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With the excellent Metal Warrior games and 2016's Hessian, Lasse Öörni has carved out a niche in run and gun gameplay. This is his latest release, with Metal Warrior Ultimate in development.

In the year 2218, Earth is under threat from a hostile machine intelligence. It has stolen supplies and created a devastating fleet. The patrol ship Scourge, commanded by Archer Hess, receives a strange symbol 'Omega', coded in ones and zeroes. The ship tracks the transmission's source and comes under attack. The player's character puts on their ranger suit to investigate. A city of living machines is discovered, with its many terminals compatible with the suit. This allows the player to recharge the suit's energy at recharge chambers, and add upgrades. Radio messages from the ship's crew and interactions with terminals will reveal more of the story, unlock new areas and allow the player to progress. The name and appearance of the hero can be changed on the title screen.

There are also four save slots on the game disk, allowing the player to save their progress. Dying will reset the player to the nearest entrance they used, effectively a "continue". The player starts with a basic weapon (full auto) and limited ammunition. Dead enemies drop extra ammunition and parts, which are used to buy upgrades. Extra weapons will also be dropped. Key cards are needed to open doors. The first suit upgrade is 'Wheel Mode', similar to the 'Morph Ball' in the Metroid games, allowing the player to roll through small gaps and drop mines. Pausing the game reveals the current status and a helpful map. Lifts are incredibly important, and can be called to the current level by activating the terminals. Large Guardians will be encountered, with their awesome firepower testing the player's skills.

The huge world has a great look and feel - the dark caves giving way to the metallic city. The main player sprite is athletic, and the 'Wheel Mode' is such an important gameplay feature. There is a genuine sense of achievement as you unlock new areas. Top-notch music and sound FX accompany the action, although the latter are quite sparse. Saving progress allows the player to tackle this large game in playable chunks.

There can be quite a bit of backtracking to explore previously inaccessible areas, but that is how Metroid games work. Climbing ladders feels a little clumsy at times, and it can be frustrating to be left in a game state with little ammunition thanks to the way the continue feature works.

Another stunning release from Lasse, building on the impressive Hessian to create another thrilling game world to explore.