To say that video games today are more complex and fleshed out than they used to be would be an understatement. Not only do games today implement countless gameplay mechanics and often spread across numerous genres, but many AAA titles now also have in-depth and oftenemotional stories. Although many of these games and improvements are great, there comes a time when some players just want to load up a game, blast some heavy metal music, anddestroy everything in sight.
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Thankfully, the gaming industry has no shortage of games that let players simply wreak havoc like in the old days, making them perfect for playing while listening to heavy metal.
7DOOM (2016)
TheDOOMfranchise has always been a gaming home for heavy metal fans.
The firstDOOMgame was released in 1993 andrevolutionized first-person shooter gaming. The series received a handful of successful sequels and ports after that until the franchise hit a rut withDOOM 4. Long story short,the game was canceledand replaced with a reboot of the original game.
DOOM(2016) was well worth the wait, as it gave the series' fans exactly what they wanted: over-the-top action with numerous enemy types to kill and a plethora of ridiculously powerful guns to kill them with.
6Devil May Cry 5
WhereasDOOMwas hugely influential in the first-person shooter genre,Devil May Cry 5was instrumental in the rise of hack and slash games.
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Devil May Cry 5’s release came as a surprise to some, as the series was rebooted in 2013 withDmC: Devil May Cry.The game was a huge hit with fans and critics though, particularly for how it stayed true to the series' roots despite itsmodern visuals and polish.Devil May Cry 5earned an impressive Metascore of 89 on PC and PlayStation 5 and also won several awards, includingBest Action Game at The Game Awards 2019andExcellence in Gameplay at the SXSW 2020 Gaming Awards.
5Brütal Legend
Brütal Legendis an obvious choice for this list, as the game is essentially one big gaming love letter to heavy metal music, and features the voices of iconic musicians like Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Lemmy, and Jack Black, who voices the main character.
The game itself doesn’t disappoint, as Double Fine Productions' 2009 release offers an interesting mix of action-adventure andreal-time strategy gameplay, which may sound like a hot mess on paper, but works extremely well in actuality and earned the game a solid83 Metascore on PlayStation 3.
4Twisted Metal (2012)
TheTwisted Metalfranchise began in 1995 and had five releases on the PlayStation 1, along with a few PlayStation 2 releases, including the highly-regardedTwisted Metal: Black.
After many rumors and fan requests, a newTwisted Metalgame was announced for the PlayStation 3 and released in 2012. The game is a reboot of the original, and delighted fans with its enjoyablevehicular combat gameplaythat is great to play with friends online and via local split-screen. Many people only playTwisted Metalwith friends, which is a shame because the game is perfect for playing alone with heavy metal blaring in headphones.
3God Of War 3
One of the many great hack and slash franchises that was inspired by the originalDevil May CryisGod of War.TheGod of Warfranchise began in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and created a fantastic gameplay formula that Santa Monica Studio reused with great success across numerous games. The studio shook up the series with completely re-worked gameplay and anemphasis on Norse mythology inGod of War(2018).
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God of War 3is known for being the series' most epic release in terms of spectacle as it pits Kratos against some of the most powerful gods and Titans from Greek Mythology.
Left 4 Dead 2was released in November 2009 and is one of the many Valve releases that has a loyal crowd of fans who haven’t given up hope for a sequel.
LikeTwisted Metal,Left 4 Dead 2is a game that is best played with friends, as taking down hordes of fast-paced and hectic zombies is often a lot more fun - and a lot easier - with teammates. However, players who enjoy the first-person shooter shouldn’t write it off as a multiplayer-only experience, asLeft 4 Dead 2can be a ton of fun with a heavy metal playlist on toget the adrenaline pumping.
1Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2was developed by PlatinumGames and was originally released as a Wii U exclusive before, like many Wii U games, making its way to the far more successful Nintendo Switch a few years later. The hack and slash game was a huge hit with critics, exemplified by its whopping92 Metascore on Nintendo Switchalong with its multiple awards wins, includingBest Action game from IGN.
The highly-anticipatedBayonetta 3is supposedly releasing in 2022, though news about the game has been few and far between.
