First enemy type Metal: Helsinger It is a harbinger of things to come. The puppet moves erratically as if being dragged along by a floating string. They are literally trapped in rhythm. Heavy metal artists from bands such as System of a Down and Arch Enemy take on the role of puppet his master, guiding him through multiple stages of hell itself, with double kick pedals and guttural screams.through the process of Metal: Helsingerit’s impossible to ignore the beat when slaying the abominable tide of a wide variety of demons.
I finished Metal: Helsinger In one session, we spent four hours sprinting through the levels, trying to keep the rhythm as long as possible. This isn’t the first game to combine music and shooters — BPM: bullets per minute kickstarted this new subgenre in 2020. But here, the incentive to jump to the next stage, the incentive to hear each successive song sooner, felt like listening to the album in a different way. Hearing new tracks from famous artists is a hook, but you’re navigating their rhythms with your actions.
The objective at each level is very simple. Shoot anything that moves until you are granted access to the next room, and repeat until you face a boss.imagine the arena of Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (Two of Metal: Helsingercrystal clear effects) without platform sequences or exploration. Instead, it’s a constant line-up of battles, with new enemies and weapons constantly being introduced. This is because it offers some bonuses (more on this later).
Image: The Outsiders/Funcom
Rhythmic aspects and overall simplicity Metal: Hellsingers Opportunities to elevate each other are sometimes missed, but the approach is compelling on its own. Enemy types are fairly straightforward at first, with demons coming at you in packs and tougher enemies trying to hit you up close. But when you least expect it, acid shots and projectiles from afar slam the ground, creating a pulsating wave to leap over. slowly but steadily, Metal: Helsinger It becomes bullet hell. Surviving the more varied encounters in later levels is satisfyingly challenging (although there are multiple difficulty options to choose from, which also affect how many times you can sacrifice a portion of your score to revive.)
Weapons are also quite original. It starts with a sword and a fire-breathing skull (the ideal care package for a trip to hell) and ends with dual blades that act as boomerangs. There are more basic options like revolvers and shotguns, but they’re simply more convenient and aren’t as creative as alternatives like crossbows, which have good detonating bolts at long range. Don’t worry though, there’s a Gears of War-esque active reload mechanic that allows you to reload on certain beats and finish the animation early. In addition, the rhythm itself also influences weapon selection. For example, a fast-paced song will highlight the speed of the revolver.
But while the arsenal allows for experimentation in the beginning, it doesn’t mean you’ll need as much strategy in the long run. But if you don’t mind filling in the gaps, shotguns are also useful. Both are always available.
Image: The Outsiders/Funcom
Instead, it’s the incentive to stay in rhythm that ties everything together and makes it easier to get lost in trance-like moments. Maintaining a high score streak not only earns you more points, but it also introduces vocals to the songs you’re listening to. Devil May Cry 5. In general, singing is integrated into pretty much everything you can do. Sprinting and shooting are the most obvious. migration is almost automatic. Losing and then recovering vocals whenever a Scorestreak dropped was always seamless, and the songs faded in and out smoothly. A few days after defeating it, the scene still remains in my mind.
whole, Metal: Helsinger It’s very brief, and the story is told through vivid but ultimately unimportant cutscenes. far from it. More exciting than any story beat leading up to it. )
Image: The Outsiders/Funcom
Those looking for an encore in the form of the new Game Plus will want it. However, completing each level unlocks a challenge to tackle in the replay, which rewards its own unique abilities upon completion.Following this year’s excellent results, we also have a leaderboard neon whitesurpassing a friend’s score has never been more convincing. neon white, there was no incentive to immediately replay the level to get a better score. Moving through stages at a fast pace was too satisfying to interrupt the flow of things.
hard to imagine Metal: Helsinger As memorable as it is without a line-up of popular artists. But I would have liked to see more risk taken on that core pillar ( BPM: bullets per minute experimenting with roguelike elements and more diverse weapons), Metal: Helsinger We know how to deliver pulsating, vibrant synergies and pull your strings.
Metal: Helsinger will release on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on September 15th. This game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release download code provided by Funcom. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, but Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased via affiliate links.discoverable Additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy can be found here.