Metal: Hellsinger VR – Metal Madness in Hell

Metal: Hellsinger VR Review

Metal: Hellsinger VR is a collaborative effort between game developers Lab42 and The Outsiders. They took the flat version of the 2022 game and made it virtual. Now your journey through hell destroying demons to the rhythm of metal music occurs in large-scale virtual reality. However, the VR version of the game is more than just a version of the game. The developers used the three dimensions of virtual reality to employ new game mechanics. Each weapon has been redesigned for maximum effect in virtual reality. Additionally, each weapon feels different when used.

The Terminus is a skull-handled sword that you can use with a combination of dash and slash attack to take down enemies. Other weapons include Peace, a sentient skull that acts as a gun. To get the shotgun equivalent, you wield the Persephone, better known as the Queen of Death. For two-handed firepower, there are the Hounds, Cerberus, and Orthrus. The designers gave each weapon a demonic look and they look very cool.

There are eight 'hells' or stages in the game. Between stages, you return to a hub created for the VR version. Dubbed The Unknown's Lair, it is a safe place for players to regroup and strategize before tackling the next level. The center also acts as the game's menu. Here you will select levels, in the form of LP album covers, choose weapons and change options to configure gameplay preferences. In keeping with the lair motif, the options take the form of arcane volumes that accompany the Lore volumes. The Lair is one of the best gaming centers of all time.

Den setting options

Additionally, you can also check your stats in the Lair. All of these features are designed to work in virtual reality form, where you reach, touch or grab items. The game developers included a number of VR options that in today's VR gaming market should be standard. So there will be options for vignettes, fast/continuous pan, pan speed adjustment, head vs. hand directional movement, and more. For this particular game, since it is a rhythm-based game, there are options for video/audio latency, pace indicator, aim assist, auto/manual weapon pump, and height calibration.

The pace indicator deserves more explanation. It is a reticle that is overlaid on an enemy and shows the optimal time to attack and cause maximum damage. Chain together enough max hits and you'll be prompted for the final attack.

It's also worth delving into the options for adjusting video and audio latency. These two options allow you to adjust your inputs so that you can achieve the best possible experience and scores when playing. You respond in time with the attack input to visual or audio cues to match them as closely as possible.

Movement is also very important in the game. Dashing is not only an important offensive move, but it is also a great defensive move. You can teleport when surrounded by demons. Another great defensive move is an extended double jump. You can do a longer double jump by continuing to press the jump button, which will allow you to glide with your wings even further. For said movement to work properly, the controls must respond and that is the case here. The controls are strict.

Graphically, the game looks stunning when I play it on my PSVR 2 with an AMD 7800 XT GPU. The level design is such that, although the game is arena-based, each stage visually flows into the next. Each level also has upper and lower areas. This combined approach gives a great feeling of more space than there really is. The game depicts the hellish environments in an impressive variety of colors, with reds especially standing out.

Metal music baby!

If you plan to play the Steam version, the recommended PC specs are an i7-7700 or Ryzen 5 3600 with 16GB of RAM and an RTX 2080 or Amdahl equivalent GPU, such as a 5600 XT.

The red ones are notable because some enemies are winged demons that internally pulse with red to the beat of the music. This provides a great visual aid on when to time your attacks for maximum impact. There's a decent variety of enemy types that evoke, but don't copy, Doom's enemies.

Music is obviously a vital part of the game, and there's an impressive array of metal talent here. The soundtrack includes works by artists such as songwriting duo Two Feathers, as well as vocalists such as Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Matt Heady of Trivium and Randy Blythe of Lamb of God.

As you progress through a level, the music takes on more layers. It goes from simple rhythmic beats to adding more instrumentation and then vocals. This is a great approach, as it builds tension as the enemies and action increase.

Hellsinger impresses. The gameplay is tight. The world is great and well thought out. The graphics are great. Even the story, although somewhat conventional, kept my interest throughout. This is a well polished and optimized game.

Metal: Hellsinger has the rhythm

Metal: Hellsinger includes most of the content from the original game except Leviathan mode. The game is officially compatible with Quest 2, Quest 3, PSVR 2, HTC Vive and Quest Pro. There will be DLC to purchase at the time of the game's release. The game will be released on September 26, 2024 on Meta and October 3 for Steam and PSVR 2.

Metal: Hellsinger is presented as a cross between Pistol Whip and Hellsweeper, both excellent virtual reality games in their own right. Metal: Hellsinger VR is a spectacular entry in the VR Rhythm game genre that makes your head bang as you pull the trigger.

****Steam code provided by publisher*****