Independent studios keep proving that fresh takes on old formulas can still cut through the noise. Tears of Metal, the latest from Paper Cult, slipped into early access today, offering a tight loop of medieval hack-and-slash combat mixed with roguelike progression that feels both familiar and finely tuned.
The game drops players into a fight to support a Scottish battalion reclaiming an island seized by invaders tied to a Dragon Stone Meteor event. You carve through hordes across handcrafted levels, either solo or in co-op for up to four players. The early access build already delivers the full core progression loop spread over three acts, each stocked with unique enemies, elite foes and bosses that demand you adapt on the fly.
Three playable heroes anchor the action, backed by village upgrades, emblems, equipment, companions and branching upgrade paths. Permanent improvements to your soldiers, expanding the settlement to unlock new vendors and skills, and completing objectives to earn fresh artifacts all feed into builds that grow satisfyingly powerful. It is the sort of system that rewards careful experimentation rather than button-mashing repetition.
Paper Cult, the small Montreal outfit behind the cult favourite Bloodroots, clearly learned from the demo that drew 250,000 players before it vanished on 6 July. That feedback has shaped this launch. The team expects early access to run between four and 12 months, guided by direct input from the community. Future updates will layer in more heroes, emblems, companions, equipment, charms, extra village content, gameplay tweaks, performance gains, balance passes and quality-of-life fixes.
This approach highlights how private-sector creativity and iterative development let smaller teams refine their vision in conversation with players. Rather than rushing a finished product into a crowded market, Paper Cult has chosen the path that prioritises craft and responsiveness. The result is an action-focused experience rooted in historical and adventurous motifs that many players still seek out: clear skill expression, cooperative camaraderie and a narrative thread that echoes older tales of resilience and reclamation.
The demo's strong numbers suggest plenty of appetite for exactly this blend. Those who jumped in early will notice the jump from placeholder assets and minor bugs to a more polished foundation, even if the full console release on Xbox and deeper content still lie ahead. For now, the PC version via Steam and the Microsoft Store, including Xbox Game Pass on PC, gives a solid snapshot of what is coming.
