Metal Thunder

About

Metal Thunder is a single player action game. It was developed by Dumbbell Games and was released on November 1, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Roadmap About the Game The battlefield is ever-changing, with dynamic environments and unpredictable enemy tactics. As you face diverse combat scenarios, you'll need to think on your feet and make split-second decisions. Choose your weapons wisely, customize your loadout, and deploy tactical maneuvers to turn the tide in your favor. No two missions are the same. Encounter a variety o…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 245 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Metal Thunder offers a fun and addictive gameplay experience, combining AC-130 gunship mechanics with roguelite elements that keep players engaged.
The game features a variety of weapons and upgrades, allowing for satisfying progression and customization as players adapt to different challenges.
Visually and audibly immersive, the game creates a chaotic battlefield atmosphere that enhances the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.

The game suffers from performance issues, particularly during intense moments with many projectiles and enemies on screen, leading to significant lag.
Currently, the gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with a lack of variety in missions and enemy encounters, which may deter long-term engagement.
As an early access title, it has several bugs and lacks essential features like a campaign mode, which leaves players wanting more content and polish.

story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
88%
6%
The game's story aspect is currently minimal, primarily revolving around survival missions that lack depth and variety, with players expressing disappointment over the absence of a traditional campaign. While the dynamic missions and procedural generation offer some excitement, they often feel repetitive and punishing, leading to frustration rather than engagement. Players are hopeful for future updates that will introduce a more robust narrative and diverse mission types, as the game is still in early access and has potential for growth.
- “Players are tasked with completing a variety of dynamic missions, battling both ground and air targets, and upgrading their arsenal as they progress, all while adapting to unpredictable challenges and procedurally generated environments.”
- “Very early access game, already completed my first mission, it has a lot of potential and a lot of stuff in the pot from what I have read. It's simple but very satisfying and still able to get some adrenaline going trying to balance different weapons and reload timers to survive. Great fun, can't wait for the future.”
- “This game feels similar to the 'Death from Above' mission from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.”
- “After 9 months of launch, the game doesn't have a main story - only survival mode (he calls 'sorties'), with 20 minutes of impossibly hard enemy waves (you will lose a lot until you open upgrades).”
- “No story, no rewards, just some cash points to upgrade your weapons.”
- “Despite the fact that the game is nice or at least has nice tools in it, there is no immersion or good soundtrack, no rewards, and no story.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The gameplay of "Metal Thunder" is characterized by its high-octane aerial combat and roguelite mechanics, allowing players to pilot an AC-130 gunship while upgrading weapons and abilities. While the core mechanics are simple and enjoyable, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, particularly in enemy types and game modes. Overall, the game shows potential for fun and strategic depth, but it requires improvements in mechanics and balancing to enhance the overall experience.
- “Metal Thunder, developed and published by Dumbbell Games, is a high-octane action roguelite that puts players in control of a heavily armed AC-130 gunship, blending strategic aerial combat with intense, fast-paced gameplay.”
- “The core gameplay of Metal Thunder revolves around piloting the gunship through ever-changing battlefields.”
- “The gameplay loop is so satisfying; it’s hard to stop once you start.”
- “I like the concept of Metal Thunder more than the gameplay as of writing this.”
- “The starting weapon is horrendous and the gameplay has no variety.”
- “I would refund it... but I forgot to close the game. Bugs everywhere, horrible FPS issues, boring and stale gameplay, no challenge, everything feels the same.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the detailed visuals and immersive audio that enhance the overall experience, while others criticize the poor pixel quality and lack of optimization, suggesting that the visuals could be improved for a more realistic feel. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the simplicity of the graphics, arguing that it aligns well with the game's theme and enhances the gameplay. Overall, while the visuals contribute positively to immersion, there are notable areas for improvement.
- “Its detailed visuals, immersive audio, and varied gameplay make it a standout title for fans of action-oriented military simulations.”
- “The immersion is great from the visuals to sound design to even the radio comms are just all done well.”
- “The visuals and sound effects are spot on, especially the intense weapon effects—they really make you feel the power behind each shot.”
- “I've tried different graphic settings, but on my system, it doesn't even utilize more than 30% of my GPU and CPU.”
- “Graphics may be the worst part here, especially the terrain.”
- “Poor pixel visuals.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's optimization is notably poor, with significant performance drops occurring during intense combat scenarios, particularly when many enemies and fast-firing weapons are involved. Despite running on high-end hardware, players report crashes and various bugs that detract from the overall experience, indicating that optimization remains a critical issue that needs addressing.
