Metal: Hellsinger stands out as a rhythm FPS that blends fast-paced shooting with heavy metal beats, challenging players to sync their actions to the music for maximum impact. As the Unknown, a half-human, half-demon warrior seeking revenge, you battle through hellish realms in a single-player experience that emphasizes precision and timing. Released in 2022, this title from The Outsiders combines elements of action and adventure, drawing on the team's background in shooters like Battlefield and Payday.
Gameplay
In Metal: Hellsinger, the core mechanic revolves around shooting on the beat of the soundtrack to build multipliers, increase damage, and intensify the music. Players wield a variety of weapons, including a skull-clad blade for melee attacks and ranged options like pistols and shotguns, each with unique ultimates that unleash powerful abilities when charged. Staying in rhythm keeps a streak going, which boosts firepower and keeps the heavy metal tracks at full volume with vocals kicking in during high performance. Missing beats drops the intensity, making fights tougher against demon hordes. Movement feels fluid, with dashes and jumps integrated into the rhythm system for seamless combat flow.
Later additions through updates introduced new weapons like a rhythmic pistol that fires bursts on beat and a bow for precise shots, expanding tactical choices. Players must adapt to enemy types that require specific strategies, such as dodging projectiles or closing in for blade kills, all while maintaining sync with the beat.
Game Modes
The main campaign takes you through eight distinct hells, each with its own environment and challenges, culminating in boss fights against powerful demons like the Red Judge. This story-driven mode follows a linear path with levels designed around custom metal tracks.
Leviathan mode offers a horde-style survival challenge where waves of demons increase in difficulty, and players select upgrades between rounds to enhance abilities, turning the character into a more efficient killer. Torments provide bite-sized challenges focused on specific skills, such as achieving high scores in time-limited scenarios or surviving without certain weapons, rewarding players with boosts for the leaderboards.
An update added horde mode features, allowing for endless wave defense in arenas, with options to customize loadouts for replayability.
Music and Soundtrack
The game's original soundtrack, composed by Two Feathers, features tracks tailored to each level with vocals from metal artists like Serj Tankian, Randy Blythe, and Alissa White-Gluz. Expansions brought in more songs from performers such as Cristina Scabbia and Will Ramos, keeping the audio experience fresh. Narration by Troy Baker adds depth to the tale of vengeance across infernal planes like the frozen Voke and chaotic Stygia.
Is It Worth Playing?
Metal: Hellsinger has earned strong praise for its innovative blend of rhythm and FPS elements, with Steam reviews sitting at overwhelmingly positive, boasting 96 percent approval from over 7,000 users. On Metacritic, the user score stands at 7.5 out of 10 based on hundreds of ratings, highlighting its fun factor despite some criticism for its shorter length.
The game remains supported with DLC that added new content up to 2023, and a 2025 release on additional digital stores keeps it accessible. If you enjoy shooters with a musical twist and appreciate heavy metal, this title delivers a satisfying, headbanging experience worth the time, especially for those who value tight mechanics over lengthy campaigns. However, if endless variety is key, the focused scope might feel limited after the initial playthrough.
