Metal Assault
Metal Assault is a free-to-play, side-scrolling shooter MMO that takes clear cues from arcade run-and-gun classics, especially the Metal Slug style of brisk movement and screen-filling firefights. It mixes quick PvP matches with co-op missions, letting you bounce between zombie-themed survival scenarios and more traditional team modes across a set of distinct battlegrounds.
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Publisher: Warportal Playerbase: Low Type: Shooter MMO PvP: Deathmatch / Conquest Release Date: March, 2016 Shut Down Date: Sept 28, 2018 Pros: +Arcade-style run-and-gun action with a Metal Slug vibe. +Several modes that change the pace. +Straightforward controls and low learning curve. Cons: -Shallow customization options. -Poor in-game guidance and explanations. -Can feel messy and hard to read with many players on-screen. |
Metal Assault Overview
Metal Assault is a free-to-play 2D side-scrolling shooter MMO built around fast matches and mission runs, with an arcade sensibility that will feel familiar to anyone who grew up on run-and-gun games. You pick from four distinct characters, each leaning into a different combat identity: Carl as a sturdier, defense-focused option, Marie as the precision shooter, Burton as the heavy hitter, and Ai as the more tactical all-rounder. Rather than locking you into one activity, the game pushes you toward a lobby-driven flow where you can jump into co-op content or queue up for PvP with minimal downtime.
PvP supports up to 8 players and includes recognizable staples like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Zombie Infection, giving the game a mix of straightforward gunfights and more objective-based chaos. Outside of matches, players gather in the City of HERZ, a compact hub that functions like a social space and a routing point to key systems. The town is split into three areas with clear roles: the Military Area for training and skill-related NPCs, the Commercial Area for storage and item modification, and the Town Square where tournament-related activity is handled. The layout is simple, but it does a good job of keeping the MMO elements present without slowing the action down too much.
Metal Assault Key Features:
- Solo, Co-Op and Team Modes – swap between mission-style co-op, large team firefights, and objective modes that emphasize positioning and control.
- Apocalyptic Scenarios – take on zombie outbreaks across seven scenarios set around the City of HERZ and its surrounding zones.
- Controllable Vehicles – pilot machines ranging from powered suits to multi-seat rides like tanks and choppers built for team play.
- Character Customization – collect and equip gear from missions and the shop to change your look and loadout direction.
- PvP and PvE Modes – a broad menu of content supports both AI-focused sessions and competitive matches for players who prefer versus play.
Metal Assault Screenshots
Metal Assault Featured Video
Metal Assault Review
Metal Assault frames its action around you joining the R.O.C. regiment as a fresh recruit, stepping into a conflict shaped by a disastrous attack from the corrupt DEDT. While the presentation stays light and arcade-like, the structure is still recognizable as an MMO, you take missions from NPCs, gain experience and currency, and gradually open up more content as you complete your objectives. From there, the core loop is simple and effective: run missions, survive zombie assaults, and queue for PvP when you want a more unpredictable fight.
Your choice of character matters mostly in how you approach combat. Carl is positioned as the more defensive pick, Marie caters to players who value clean shots and accuracy, Burton leans into raw damage and brawnier play, and Ai fills a more tactical niche. The game does not aim for deep roleplaying, but it does give each recruit a reason for enlisting and a personal throughline that helps tie the missions together.
From Boot Camp to the City, how matches and quests connect
New players can start with an optional tutorial led by the instructor Steve, which covers the essentials you need to survive the game’s hectic pace. Movement and survival tools are a big part of Metal Assault’s feel, including dodging, crawling, rolling, dropping down platforms, and using grenades to control space. After training, you are sent into HERZ, where mission NPCs (R.O.C. operation commanders) act as your main guideposts.
A lot of your time is split between the town and the lobby. Quests often require you to speak to multiple commanders across the three districts, then enter the lobby to complete a combat objective. There is no instant travel, but the hub is compact enough that it rarely becomes a major hassle. The lobby itself is organized into sections such as co-op missions, beginner matches, and free matches, making it easy to find the type of session you want. Mission and co-op rooms generally focus on PvE, asking groups to clear enemy waves, hunt specific targets, or retrieve items in combat zones.
Maps provide a decent spread of environments, and rooms can allow anywhere from 1 to 16 players depending on the activity. Stages like Mock Battlefield, Suspicious Island, Central Rode B, Gray Hill, the Cave of Chaos, and the Underground Hideout help keep runs from blurring together. Progression is also fairly linear, advanced tasks tend to unlock only after you clear earlier objectives, which gives the game a clear path even if you mainly show up for short sessions.
Zombie missions, constant pressure and constant firing
One of the signature PvE activities is the zombie eradication mission set in the Cursed Forest. The premise is straightforward: portals spawn enemies at multiple points, and your squad’s job is to keep the horde under control until the timer ends or the stage is completed. This mode captures the best part of Metal Assault, the screen gets busy, you are always repositioning, and you are constantly making quick decisions about when to push forward and when to retreat.
