Tears of Metal looks like a medieval Dynasty Warriors with a roguelike knife twist, and it’s heade

Permadeath, limited character upgrades, and a growing battalion sure sound like the perfect combination to evoke the intensity of an army charging into battle with one "last hurrah." It's the strategy hack-and-slash roguelike Tears of Metal showed off during today's with its new gameplay trailer signaling a plan to deploy in 2025.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes may have tinkered with the one-vs-one-thousand hack-and-slash formula, but Tears of Metal seems to go all-in on a truly perma-punishing Dynasty Warriors-like action game. Developer Paper Cult is no stranger to dabbling in the hardcore, either, as its first game was a violently silly brawl with all of the spirit and attitude of Samurai Jack. Take one look at the fast-paced shredding in the new footage and it's pretty easy to see how the progression from the studio's 2020 "murderballet," , leads to a chord like Tears of Metal.

You can't name a game "Tears of Metal" and not go Devil [[link]] May Cry-style hard on the soundtrack. There is no reality in which I actually beat Dante Must Die mode, but the music makes me feel like I can, and that's what's important. Fortunately the same applies here if the trailer track is anything to go off of. Ashamed to admit I didn't know bagpipe metal was a thing, but now I do, and I'm better for it.

All of that attitude aside, Tears of Metal is a neat one [[link]] for me to see cued up after being on a bit of a co-op roguelike/lite kick. Typically the more committed to that recipe a game gets, the more inclined I am to fly solo, but I've been playing a ton of Ravenswatch, Don't Starve Together, and The Outlast Trials' Escalation mode lately. The risk and reward of individual, permanent choices mixed with RNG is a good time with the right group, and I can't say I have anything quite like Paper Cult's hack-and-slash in my library.

Tears of Metal is out next year, though you [[link]] can keep an eye on it now by wishlisting the roguelike on . And while you're at it, end 2024 on a good note by tuning into today's for a top 25 list of even more games to look forward to in 2025 (hopefully).