I just dove into Metal: Hellsinger by The Outsiders, published by Funcom. Honestly, I loved the “Doom meets Guitar Hero” vibe players rave about. Indeed, shooting to the beat feels epic in these hellish arenas. Moreover, the innovative rhythm-FPS gameplay and Troy Baker’s narration keep me hooked like a treasure hunt in an open world. Additionally, one user praised the rogue-like Leviathan mode for forcing fresh weapon builds. I agree—it pushes exploration and discovery, two of my core gaming thrills.
Furthermore, I mapped every Hell in Metal: Hellsinger, and I tracked all buffs in Leviathan mode. That said, Funcom nailed their challenge design, but I wish they added minor waypoint markers for hidden tomes. On top of that, side challenges unlock skins and additional tracks by Two Feathers, featuring Serj Tankian and Alissa White-Gluz. In fact, I logged each modifier’s effect on ultimate cooldown or ammo swaps. Clearly, that level of detail suits completionists. A small patch could add an achievement for flawless Leviathan-mode runs, boosting full-completion appeal.
The core mechanics in Metal: Hellsinger feel tight. Shooting on beat boosts your tempo meter and damage. Weapon swaps flow smoothly, and shotgun headshots on a perfect rhythm slam demons hard. It reminds me of Doom’s fluid combat, but it pushes FPS into rhythm territory. I dissected the reload-cancel trick on rifle shots—it saves 0.2 seconds per clip. That timing nuance matters in high-level play. The Outsiders clearly fine-tuned bullet spread to reward precision, raising the skill ceiling.
As a speedrunner, the beat windows in Metal: Hellsinger open up routing challenges. You can clip through walls by syncing your dodge and shot frames. I shaved 15 seconds off my Leviathan run by exploiting a mid-combat reload glitch. The lack of checkpoints demands perfect segues between waves. It’s brutal, but the leaderboard lives up to user praise for replay pushes. I’d love a future time-attack mode with ghost runs to learn routes faster.
Story-wise, the Unknown’s vengeance arc feels straightforward but effective. In an interview, Game Director David Goldfarb said he aimed for classic metal themes and visceral story beats. The lore around a thousand Hells offers variety—from ice-bitten Voke to inferno-lunged Stygia. The simple narrative keeps pace briskly so you remain locked into combat. Dialogue flows with heavy-metal swagger, and small plot twists unfold right before boss fights.
Visually, Metal: Hellsinger uses Unreal Engine tech to render hellscapes with crisp particle effects. The Outsiders drew inspiration from classic mid-2000s FPS art styles but added modern shader work. Each Hell sports its own palette: icy blues in Voke, molten reds in Manker’s realm. I captured every unique demon design in my screenshot gallery. Performance held steady at 60fps on PC, while console performance mode drops to 45fps in hectic waves. A stable framerate matters when you chase beat windows.
The audio design fuels my runs. Two Feathers crafted tracks like “Hell’s Vengeance” that pulse exactly at 120-140 BPM. Each perfect shot layers new guitar riffs. Environmental cues like demon growls sync with drum hits, alerting me to rush or reload. Voice lines from Randy Blythe heighten boss encounters. Sound feeds my rhythm memory, so I never lose tempo. I do wish volume sliders let me isolate beats from ambient screams.
Characters in Metal: Hellsinger stay mysterious but memorable. The Unknown’s half-demon design feels unique in FPS lore. Minor NPCs, like corrupted souls in Stygia, offer bite-sized backstories. I appreciate how Diana Solé’s writing keeps exposition concise so combat remains central. Representation shines in diverse vocal talent, from Serj Tankian’s gravelly baritone to Alissa White-Gluz’s fierce growls. Each track mirrors the realm’s tone, tying character mood to gameplay.
Challenge levels scale smoothly. Early stages introduce beat timing gently, then hard mode removes checkpoints completely. User reviews noted a steep rogue-like spike in Leviathan mode, and I confirm it demands build experimentation. Still, buff choices feel balanced: infinite ammo after swaps lets you test aggressive load-outs. Accessibility could improve with adjustable beat-window widths. That tweak would help rhythm-game newcomers without dumbing down core combat.
Replay value remains high. The leaderboards push you to refine rhythm consistency. The Leviathan rogue-like forces varied play-styles. I replayed Torment challenges to unlock extra lore snippets. With just nine songs in the base game, players return to perfect runs. The DLC adds skins and tracks, not new maps, but I keep chasing top scores. It rivals replay loops in Exit the Gungeon and Crypt of the NecroDancer.
Metal: Hellsinger fuses fast-paced FPS action with rhythm mechanics to deliver a pulse-pounding experience, and The Outsiders and Funcom present tight combat alongside top-tier audio that keeps players locked into each beat. Its “Doom-style” movement combined with beat-matching gunplay not only innovates the genre but also creates a hell-scaped arena where timing your shots to a metal soundtrack becomes a thrilling challenge.
If you crave equally epic beat-driven action, try Doom Eternal for its blazing movement, deep level design, and nonstop demon slaying; Crypt of the NecroDancer, which pioneered rhythm-based dungeon crawling by seamlessly blending music with gameplay; Killer is Dead, a stylized hack-and-slash that introduces unique story moments and timed attacks; or No Straight Roads, which merges rhythm combat with vibrant boss fights in a music-driven world—ensuring any Metal: Hellsinger fan finds an exhilarating adventure.
