MetroLand is an endless runner that sees you sticking it to the man. You’re sprinting through a futuristic city with cops on your tail after an act of vandalism. But for a game that tries to tell a story of youthful rebellion, boy does it ever play it safe.
If you’ve played any over-the-shoulder auto-runner over the last decade then you’re going to know exactly what to expect here. Swipe to jump, slide and dodge past obstacles. Collect coins, keep going until you smash into something. Rinse and repeat.
There are the usual power-ups to collect. Magnets drag coins towards you, score boosters boost your score. There are drones that pick you up and fly you above the level and shields that protect you for a short time as well.
Everything is bright colors and slickness, and the running itself is perfectly well put together. The game gets that dopamine twang of one-more-go compulsion pretty much spot on. But underneath that veneer and the psychological poking, you’re staring at something you’ve stared at so many times before.
Yes there are twists here and there. You’ve got different characters, quests to complete, a hideout to kit out and upgrades to unlock. But it all feels rote, by the numbers, a runner designed by committee to do all the things a runner must.
MetroLand isn’t a bad game, it’s just a game that plays it as safe as it possibly can. There’s no rebellious thrill here, no rush of adrenaline or sudden desire to throw off the shackles of oppression and do something different. You run, you fail, you try again. Until you don’t.
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