Metal: Hellsinger from The Outsiders is a hard rockin’ shooter with a heavy metal rhythmic twist. You’ll follow The Unknown, a demon hellbent on shredding through the depths of the underworld, in order to regain her stolen voice! Thrash the legions of hell to the blood pumping beats, but don’t fall out of tempo lest you fall to your doom!
When I first came across Hellsinger, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Based on its title and the few screenshots that I saw, it seemed like another DOOM style shooter where you’d be mowing down hordes of demons for one reason or another. It wasn’t until I heard the word “rhythm” that I perked up and became infinitely more intrigued! I mean, I’m a big fan of games that utilize music and rhythm to reinforce the action on screen. It, in many ways, intensifies the gameplay and really makes every button press impactful and satisfying. As long as you can stay on beat, of course.
I was curious how that would play out in a shooter, where the game's responsiveness and your ability to react is an integral part of a shooter being fun, and if the rhythm portion wasn’t done right it could make the difference between something that feels great versus something that’s immeasurably frustrating.
What drew me in was the rhythm mechanics, but what kept me there was the amazing soundtrack. Each and every moment is complemented with headbanging and hard rocking tunes that are an assault to your ears in the best of ways. Each action you make is punctuated by the beats, and the better you do, the more intense everything feels, especially as the vocals and melodies are filled in. Meaning as you reach the last legs of a stage, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, bobbing your head to maintain the beat, and holding your breath until you land the final blow. Truly a satisfying climax, but also the type of thing that requires some decompression time before you move on to the next stage.
Of course, the full experience of this game is only attainable if you can keep the rhythm and stay on beat. Miss a cue, get hit, or take too long building up your multiplier and that intensity, as well as the music, starts to mellow out. Ultimately leaving it feeling much less satisfying to play. Something I struggled with in my first hours of playing the game. That is until I decided to drop the difficulty level. Not because I found the game to be too challenging, but because it made maintaining my multiplier easier, thus allowing me to immerse myself in the cacophony of metal and the flurry of rhythmic demon slaying! You’re also able to complete torment challenges which will unlock various useful perks that’ll aid you in maintaining your multiplier or increase your survivability, which makes it that much more fun in the late game.
Once I got into the groove, I was flying through the levels like the harbinger of death and metal that The Unknown was meant to be, and her quest for her voice really began to sing. I was able to traverse through the gloriously hellish environments with ease and even though most stages were broken up into small arenas where you’d have to fight off an onslaught of enemies before you could move on, their flow was on point. Plus, they had enough verticality that it made each battle feel fluid and dynamic. Especially when it came to jumping and weaving around enemy attacks.
My only real sticking point after getting my flow was that the weapons you’re given, although varied, weren’t quite as exciting to use as I had hoped. This is a game about slaying the demons of hell afterall, so I’d expect some badass gear to do said slaying, but for the most part that isn’t the case. I mean, you do get a skull that shoots fireballs, a crossbow with explosive arrows, and fancy crow shaped boomerang thingies, but none of those were quite as satisfying to use as the trusty dusty double pistols and shotgun. That said, it’s not really a big complaint since all of the weapons are just a means to blast through enemies and to enjoy one of the best albums in gaming.
There’s truly something special about a rhythm game that gets it right, and when you layer it with badass music, fast paced action, and engaging lore then you get yourself the full package. And I’m happy to say that, at least in my humble opinion, Metal: Hellsinger hits all of that squarely on the head. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first dove into the game, but I’m glad that I gave it a chance. It may not have clicked right away, but the moment I hit that 16x multiplier and started blasting away demon after demon to the kick ass cadence of Stygia and the awe inspiring vocals of Alissa White-Gluz, I knew this game was something special. And because of that, you can be sure I’ll be back, day 1, for any and all sequels in the Hellsinger universe!
Originally posted on TwosomesUP. Hive blog powered by ENGRAVE.