Metrocide

About

Metrocide is a single player arcade shooter game. It was developed by Flat Earth Games and was released on December 15, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

Metrocide is a single-player shooter game, where you step into the shoes of contract killer T.J. Trench in a brutal retro-futuristic city. With a variety of weapons, you must find unique ways to assassinate targets while avoiding cops, drones, and gangs. One mistake will cost you, as there are no respawns – when you're dead, you're dead. Earn cash by completing kills in this cyberpunk-inspired stealth-action game, inspired by classics like Syndicate and Grand Theft Auto.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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57%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

gameplay20 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game has an interesting premise and offers a unique gameplay loop that can be fun for fans of rogue-like and stealth genres.
The atmosphere and retro art style evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic games like GTA and Syndicate, providing a compelling setting.
The challenge presented by the game is engaging, requiring players to think strategically and pay attention to details while completing contracts.

The game suffers from significant bugs and a lack of polish, making it feel unfinished and frustrating to play.
Gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, with limited variety in missions and mechanics that often feel broken or unpredictable.
The controls are poorly designed, with frustrating aiming mechanics and a lack of customization options, which detracts from the overall experience.

gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it enjoyable and engaging, particularly the stealth mechanics and the core loop of targeting and eliminating enemies. However, many criticize the mechanics as flawed and unintuitive, with issues like slow gun firing times and confusing controls that hinder the experience. While the game offers depth and thematic elements, it often relies on trial and error rather than skill, leading to a frustrating experience for some players.
- “It takes a little while to get a handle on the mechanics, but once you do, it's incredibly fun and surprisingly open.”
- “Gameplay is smooth and very enjoyable; I bought it for $5.99 and I'd say the price is more than worth it for this little gem.”
- “The mechanics make that loop of finding your target and trying to eliminate them quickly and quietly interesting despite the fact that you're doing the same thing over and over again.”
- “The mechanics do not work as explained, are entirely unpredictable, and fundamentally broken.”
- “A charge up time of a second and a half to fire the basic gun, in a game where it only takes half a second to get spotted and have the cops sicced on you is not an acceptable game mechanic, because it destroys most players' ability to 'hit the ground running' and allows them to gain a little momentum and have fun.”
- “At a basic level, the controls are confusing as hell and too much of the gameplay is dependent on the completely arbitrary actions of the AI, who are seemingly capable of maintaining perfect aim at you while you are hidden behind a corner.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The game's story is described as minimal and lacking depth, focusing primarily on the repetitive task of assassinating targets without a significant plot or character development. Players note that the main character is constantly trying to escape the city, with no variety in mission types or meaningful narrative progression. Overall, the experience is characterized as a brutal and unforgiving journey of a contract killer, but one that feels hollow due to its simplistic and monotonous storytelling.
- “This game is a wonderfully brutal and unforgiving story of a contract killer and his escape from this city.”
- “You're meant to assassinate targets (as far as I've seen that's the only mission type), and you want to do this outside of camera or people's viewpoints.”
- “Funny story time: I was one contract away from graduating to the next sector of the city when I unlocked the 'lure' item at the vending machines.”
- “The plot is nonexistent; apparently, the main character perpetually needs to leave whatever area they're currently in, and there are no other mission types that I'm aware of.”
- “There's no epic plot or wide variety of mission types to do when you get sick of killing randomly selected pedestrians.”
- “You're meant to assassinate targets (as far as I've seen, that's the only mission type), and you want to do this outside of camera or people's viewpoints.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Overall, the graphics have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the retro style while others find it lacking and a significant drawback for the game. Despite a fondness for top-down games, many reviewers noted that the graphics did not meet their expectations, marking it as a notable flaw.
- “I like the setting, graphics, sound and have always liked top down games.”
- “The graphics style is slightly similar, but not really.”
