming to PC (via Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for release on September 2. Check out the gameplay showcase from back then while you’re at it.

Metal Eden focuses on MOEBIUS, a city created by the Engineers to house humans in storage cells (which are slowly corroding), but has since gone rogue. As Hyper Unit ASKA, it’s your job to stop MOEBIUS while also unlocking her memories. She was seemingly once human and mysteriously turned into a killing machine for some unknown purpose.

Pitted against security robots and environmental hazards, ASKA relies on enhanced mobility and powerful weapons to ultimately survive. This includes transforming into a Morph Ball-like Armored Ramball, a jetpack, and much more. Check out some more extensive gameplay and learn more about the demo here.

Regarding the reason for the delay, the developer said on Steam, “After going through the feedback from the demo, we saw some clear areas where we can improve. We’re taking a bit more time to refine the game and make sure it delivers the experience we’re aiming for. Your input has been a big part of that process, and we appreciate it.”

The demo is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC and includes the first two story missions. Players can use it to familiarize themselves with the gunplay, movement and progression system. Of course, with the game receiving refinements, you have to wonder if the demo will be updated.

Stay tuned for more details on that front. Metal Eden is a first-person shooter set in the future and focuses on ASKA, a hyperunit that must battle the city called MOEBIUS. Though the latter has numerous hostile robots and security systems, ASKA has eight weapons and some killer speed. Check out more extensive gameplay here, which showcases the pistol, SMG, and shotgun alongside the fast-paced movement.

Set in the futuristic MOEBIUS, you control ASKA, a hyper unit that must battle the city itself to free its inhabitants. Various hostile robots stand in her way, but alongside eight different weapons, ASKA also possesses exceptional agility and can wall run, grapple and dash. 

Why has MOEBIUS gone off the rails, and what does it have to do with the world known as VULCAN? You won’t find out in the demo, but it does offer a strong primer on the combat, gameplay flow and progression.

Metal Eden releases on May 6th worldwide. Check out 20 minutes of extensive gameplay here.