Who’s a superb boy?

When you’ve been holding off on enjoying Metallic Canine till you may maintain it in your arms, the Change model is coming your manner. 24Frame and Cygames shall be dropping their dog-powered shooter on North American anglophones on March 8, following its latest launch in Europe.

What’s Metallic Canine, and what does it must do with tank-a-licious sequence, Metallic Max? It’s a run-and-gun spin-off that includes the sequence’ greatest boy, Pochi. Apart from that, not a lot. Whereas it’s set within the type of grimmer world of Metallic Max Xeno, gameplay is totally totally different. You outfit your mutt with canons, sub-weapons, and particular tools, then delve some dungeons with varied goals. There are wished monsters, however you’re not likely searching them as you’d in the primary sequence. It’s largely simply callbacks and references, however that’s typically what a spin-off is.

Metallic Canine is in Early Entry on Steam and has been since 2021. It has already seen launch in Japan on PS4 and Change final April. I’m undecided what’s up with the gradual trickle within the English variations, however we’re slowly getting there. Notably, Metallic Canine is being printed by Cygames, who picked up the Metallic Max franchise from Kadokawa video games a number of months after the discharge of the Japanese console variations, which can clarify the delay.

Whereas the PC model clearly states that it’s nonetheless in Early Entry, plenty of the most important content material is already applied, together with the entire essential marketing campaign. Additional improvement appears to be on tightening up the present expertise and including extra content material.

Metallic Canine is a fairly enjoyable little title, nevertheless it’s decidedly light-weight. It has extra worth for followers of the sequence than it does for newcomers, however even then, it doesn’t characteristic many of the gameplay requirements that make the Metallic Max sequence so delectable. For the primary sequence, we’ve solely acquired the PS2 title, Metallic Saga, and the latest Metallic Max Xeno and its re-jigger right here within the West. For the true meat of the sequence, you’re going to wish to delve into fan translations.

Metallic Canine is at the moment obtainable for PC through Steam Early Entry. It’s additionally on Change and PS4 for Japan. A localized Change model is obtainable proper now in Europe, and can hit North America on March 8, 2023.