“In 1972, a crack commando squad threw you in prison for a crime you did not commit. You promptly escaped from a maximum-security stockade to the underground trying to survive from these soldiers of fortune.”
This s the set-up to Unepic_Fran’s, UnMetal. A game where the similarities to Metal Gear are so apparent, they verge on copyright infringement.
Saying that UnMetal is very much a loving tribute to those early stealth-action titles, and it is clear that Unepic_Fran is a fan of Hideo Kojima’s blockbuster series.
From the voice acting, the character designs, and challenging boss battles, the suspiciously codec like radio, everything about this game transports me back to 1999 with my PlayStation controller in my hand.
The music and the character voices invoked the memory of hiding in cardboard boxes when I should have been studying for my GCSEs. The only thing that separates UnMetal from the games that influenced it is its hilarious script, coupled with some mind-bending and thoroughly absurd set pieces.
Being chased by mutant squirrels to Yackety Sax, more commonly known as the Benny Hill chase music, springs to mind, and that is not the only nod to days gone by.
UnMetal is packed with TV and movie references from the cream of the 80s action crop. But it is not just a trip down memory lane but a well-made and challenging stealth game in its own right.
UnMetal begins with you being debriefed by a superior officer. The answers you give and the story you retell become the level you need to traverse. You are Jesse Fox, presumably another clone of Big Boss, and you will need to use items you find and your bare fists to survive and escape from prison. This escape mission quickly turns into a quest to save the world as you uncover a terrifying conspiracy against NATO.
While the music and voice talent in UnMetal stems from the PSOne era, the pixel graphics and gameplay are a lot more reminiscent of the original 8-bit Metal Gear on the NES.
The game is played from a top-down perspective. While the simple controls make avoiding obstacles, solving puzzles, and taking out enemies very easy to pick up. Some screens and bosses, however, will take a bit more time and patience to master. The inventory system is well laid out but a bit clunky to navigate. It is here where you will MacGyver your items together to solve problems, often with hilarious results.
You earn experience by successfully and peacefully taking out guards. If you manage to incapacitate them without being spotted, you earn a star. Earn enough stars, and you will level up, rewarding you with new perks to help you on your mission.
Do not kill anyone unless you like seeing the game over screen. Yes, our protagonist is a pacifist, and he cannot bear the thought of taking another life, so much so, he does not want you to play anymore. You can shoot people, but then you have a certain amount of time to use a medkit on them before they bleed out, making your slingshot or chloroform much safer choices.
The action does not stop in UnMetal, and neither does the comedy. The snappy one-liners from the cast are well written. But it was the little touches that got me chuckling to myself. One scene shows a cat rattling a trash can and running off. The guard is alerted, but once he hears the cat meowing, he backs off. You walk past the bin, and it rattles, the guard is alerted again, but instead of mimicking the cat, Jesse shouts: “It’s another cat!” What other game lets you save by using the urinal? (Ed: No More Heroes)
One of the things the Metal Gear series became famous for was boss battles. We all remember Psycho Mantis and having to swap the controller to the other port. The boss battles in UnMetal may not be quite that epic, but they are certainly memorable and challenging. The main challenges are a lack of space, avoiding fire, and finding time to shoot back. This is not easy when you are restricted to one 2D screen.
The knack to overcoming each boss is to memorise their attack patterns and find the perfect place to position yourself. Although getting to that point may take several tries – UnMetal always gives you the tools you need to succeed. It feels like you are always one shot away from winning, so you keep trying for just one more go.
It is hard to explain how I feel about the graphics, but I will try my best. Do you know when developers remaster, say, a PS3 game to release on the PS4? Usually, it is pretty much identical, but the graphics look a bit crisper. With UnMetal, the creators have made a game you think is identical to the NES classic you remember playing. However, when you compare the two, you will not believe your eyes. Better pixel art, better colours, and better animation. Everything looks crisp, and you do not need any help recognising what things are supposed to be. All the attention to detail, even the backgrounds, show what a labour of love UnMetal is.
It is clear the team have worked hard to get the gameplay and graphics just right, and in doing so, have succeeded in making a stealth game as close to Metal Gear as you are ever likely to get.
Last Thursday, I only managed to get four hours of sleep. My one-year-old was ill and continuously waking up throughout the night. Last night I only had four hours of sleep because I just could not stop playing this game. I do not get a lot of free time to play, but every free moment I have had at the moment has been spent playing UnMetal.
If you have been hoping for a new game in the Metal Gear series or yearn for the simpler days of top-down espionage, UnMetal deserves your undivided attention. It does not hurt that it is a good laugh to boot.
