Music and video games have an easy relationship. Just like movies, games need something to accompany their beautiful imagery, both to sell the feeling of the world and to keep players engaged after dozens or even hundreds of hours. While dancing and band games may take this issue more seriously than others, there are few games that give music no consideration at all.
Related:Craziest Weapons From First-Person Shooters
Metal: Hellsingerlets metal music take center stage, giving the player a gun, a song, and the challenge tostick to the rhythmas they blast their way through an army straight out of hell. With heavy inspiration from classic shooters as well as modern metal, there’s a lot to like aboutMetal: Hellsinger,but the game isn’t without its flaws. Here are some of thethings we love (and don’t love) about the game.
6Love: Rhythm Gunplay
It doesn’t matter how cool a game’s metal aesthetic is: if the actual gameplay is weak, most people are going to give it a pass. Fortunately forMetal: Hellsinger,the gameplay is excellent.The FPS andrhythm genres make for a surprisingly good combination.The player has to stay on beat,shooting, reloading, and using their powers to the rhythm of the song if they want a high score.
This mechanic forces players accustomed to other FPSs to unlearn some of the muscle memory and default decision-making that has kept them alive in other games.Shooting a demon the second it enters one’s crosshairs might be a good idea in other games, but inHellsingerit always pays to wait a moment and pull the trigger on beat. Bad habits carried over from other games need to be broken before the player can thrive inMetal: Hellsinger,creating a satisfying experience that keeps the player hooked.
5Don’t: Short Length
The game has a healthy number of levels, but none of them are terribly long. Because of this, a player who just wants to see the game through to its end can blow through all the content in a short period of time. There are optional unlockable challenges for each level that put a twist on the conventional combat, but they are limited in number and don’t expand or complicate gameplay outside isolated challenge sections.
Related:FPS Games That Have Incredible Sound Design
The predictable result is that many players will complete the campaign and the optional content and then simply move on to other, meatier experiences.The only other thing that the game includes to incentivize repeated playthroughs is a leaderboard,and while that will be enough to encourage some players to headbang their way through hell one more time, it isn’t for everyone. With so many things to like about the campaign, it’s a shame that the game doesn’t give players more of a reason to go through it a second time.
4Love: Doom Inspiration
Doomis one of the cornerstones of the FPS genre, and virtually every FPS borrows at least a few things from it, whether it’s how weapons are picked up, how levels are designed, or how enemies spawn.Some games take more direct inspiration from this classic shooter than others,however.
Metal: Hellsingerwears itsDoominspiration proudly.Fighting demons? Check. Rivers of lava? Check. Gothic architecture? Check. Frantic gunplay through mostly linear levels? Check.Hellsingerdoesn’t want to reinvent the formula, so it doesn’t try, instead targeting so much of what was great aboutDoomand giving it a new, musical twist. WhileDoommay seem like an addchoice for a rhythm game,Hellsingerproves that making a game that looks like a parade of metal album covers isn’t a bad idea.
3Don’t: Lack Of Content
Metal: Hellsingerhas a healthy assortment of demons to kill, trying to make the most of its demonic imagery. The variation in enemies helps keep battles fresh as the player progresses, but there’s one thing that notably holds combat back from reaching its full potential.
Related:Hidden Secrets That Many Still Haven’t Found In Doom Eternal
There aren’t many weapons in the game.A sword, a projectile-launching skull, and just four other weapons make up the entirety of the player’s arsenal. The weapons that are there are enjoyable, but the limited number in the game, combined with the limited number that the player can bring at any one time, restricts the player’s tactical choices and, at times, overall enjoyment. With so many demons to kill, it would be nice to have a more satisfying assortment of weapons with which to kill them, especially since there are no upgrades or other enhancements to keep these weapons feeling fresh.
2Love: The Soundtrack
A game with the titleMetal: Hellsingerhad better have some metal music with impressive vocals. The game doesn’t disappoint. Each level features its own unique track, and the musical performances are solid throughout. With a number of talented musicians and vocalists on board,Metal: Hellsingermakes artful work of its track list, ensuring thatno matter what level the player is on, they will have something enjoyable to tune into.
Metal is as large and diverse a musical genre as any other, so there was no real chance of making sure that every possible subgenre had a song included. That said, the game does a great job at covering the genre’s basics, and while fans of classic metal may find the track offerings lacking, fans of modern metal will certainly be pleased. Withplenty of great games likeDoomout there, having a killer soundtrack can make all the difference.
1Love: Score Keeping
Some FPS only care about whether the player survives or not. It doesn’t matter how fast, artful, or impressive the kills they’re getting are as long as it’s the bad guys, and not the hero, getting killed.Metal: Hellsinger,on the other hand, cares a great deal about how the player dispatches enemies,with each kill contributing to a final high score.
Leaderboards and scorekeeping aren’t for everyone, but for players who love the challenge of grinding away at levels, trying to get ever so much faster, more accurate, and otherwise better at the game,Hellsingerprovides the opportunity to do so. The feedback loop of killing, getting a score, killing better, and getting a better score is enough to keep certain competitive types busy long after the game’s story has been exhausted.
Metal: Hellsingeris available now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
