A Roguelite With Teeth

The action genre has always thrived on reinvention, and at Gamescom 2025, one title stood out as a bold new voice: Morbid Metal, developed by indie studio Screen Juice with Ubisoft‘s support. An action roguelite with slick combat and a striking shapeshifting mechanic, it immediately struck me as something that could stand alongside — and maybe even rival — genre heavyweights.

Roguelites live or die on their loop: you’ll die, learn, and return with permanent upgrades to push further next time. Morbid Metal nails that foundation while layering stylish action and an identity of its own.

From Solo Project to Ubisoft Collaboration

The game’s journey is as fascinating as its design. Originally started as a solo project by studio founder and game director Felix Schade, Morbid Metal has steadily grown into a larger-scale production without losing its indie DNA.

“I started the game a long while ago, and it was very slow at first. As I iterated, I saw potential in character switching and speeding things up — and that’s where we find the game now.”

Ubisoft’s involvement has enabled Screen Juice to expand its vision while staying true to what made the concept compelling: fast, fluid combat paired with roguelite progression.

Combat: High-Octane and Rewarding

My demo of Morbid Metal began with Flux, a sword-wielding assassin who favours speed over power. Handcrafted arenas blended with semi-procedural biomes gave each area a distinct flavour — from enemy gauntlets to platforming challenges or deadly traps like lasers.

Combat felt immediately responsive, with clear inspiration from Devil May Cry and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Attacks link into satisfying combos, dodges reward perfect timing, and the game constantly grades your performance. That feedback loop — a climb from lower ranks to SSS ratings — ties directly into progression, pushing you to play stylishly, not just effectively.

At first, I struggled with Morbid Metal. Aggressive rushdowns got me killed, and I scraped by with mediocre scores. But by my third run, I began to click with Flux, chaining dodges, dashes, and aerial slashes into SSS-rated victories. Those top marks gave me the satisfaction and in-game currency, paving the way to unlock Routines — buffs that made Flux feel like a deadly cyber-assassin with dashing energy slashes and airborne strikes.

The Joy of Switching: Flux and Ekku

Then came Ekku, a heavier crowd-control fighter with devastating area-of-effect moves. Where Flux darted in and out, Ekku smashed through groups with weighty, deliberate attacks.

“Each character is supposed to have their role. Ekku is heavy-hitting, AOE-focused, You can crowd control a little bit, throw enemies up in the air, and make sure you hit a lot of enemies at the same time, like finishing up and following up with the combos.”

The magic is in the instant character switching of Morbid Metal. One moment, I was using Ekku to slam groups to the ground, the next I flicked to Flux for rapid aerial strikes, then back to Ekku for a crushing finisher. It’s a roguelite ballet, a constant dance of destruction that feels both tactical and exhilarating.

Schade stressed that it’s “easy to mash your way through early fights, but mastery comes from exploring combos, synergies, and play styles.” He’s right: the deeper I dug, the more rewarding it became.

Smart Systems and Risky Choices

Screen Juice clearly understands the fine line between depth and overload in Morbid Metal. Each character has two abilities plus an ultimate, keeping things manageable without stripping away complexity.

Progression splits across two currencies:

Tokens, earned from combat, spent on temporary upgrades or healing.
Neural Fragments, rarer rewards tied to strong combat grades or events, used for permanent upgrades.

Then there are Devil’s Bargains, a deliciously risky system where you can accept buffs with dangerous drawbacks. One made every attack a critical hit, but gave the same boost to enemies. Another let me earn Tokens for every strike, but lose them if I took damage. These gambles only last a few arenas but inject real tension into each run.

A Simulation Gone Wrong

Though still under wraps, the story hints at a dark sci-fi setting. Humanity has taken refuge inside a simulation, but it’s been corrupted by its creator. As an evolutionary AI, you’re tasked with fighting back and uncovering the truth.

Worldbuilding is as much environmental as it is narrative. Levels hide secrets and lore that reward exploration beyond the main path, encouraging players to stay curious across repeat runs. It’s subtle but promising, and precisely the kind of storytelling a replay-heavy roguelite needs.

Final Thoughts After Gamescom

Even in just half an hour of play, Morbid Metal sank its claws into me. The combination of punishing roguelite structure, stylish combat, instant character switching, and risk-reward systems feels fresh yet familiar, making it the perfect recipe for long-term obsession.

Screen Juice has built something special here, and with Ubisoft’s backing, it has the resources to deliver on its potential. If Early Access builds on this strong foundation, Morbid Metal could easily carve out a place among the best action roguelites of the decade. This is one to watch and one I already can’t wait to dive back into when it launches in Early Access.