Voivod: The Nuclear Warrior looks and sounds fantastic, and its faster Action Mode proves the gameplay can match the energy of its heavy metal world
I recently played the demo for Voivod: The Nuclear Warrior on PC via the ROG Xbox Ally X. It is a 2D Metroidvania set in a nightmarish post-apocalyptic wasteland, with the titular warrior searching for fragments of his lost mind while fighting biomechanical horrors. His face mask even makes him look a little like Casey Jones from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The demo includes Story Mode and Action Mode, and playing both dramatically changed my impression of the game.
Presentation is the demo's strongest element. Its gorgeous retro pixel art is dirty and packed with heavy metal imagery. The level opens onto a sickly yellow desert filled with dead trees and huge, jagged shapes. Framed by the surrounding darkness, the backdrop often looks like Voivod album art brought to life. The spikes, blades, twisted machinery, and mutant enemies all look great, as does mowing them down with a gun or sword.
It sounds the part too. Reworked tracks from Voivod's current lineup fit this collapsing sci-fi nightmare extremely well. Even if you know nothing about the band, the art and music give the world a strong identity.
My first run was through Story Mode, where the gameplay initially failed to click with me. Running, jumping, shooting, and slashing all work, but combat feels serviceable and sometimes borderline boring. Some enemies charge at you and die from one sword swipe. Others fire projectiles from a distance, letting you stand back and shoot them before they are properly visible. This mode feels far too safe for a game with so much personality.
Story Mode follows the familiar Metroidvania formula at a deliberate pace. Locked doors and blocked routes require new abilities. One sends your consciousness out of your body as an orb, letting you move through tight spaces and press buttons. Large gaps and spike-filled passages tease movement upgrades that take longer to reach.
Healing also left a poor impression. Once the health pickups inside crates are gone, preparing for the metal spider boss means farming currency and buying more from a vendor. I prefer the reusable flask approach found in many modern Metroidvanias. Grinding to replace consumed healing items adds friction without making the challenge more interesting.
Action Mode is a completely different story. It shows much more of what the game offers and does so far quicker. Rockets, heavier ammunition, and triple-shot bullets give you meaningful ways to deal with larger groups. A few additional enemy types also join the fight, so combat no longer feels like the same safe exchange repeated endlessly. Suddenly, I had choices and enough firepower to make them exciting.
You also gain the double jump and dash much sooner. These abilities open up the demo, improve traversal, and bring much-needed speed to the action. This mode is far better at demonstrating the potential of the weapons, trinkets, and movement systems. It feels less like a slow tutorial and more like the energetic heavy metal Metroidvania promised by the presentation.
I do not want the full game to abandon Story Mode's approach. I liked its cutscene and the small pieces of information that built up the world. The ideal version would combine those concise story moments with Action Mode's faster access to abilities, guns, and trinkets, creating momentum without losing the narrative.
My Story Mode run took around 30 to 40 minutes, so this remains an early impression of a game targeting a Q1 2027 release. After that mode alone, I thought Voivod: The Nuclear Warrior looked and sounded far better than it played. Action Mode changed my mind by revealing a faster, more varied, and genuinely exciting game that I would happily play more of. Thanks for reading!
The game was previewed on PC via a ROG Xbox Ally X using a pre-release demo. Voivod: The Nuclear Warrior is scheduled to release on PC via Steam in Q1 2027.