- “- Graphics: this was hard to criticize, as I am usually quite fond of retro-style gaming and graphics, but in the end I decided this was a black mark for the game.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The game's music aspect is largely criticized for its absence of a traditional soundtrack, relying instead on ambient sounds like rain and city noise, which some players find immersive. The only notable musical element is a poorly received drum solo that plays near nightclubs, but overall, the lack of music feels like a missed opportunity. Players can opt to listen to their own music, highlighting the game's unusual approach to audio design.
- “There's no real music, but the noises of the city and the constant sound of the rain, along with the occasional advertisement for a fictional in-game product, all do a great job of bringing the game world to life.”
- “There is no music, except for this *deep breath* god awful drum solo that plays when you are in the vicinity of certain nightclubs in the game; and when I mean 'in the vicinity' I am talking about the IRL equivalent of several city blocks.”
- “There is also no soundtrack at all.”
- “Obviously, you can just listen to your own music, but it's an odd thing to be absent.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for feeling like a cash grab, with players noting that the humor and creativity in the in-game advertisements are overshadowed by repetitive sounds and a lack of engaging content. While the fictional ads contribute to the game's atmosphere, many feel that the overall experience is marred by bugs and a sense of abandonment.
- “Game started out nice but turned out to be yet another buggy cash grab that has been abandoned.”
- “And the thing that pissed me off more than the nightclubs is the fact that all of the humor in the game (in the form of ironic and facetious advertisements) are masked or washed out by sounds that you've been hearing for the entire game.”
- “Like for instance, at one point in the game while I was stalking my target, a large hovercraft (blimp?) flew above me and was spouting advertisements for a brothel for men who think their wives are unfaithful.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game's atmosphere is often compared to "Hotline Miami," featuring a vibrant, trippy aesthetic with neon signs and police lights that enhance the sense of urgency. While many appreciate the pixel art and immersive world, some feel that the atmosphere occasionally lacks depth, suggesting that more environmental elements could further enrich the experience. Overall, the developers are praised for crafting a believable and engaging atmosphere that draws players in.
- “It reminds me greatly of Hotline Miami, with the weapons, top-down view, and its sometimes trippy atmosphere of neon signs and the flashing of the police lights, whilst you run for your life (but usually other people's) in this great yet daunting game of what the future may come to be known as.”
- “The atmosphere is great and I love the pixel art (though that's not everyone's thing).”
- “Great job to developers for creating such a believable atmosphere for the audience to get immersed in.”
- “You generate the excitement, there's no real atmosphere sometimes and it seems like such a wasted opportunity.”
- “That is how you create a sense of atmosphere, a sense that this world is alive and breathing without your character having to be in it to generate all the excitement, so if you can add more stuff like that, that'd be cool.”
- “It reminds me greatly of Hotline Miami, with the weapons, top-down view, and its sometimes trippy atmosphere of neon signs, and the flashing of the police lights, whilst you run for your life (but usually other people's) in this great yet daunting game of what the future may come to be known as.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and freezing issues. Additionally, there has been a lack of updates or patches since mid-2015, leading to perceptions of the game as unfinished and abandoned. Overall, players feel it has devolved into a buggy experience that resembles a cash grab.
- “No patches or news from July-August 2015; it's buggy and unfinished.”
- “The game started out nice but turned out to be yet another buggy cash grab that has been abandoned.”
- “Sometimes the game just up and freezes.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game requires further optimization to accommodate a diverse range of systems, indicating potential performance issues for some users.
- “It does need some optimization for the variety of systems in the world, so take this as a warning.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted through amusing anecdotes, such as players sharing funny moments related to gameplay mechanics, like unlocking items at vending machines. This lighthearted storytelling adds a playful element to the overall experience.
- “Funny story time: I was one contract away from graduating to the next sector of the city when I unlocked the 'lure' item at the vending machines.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Metrocide has been criticized for its lack of variety and repetitive gameplay, leading to a consensus that it offers minimal replayability. Players find the isometric shooter/stealth mechanics to be monotonous, diminishing the incentive to revisit the game.
- “That is, until I played Metrocide and found out that it is actually a repetitive isometric shooter/stealth game with no variety or replayability to speak of.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking in strategic depth, leading to a monotonous experience.
- “The game quickly becomes tedious without adding any strategy.”