Metal: Hellsinger (Xbox One) Reviews

Ive just downloaded this game and really didnt expect much. I honestly thought this is just some doom clone but what i got wil hopefully be the start of a completly new genre that mixes rhythm gameplay with already popular game mechanics.

So basically right from the main menu i was hooked. This is probably the hardest riff i heard in a menu since the remastered version of the killer instinct theme.

The game mechanics are pretty simple and well explained through little tutorials and the game feels really polished and runs and looks great. I did not encounted any kind of bug or problem yet.

One thing you have to keep in mind is that if you play on a big tv you might have higher audio and sound latency than someone that plays on a monitor. So its important that you take time and calibrate both video and audio so it matches the latency from your setup or else you will have a tough time keeping up with the game mechanics.

A negative point could be that the game simply did not release on the regular xbox one consoles but i hope that with the success of this game they might create a port so older gen players can also experience this awesome game.

Gameplay wise Hellsinger takes heavy inspiration from Doom which isnt a bad thing at all because this isnt a cheap ripoff but rather an experimental addition of ideas that turn out to work really well.

The story doesnt seem too deep but is still interesting (i didnt skip the cutscene which i sadly find me doing way too often with recent games). I could write a bit more but i dont want to spoil anything.

The Soundtrack is probably what will make or break the game for you since it relies heavy on it and if you are turned off by it you probably dont have a good time since you have to pay attention to the rhythm of the music. Just like with doom the music changes with the gameplay but in this case i think the song progression is tied to the multiplicator. On the other hand this could introduce people who were not even aware this stuff existed to some new exciting musical directions. Sadly at least in my opinion game developers seem to always gravitate more towards a contemporary soundtrack for their games rather than something that actually suits the game. Shining examples are the older racing games like NFS Most Wanted which i recently replayed where the aggressive soundtrack really suits the game. I can acknowledge that my view on this is pretty biased since im a big "anything with a heavy riff" fanboy redface rock .

Thanks again for the existence of gamepass because i would probably not have bought this game since i had the wrong initial impression of it.

10/10 for this much needed refreshing experience in a oversaturated game market that lacks any kind of soul.

Now its dooms turn to maybe add some vocals :P

One genre that could really benefit from this imho are jshmups which also heavily rely on soundtrack and could maybe make this genre more accessible in the west.

this review is broken into achievements (where the game is reviewed with only achievement hunting in mind) followed by both the good and the bad (where the game is reviewed in terms of enjoyment)

achievements
achievement-wise this game is fairly short (6-8h) completion that is enjoyable from start to finish.. one achievement (No Rest for the Wicked) felt slightly glitchy but replaying every torment fixed it for me so minorly annoying but not game breaking by any means

the good
music (perfect for hell-raising)
fps + rhythm (fresh, fun and challenging.. basically light-feeling Doom with a musical twist)
fun (absolutely loved playing this game from beginning to end)

the bad
boss fights could use some love (fighting same boss model that uses different moves could have been done a little better to make each encounter feel more unique but that's just me offering constructive criticism to an otherwise fantastic game)

Synopsis:

-Metal: Hellsinger is a Horror, first-person shooter with a musical twist. You succeed in this game by killing demons to the beat of the music.
-You play as a lost soul simply named the unknown. Accompanied by a talking skull named Paz, you fight your way through several layers of Hell, to regain your voice by killing the ruler of Hell, the Red Judge.
-The more on-beat you are with your attacks, the stronger you become, and the more intense the music gets, providing a unique element to this game.

Pros:

-Metal isn’t necessarily my music genre of choice, but I really did enjoy the soundtrack in this game. It fits perfectly with the overall vibe and makes the experience of the game better.
-At the end of the room in any Hell, the exit glows Red. It’s a nice touch for those of us gamers who get massively turned around while running from demon hordes.
-Something else I found very helpful, is when your health is low, the music gets all foggy, and when you lose your kill multiplier, the vocals disappear. It's nice to have audible cues like that.
-It's not a terribly long completion, seeing as I completed it twice in 16 hours.

Cons:

-There were a few achievements that were a bit tricky. First: the “Raining Blood” achievement. You have to kill 2 seraphs with one attack. There is only one spot in the Hells where two of them spawn simultaneously. It’s tricky, because you only get one shot at the achievement, after grinding for 10-15 minutes to get to the specific spot. However, there is a loophole, where you can get the achievement in the Slaughter Mastery III torment, but you must do so with the weapons provided by that level. With 2 or 3 tries, though, and some focus, it is obtainable.
-The second tricky achievement is the “No Rest for the Wicked” achievement which isn’t incredibly difficult, it’s just long. It took me 2+ hours to grind through all the torments on both playthroughs, so be prepared to do some GRINDING for hardly any Gamerscore (25).
-I also will note, the “Pazifist” achievement can be a bit tricky if you accidentally switch weapons. But you CAN slaughter with the sword and the achievement will still count.

Analysis:

-Storyline is good
-Gameplay is enjoyable
-Mechanics are decent
-Graphics are great
-It isn’t terribly difficult

Is it worth it?

-Is the game worth the price? It depends. If you’re focused on Gamerscore like I am, I would say no. But for gameplay, experience, and a demon slayer that is easily repayable, I’d say yes.
-Is the game on game pass? It was, but I played it as it was leaving.
-Is the grind worth the gamerscore? Yes.
-Easy completion? No, but also not hard.
-Would I play this game if it had no achievements? Yes.

TBD Score: 7.39