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[Fbh]

Platforms: PS4, Xb1, PC (Steam, GOG)
Release date: August 6, 2019
MSRP: $24.99

Metacritic: 67 based on 11 Reviews
Open Critic: 69 based on 21 Reviews

Some Review Quotes:

Digital Chumps 80/100

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a time capsule from 2004 that allows its recipient to survey the United States’ enthusiasm for boisterous violence and blind patriotism. The President stomping around in an eight-gun mech suit and delivering outrageous dialogue while suppressing a coup is nakedly hyperbolic, but it’s also a lens to an outsider’s interpretation of mid-aughts American culture. Metal Wolf Chaos, in addition to presenting a clumsy but capable action caper, has only improved with age.

Destructoid 75/100

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.

TheSixthAxis 70/100

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is definitely a child of its time. It's an over the top action fest that has a few issues with it, but can provide a decent amount of entertainment. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the game is seeing FromSoftware's early work and recognising the systems the company would settle on to make the big leap to the more famous follow-ups in the Soulsborne style of games.

IGN 55/100

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a bare bones HD upgrade that brings the bonkers cult classic West for modern consoles, including its cumbersome gameplay and outdated designs.

Game Revolution 3.5/5

Ultimately, your enjoyment of Metal Wolf Chaos XD will come down to how much you are willing to stick with some archaic design choices in order to see more of the ridiculous story and the few levels that do hold up.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

It's a solid 7/10 game for me so far. It's fun, even looking beyond the amazing dialogue, but not amazing or anything.

If we're talking Fromsoft's Xbox output, it's way better than Murakumo, but it's no Otogi.

 

[Fbh]

It's a solid 7/10 game for me so far. It's fun, even looking beyond the amazing dialogue, but not amazing or anything.

If we're talking Fromsoft's Xbox output, it's way better than Murakumo, but it's no Otogi.

Yeah, from the reviews I'm getting the impression it's a game that wasn't that great in the first place and hasn't particularly aged well. But it's still fun enough and the silly story/concept should carry it for people that are into that sort of stuff.

Also: man, some Otogi remasters would be awesome

 

[deriks]

AMERICA, fuck yeah

 

[KàIRóS]

It's 1 of those games that are so bad they end up being good.

It's best to play it knowing it's an Armored Core spinoff.

 

[EightBit Man]

The one thing that's holding me back so far is the reports that the game runs at 30fps.

 

[Kharnivore2099]

The one thing that's holding me back so far is the reports that the game runs at 30fps.

That does seem to be the case, unfortunately. That's really made me think twice about purchasing it.

 

[Spaceman292]

It's hilarious that this game is getting serious reviews. What a time to be alive.

 

[Esppiral]

For your pleasure, guess which one is the original Xbox version....

 

[Romulus]

Looks fine for an upgrade, but I'll just stick with the OG Xbox version.

 

[EightBit Man]

For your pleasure, guess which one is the original Xbox version....

My guess is the one on the right. I've not seen pictures of the current release with a filter.

 

[TheUsual]

Picked this up and played through the first mission the other day: this is my kind of dumb relaxing game to play this weekend.
Love the awful dialog.

 

[Stuart360]

Is it just me of does the Xbox version actually look better?. I mean its lower rez obviously but the new version screens look very flat, while the Xbox screens seem to have more effects going on, i mean compare the first screen, its like the Xbox screens is actually the remaster but the screens came from a low bitrate Youtube vid or something.

 

[TheDuskwalker]

It's pretty dumb fun, I like it so far much better than the few Armored Core's I've played.

 

[Romulus]

Is it just me of does the Xbox version actually look better?. I mean its lower rez obviously but the new version screens look very flat, while the Xbox screens seem to have more effects going on, i mean compare the first screen, its like the Xbox screens is actually the remaster but the screens came from a low bitrate Youtube vid or something.

I think low resolution favors some older games.

 

[stranno]

For your pleasure, guess which one is the original Xbox version....

Post-processing pipeline is definitely much cleaner in the remastered version but it was needed to some degree. In the original game there is just too much bloom and motion-blur, it is not something you can tell by the screenshots. In the middle game ingame cinematic (the one when you finish in the west) it is even hard to tell what is going on because of the crazy amount of motion blur.

I dont like the cleaner XD version tho, they just disabled most stuff entirely, it doesnt look properly, and some effects are broken, like the distortion boost effect.

The latest pair of screenshots are videos (Windows Media Video 2 in XBOX and AVC in PC) in both versions, and the plane screenshot is a video in the PC version while its an ingame cinematic in the XBOX version, i dont know why.

I recorded the XBX version a week ago and its clear why the original graphics dont work quite right. Especially when there are lot of light sources.

 

[Esppiral]

I think low resolution favors some older games.

They have disabled a ton of post processing effects it is not about resolution.

 

[Romulus]

They have disabled a ton of post processing effects it is not about resolution.

I know the difference, and for me, some games just look worse at higher resolutions. This is one of those cases for me, in addition to other quirks.

 

[brap]

For your pleasure, guess which one is the original Xbox version....

Left: soulless
Right: soul

 

[KingdomHeartsFan]

I'm planning on picking this up, looks like crazy fun.

 

[Kazza]

A late review from George. Looks like great fun!