Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a contemporary re-release of FromSoftware’s 2004 (that’s 15 years ago!) mech-shooter but with improved visuals, more refined controls and gameplay, a brand spanking new save system, and 4K + 16:9 support for today’s HD monitors.
As usual, game critics and websites all over the web are making their verdicts known on Metal Wolf Chaos XD. To make things a little easier for you, we’ve rounded up the top reviews and put them all in one place. For a re-release this game is getting some decent marks (who are we kidding, they’re pretty low). So, without further ado:
BagoGames – 5/10
“Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a straightforward mech-shooter. By combining the principle of kills, you increase your score through the chain that you create. The game has hardly been polished in terms of sound, something I see as a no-go. If you a real fan of FromSoftware and like these games, then feel free to buy it. For non-enthusiasts, there are better games out there.” – Andrew Murray (Full Review)
IGN – 5.5/10
“Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a bare bones HD upgrade that brings the bonkers cult classic West for modern consoles. Unfortunately, that includes all of its cumbersome gameplay and outdated designs. This re-release is very clearly a 15-year old game that’s really only good for some simple, mindless shooting without much else to offer beyond cheap gags and nostalgia.” – David Jagneaux (Full Review)
Third Coast Review – 3.5/5 Stars (Yikes)
“The amazing gameplay, combined with the amount of replayablity created by the numbers of collectibles and game modes means that you get your money’s worth – and then some – when it comes to content and when it comes to fun. Besides, is there another game that lets you fight the Vice-President of the United States as the President of the United States, with both of you in mech suits? No? I didn’t think so.” – James Brod (Full Review)
GameSpot – 4/10
“Metal Wolf Chaos is an old game with a wild reputation, and though it lives up to it in some ways, it’s not good in general. At best, it’s a curio that helps inform the story of From Software’s trajectory over the years. At worst, it’s a frustratingly shallow experience that fails to capitalize on it’s best qualities. The From Software of yore deserves applause for punching up so confidently, and in style, to a degree, but Metal Wolf Chaos doesn’t live up to the hype that’s been building for well over a decade.” – Peter Brown (Full Review)
Dualshockers – 6.5/10 (Decent)
“It’s incredibly odd to think that FromSoftware, the developer that would go on to create the Dark Souls series (and kick off an entire subgenre), created a title like Metal Wolf Chaos XD. The game is a product of the Armored Core series and Microsoft trying to break into the Japanese market. Devolver Digital and all parties involved have done a tremendous job delivering a game that once seemed unattainable to many. While it’s not necessarily an amazing game, the release of Metal Wolf Chaos XD is certainly a win for video game preservation.” – Jordan Boyd (Full Review)
Kotaku – No Score
“That Weird Xbox Game With The Terrible Voice Acting Where You’re The President Of The United States Piloting A Giant Robot” has escaped Japan and eBay after fifteen years in the darkness of historical curiosity. Guess what? It’s as excellent to play as it is hilarious to laugh at.” – Tim Rogers (Full Review)
The Verge – No Score
“Metal Wolf Chaos XD is one of those re-releases where even though I can’t recommend everyone immediately rush out and buy it, I’m really happy it exists. It might not be the greatest game in the world, but it’s a unique cultural artifact that didn’t deserve to be locked away on Japan-exclusive Xbox discs forever.” – Sam “The Man” Byford (Full Review)
Destructoid – 7.5/10 (Highest Score)
“Metal Wolf Chaos fulfills this criteria because of its unique premise that wouldn’t be out of place in the late ’80s, combined with From Software’s penchant for mechicular (I just made this up) combat. If you hate old games and crave the newest visual advancements, avoid it. For everyone else: there is something here you can sink your teeth into that’s more than just a novelty relic.” – Chris Carter (Full Review)
The Guardian – 2/5 Stars (Literally called it trash)
“You could generously call Metal Wolf Chaos XD satirical, but it would be difficult to pin down exactly what it is satirizing. American exceptionalism, patriotism and military supremacy? Bad action movies? Good action movies? In a post-Trump world it’s tempting to search for some meaning in this cheesy, explosion-filled rampage, but this is a game from another time, best enjoyed with your brain switched off, some friends to laugh with, and perhaps a bottle of extremely cheap spirits.” – Keza “Tells it like it is” MacDonald (Full Review)
Final Thoughts
Well that about wraps up our Review RoundUP of Metal Wolf Chaos XD. If you didn’t get the picture, most if not all of the reviewers didn’t like the game very much. It was either a cast as a retread of a bygone era or painfully out of touch with the new world of gaming we live in. Either way, we rounded up a bunch of the review for you and made it a heck of a lot easier for you to decide to play it or not.
If you do decide to play it, you can find it on Playstation, Xbox One and Steam.
Have you had a chance to play Metal Wolf Chaos XD yet? Do you agree with the sentiment of the reviewers that it was pretty bad? If not, tell us why you liked it in the comments section below.