Battle Shapers Preview: Chasing the Perfect Run

ign.com:

The first time I walked into Volt Colosus’s boss room, I knew, I knew, I was gonna wipe the floor with him. It was only my first run in Battle Shapers, but I’d been going through his robotic minions like I was the IRS and they owed me money. I’d found a good weapon, my health and shields were near maximum, and I felt like a had a pretty good feel for the core I was rolling with. Volt Colossus would be tougher, sure, but this fight was gonna be over fast. Well, I was right about one thing: the fight was over fast. About five seconds after the fight started, I was respawning in my hideout with no idea how to avoid the attacks that killed me, but like the character I was playing, I was raring to go again. The second run would be different. I hoped.

Battle Shapers is the first game from Metric Empire, and it’s best described like this: “what if you crossed the gameplay of Doom Eternal with the boss-stealing powers and general vibe of Mega Man and added a little bit of Roguelite structure for flavoring?” Mix in an absolutely gorgeous art style that reminded me an awful lot of Overwatch in the best possible way and a soundtrack so good that I sometimes stopped playing just to listen to it, and Battle Shapers is a unique, fast-paced FPS that had me saying “just one more run” way, way past the time I should have been going to bed. The perfect run was out there; I just had to find it.

Battle Shapers slotted me into the stylish, robo-boots of Ada, a Battle Shaper who’s been revived for one last mission: save the city of New Elysium from the nasty Overloards who have taken the place over. Along with her adorable sidekick, Meemo, who serves as the voice in Ada’s ear and the bot in charge of managing their hideout, Ada has to seek out