This Contra-like is a celebration of unfold weapons and gnarly flesh

I by no means spent a lot time with Contra rising up, so I considered it as a sport about one-to-two burly gunmen doing elaborate somersault routines as they run sideways and shoot the sorts of faceless unhealthy guys that different Rambo sorts are inclined to shoot at. Possibly the problem was a bit of too impenetrable—the Konami code exists for a purpose, in spite of everything. Level is: I used to be shocked to study that it turns right into a physique horror nightmare the place our beefcake heroes find yourself in a labyrinth of mutated, alien flesh. The place Contra burns a bit of extra slowly on the flesh terror, upcoming religious successor Iron Meat is not losing any time. It is flesh all the best way down.

Iron Meat takes place in an apocalyptic future the place mad scientists on the moon have unleashed an “iron-ravenous mass” known as “The Meat” that is devouring all the things it touches. Or mutates all the things it touches? I am unsure the place the road is between the 2. No matter The Meat is doing, it is grody. In only one trailer, you possibly can see that The Meat’s made flesh guys with sword arms, fleshy trains with gaping maws, fleshy assault choppers with dangling eye stalks, and extra.

If that sounds terrible, it’s. We agree on that. Fortunately, your job is to shoot all of it till it erupts into gouts of pink pixels utilizing Iron Meat’s arsenal of run-and-gun staples like unfold weapons and bomb launchers. Higher nonetheless, the participant characters compulsively somersault whereas leaping, as God meant. As joyously gratuitous because the gore appears in its trailers and screenshots, I am extra charmed by the clustered, popcorn-y explosions that we misplaced once we left pixel artwork behind as an business commonplace. Stuff simply would not explode prefer it used to, you recognize? Its retailer web page description appears notably pleased with its multi-stage boss fights, and I think about I might, too, if I made a boss battle in opposition to a large tank with an uncovered, throbbing mind.

If the faceless, helmeted hero in Iron Meat’s promo artwork is not doing it for you, it is also acquired a group of unlockable skins in flavors like wolfman, dinosaur individual, and shark man. The person items will be swapped round, too. These of us who’ve at all times dreamed of taking part in Contra as a somersaulting gorilla with a shark’s head will lastly have our day.

Iron Meat releases subsequent month on October 17, 2023, presumably with an accompanying explosion of quivering flesh. Only a hunch. If you wish to attempt it for your self, the demo is on the market to obtain now from the Iron Meat Steam web page.