Controls follow a familiar PC shooter layout for this style of game. Movement is handled with WASD, aiming and firing rely on the mouse, and weapons or skills sit on hotkeys for fast access. Combat has a satisfying arcade rhythm, swapping between standard gunfire and bursts of utility from grenades, mines, rocket launchers, and scoped shots. The action rarely slows down, which is great for adrenaline, but it also explains why communication can be limited mid-round. Chat exists, it is just not something most players can focus on when enemies are pouring in.
Enemies drop blue cards when defeated, and collecting them feeds into an end-of-round loot grab. The reward step is a bit underwhelming, since you are effectively picking at random and sometimes walking away with nothing. Even so, finishing missions reliably provides the practical progression materials: XP, skill points, gold, and occasional upgrade licenses.
PvP firefights and the appeal of multi-seat vehicles
On the competitive side, Metal Assault offers Death Match and Item PvP as core lobby categories. Death Match is the classic team kill race, two sides enter, and the scoreboard rewards consistent eliminations and good positioning. Item PvP adds a slightly more task-driven angle, where the match can include a specific requirement, such as completing a particular kill condition while staying alive.
Match quality depends heavily on how many players are currently active, and wait times can stretch when rooms are slow to fill. When the action does start, the experience can be intense, and sometimes messy, because the visuals can become crowded with multiple players, effects, and projectiles. Still, the mode variety helps, and the scoring and ranking readouts at the end of a round give you a clear sense of how you performed.
Vehicles are a standout feature once you reach the appropriate level range. Multi-player machines like armored tanks and choppers can carry up to four players, opening up moments that feel closer to a chaotic arcade set-piece than a typical lobby shooter match. It is also possible to set up private PvP battles through player companies, which is a nice option for organized groups.
Shops, honor points, and gearing up between fights
The Commercial Area hosts multiple NPC shops where you buy and manage the equipment that feeds your build. Metal Assault offers a respectable catalog of weapons and gear for a 2D shooter MMO, including firearms like the Sevenhit Pistol, Lincoln-1009, Delta K, Powerhammer A1, Stormon-MCross, and the Eagle Thunder. Armor and accessories include items such as Mountaineer Helmets, Rescue Goggles, Beast Gloves, Standard Flak Jackets, and different boots, plus consumables like combat rations for HP and first aid kits and water bottles for MP recovery.
The Town Square also supports player trading and selling, which helps if you want to offload extra items rather than simply hoarding them. A notable progression angle is the Honor Shop. Players earn honor points for being logged in for over 10 minutes, and those points can be exchanged for stronger gear and tools at a discount. Meanwhile, upgrade licenses act as a longer-term unlock, opening up specialty attachments such as scopes, silencers, and laser sights in weapon shops. Standard purchases use gold earned through quests and match participation, keeping the economy easy to understand even if the game does not always explain its systems well.
Final Verdict: Good
Metal Assault succeeds most when it leans into what it does best: rapid, arcade-style shooting with a steady rotation of modes. Its combination of co-op zombie missions, objective-based PvP, and straight deathmatches makes it easy to find a session that fits your mood, and the addition of multi-seat vehicles adds a fun twist that many side-scrolling shooters never attempt. The game’s biggest drawbacks are its limited customization depth and the lack of clear documentation, plus the fact that large matches can become visually chaotic.
For players who enjoy classic side-scrollers in the Contra or Metal Slug mold, and who like the idea of that format stretched into an MMO-like lobby structure with progression and gear, Metal Assault is an easy recommendation on pure gameplay feel.
Metal Assault Online Links
Metal Assault Official Site
Metal Assault Official Forums
Metal Assault Steam
Metal Assault Reddit
Metal Assault System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP or better
CPU: Pentium 4 2.0 GHz
Video Card: 128 MB vRAM
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 300 MB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows Vista / 7
CPU: Pentium 4 2.0 GHz
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better
RAM: 2 GB
Hard Disk Space: 1 GB
Metal Assault Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon…
Metal Assault Additional Information
Developer: GNISoft, Gamania
Publisher: Aeria Games, GSGames, WarpPortal
Closed Beta Date: April 1, 2011
Open Beta Date: April 19, 2011
Server Shutdown Date: March 31, 2012
Re-Release Date (JP): December 22, 2015
Initial Re-Release Date (NA): March 1, 2016
Shut Down Date: Sept 28, 2018
Development History / Background:
Metal Assault, also known as Giga Slave, was created in Korea through a joint development effort between GNISoft and Gamania, and it first reached Western audiences under Aeria Games. Under the Metal Assault name, Aeria launched a closed beta for North America on April 1, 2011, then transitioned into an open beta on April 19, 2011. Less than a year later, Aeria Games ended service on March 31, 2012, stating that continuing operations and pushing toward a full release would not be in anyone’s best interest.
The title returned years later in Japan as Giga Slave Reloaded on December 22, 2015, published by GSGAmes. That reappearance was followed by plans to bring the game back to the West. WarpPortal announced a North American re-release as Metal Assault, initially set to begin on March 1, 2016, before being pushed back to later in March, 2016.
Metal Assault shut down on September 28, 2018.