I do not care what anyone says, Metal Hellsinger is the coolest game of 2022, and nobody can change my mind. Okay, it is not perfect in terms of gameplay, but the original soundtrack with appearances by lead vocalists from some of the most influential metal bands of the past few decades brings a tear to my eye.
The player controls Unknown, a soul that has found her way into the depths of Hell bringing with her bad intentions and a score to settle. As punishment, the Red Judge; the Devil, took Unknown’s voice from her and locked her away. So, she forces her way out, gunning through Hell, vengefully seeking the return of her voice. The story can be completed in a short 5-6 hours for most players and there are three difficulty settings to choose from.
It is hard to talk about Metal Hellsinger and not mention its similarities to DOOM. It is a fast-paced, “rooty-tooty point and shooty” gorefest and I am all for it. The uniqueness of Metal Hellsinger is that all actions performed in-game must be done in time with the music’s beat. Shooting out of time with the music deals far less damage to enemies and if executed poorly enough, no shot is fired at all.
Metal Hellsinger is all about getting the highest score. Actions performed on time with the music accumulate towards the score multiplier, which can get as high as 16x. Points are awarded for kills, executions, and on beat actions, while point deductions at the end of a level are dealt for a slow completion time and damage received, so versatility and quickness are necessary for players that want to reach the pinnacle of worldwide leaderboards.
To reach the top of the leaderboards players have six weapons at their disposal, with one of them being a melee option. With these weapons being introduced through the first few levels and once they are unlocked, the player can select them as a primary and secondary weapon before each new level. Players can also unlock Sigils, which are boons that give the player an advantage during missions, by completing Torments related to each level. Torments are short challenges that require the player to complete an objective within a certain timeframe.
Each level ends on a boss fight which get more challenging the deeper into Hell the player travels. Each level progresses through to the boss on a path where each new area is blocked off until the enemies are cleared. I unfortunately glitched out at the very final boss, but it was the only mishap I experienced throughout the game. The level design is excellent, and each area offers several traversal options to keep enemies on their toes. For health regeneration during gameplay, crystals that are scattered throughout the world can be destroyed and collected, or enemies that have taken enough damage can be executed.
The best part of Metal Hellsinger, however, is its fantastic soundtrack. Several metal vocalists have collaborated with Two Feathers, a composer-duo of Elvira Björkman and Nicklas Hjertberg, that compose for video game projects. Obviously, most folks very much love or hate the metal genre, but for listeners this one, how the kids would say, “slaps.” The complete list of vocalists includes:
- Matt Heafy – Trivium
- Mikael Stanne – Dark Tranquility
- Björn Strid – Soilwork
- Tatiana Shmayluk – Jinjer
- Alissa White-Gluz – Arch Enemy
- Randy Blythe – Lamb of God
- James Dorton – Black Crown Initiate
- Serj Tankian – System of a Down
- Dennis Lyxzén – Refused and INVSN
Some very heavy hitters from the industry who bring music that fits the Hellish theme well and keeps the gameplay always flowing.
Brandon Waite. See my profile here.