- “This will be a really cool game, but at the current moment it has some performance issues.”
- “I have a pretty beefy rig, Intel 13900K, RTX 3090 Ti, etc., but optimization is still a factor.”
- “Performance drops later on in the missions when there's a lot of enemies on the screen and your weapons fire multiple projectiles fast.”
- “Unfortunately, at some point with a lot of enemies and fast shooting guns, performance is abysmal.”
- “Terribly optimized; it crashes the more I play it.”
- “Performance drops later on in the missions when there are a lot of enemies on the screen and your weapons fire multiple projectiles quickly.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game features strong replayability due to its roguelite elements, which provide varied layouts, enemy placements, and environmental challenges in each run. Players are encouraged to refine strategies and experiment with different loadouts, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users note that while the game is enjoyable, it may have minimal replayability in the long term.
- “The roguelite elements introduce variety and replayability, with each run offering new layouts, enemy placements, and environmental hazards.”
- “For players seeking a high-energy, tactical combat game with significant replay value, Metal Thunder delivers a satisfying and immersive journey through chaotic battlefields.”
- “However, these aspects also enhance the game’s replayability, encouraging players to refine their strategies, experiment with different loadouts, and adapt to unforeseen circumstances.”
- “This would guarantee replayability much further.”
- “★ and there is replay value because of said achievements and to open new maps with different terrain.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be significant, with many noting that while it can be enjoyable and engaging, it often feels excessive and can lead to frustration, especially in the early stages. The grind for weapon upgrades and completing zones can be tedious, with some users expressing a strong aversion to games that prioritize grinding over fun. Overall, the game is described as "insanely grindy," but still capable of providing enjoyable short sessions.
- “The game is insanely grindy though and often enough you will not complete any of the zones in the early game.”
- “From all of that, it causes the permanent weapon upgrades to become very grindy because the remaining points after finishing the level could result in less than 10k if spent on defending units too much.”
- “I don't want to play another predatory game like War Thunder. I have never spent a single dollar on War Thunder and would never spend money on only grinding boring, tiring, predatory games like this.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The game's music is praised for its adrenaline-fueled soundtrack that enhances tension during missions, complemented by effective radio chatter and voice lines that add context. However, some users note a lack of variety in the music, which detracts from overall immersion and engagement.
- “The soundtrack, characterized by adrenaline-fueled music, heightens tension during missions, while radio chatter and voice lines provide context and urgency to objectives.”
- “Good music and fun”
- “Not much music variety”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting smooth performance on devices like the MS Surface tablet, while others highlight significant bugs and low quality, particularly in comparison to other titles like Call of Duty. Overall, the game appears to have notable stability issues that detract from the experience.
- “Runs great on my MS Surface tablet.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “The game is very buggy.”
- “Buggy and low quality; Call of Duty gunship missions are way better.”
- “The bad and buggy aspects are frustrating.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for its intrusive ads promoting upcoming titles, which cannot be dismissed, leading many to perceive it as a cash grab. Players feel that the game's quality does not justify its price, especially given its short playtime and rough gameplay, likening it to a low-effort mobile experience.
- “There are ads for two other games that are going to enter early access in 'Q4 2025' plastered on the main menu with no way to hide or close them, even though they haven't completed a single campaign mission for this game and the survival mode is rough enough around the edges that it's impossible to distinguish from a browser/mobile game.”
- “Right now I think it's basically a cash-grab game, especially since they are advertising three more games on the title screen.”
- “If the game was $5 or less it would have been fine as early access, maybe, as you know you can beat the game in 1 or 2 hours, but the game feels more like a cash grab for children from Dumbel Studios.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its visually stunning design, which effectively creates an immersive and realistic atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- “Visually, the game excels in creating an immersive and realistic atmosphere.”
- “The sound design perfectly complements the visuals, enhancing the overall mood and immersion.”
- “Every environment feels alive, drawing you into the world and making you feel like a part of it.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game often arises from the contrast between moments of overwhelming power and the intense struggle for survival, creating a comedic juxtaposition that players find amusing.
- “Sometimes, you can get so overpowered that it's funny on its own, while on other runs, you have to sweat a lot just to survive.”
- “The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud throughout the game.”
- “The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making even the toughest challenges feel lighthearted.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a nostalgic emotional connection, likening their experience to the joy of childhood gaming on classic consoles, evoking feelings of innocence and simplicity.
- “Made me feel like I was a kid playing games on old consoles, just like back in the day.”