For many years, heavy metal and video games have had a close association, with metalheads frequently displaying the same amount of excitement for their preferred interactive entertainment as they do for their favorite bands.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that metal culture has inspired a substantial number of game developers over the years, with some products brazenly proclaiming their hardcore history on their sleeves for all to see.
Keeping this in mind, here are some of the most amazing examples of metal- and hard-rock-influenced video games that aren’t hesitant to show off their influences.
Doom
It makes little difference whether you go back to the original from the mid-1990s or dive into the 2016 re-imagining and its critically praised sequel, Doom Eternal. From the start, the entire Doom franchise has been a love letter to heavy metal themes and graphics, thus it doesn’t matter which one you play.
Doom is a game that is crammed to the brim with audio and images that will get the blood flowing of any metal lover, from the riff-rich music to the hellspawn hordes that players must take out with shotguns, chainsaws, or their bare fists.
At Full Capacity
Full Throttle can be anything from a fast-paced first-person shooter to a point-and-click adventure. Although it may not appear to be the most natural genre to feature on this list, Full Throttle is undoubtedly justified.
Tim Schafer, a veteran of the adventure game genre, is the guy behind its development. It depicts the narrative of Ben, a motorcyclist who is falsely convicted of murder and must prove his innocence by overcoming a few now-retroactive action set pieces and answering a series of logic puzzles.
The musical score, which boasts beefy riffs, wailing solos, and superb percussion fills that ramp up the tension at just the right times, is once again the production’s highlight. Furthermore, the hard-boiled hero riding a Harley Davidson is unmistakably symbolic of this milieu.
Video Slots by Ozzy Osbourne
This online slot is a must-play for Ozzy Osbourne fans who also enjoy gambling because it includes a variety of tracks legally licensed by the Prince of Darkness himself. If you want to increase your odds of winning, read several books on gambling and other games of chance. This will get you caught up.
The photos are also created to be congruent with the concept. The animations bring Ozzy’s unmistakable face to life in the bulk of the icons.
Legendary Brütal
Tim Schafer, a creative genius and certified strong music aficionado, earned his second slot on the list in 2009 with the publication of Brütal Legend, a pioneering album in its own right.
It features an all-out metal plot about a long-haired roadie, played by Tenacious D’s Jack Black, who is drawn into the artwork of heavy metal albums and must face foes using the power of his electric guitar. The game blends aspects of third-person action with real-time strategy.
It’s an enthralling mash-up of several types of gameplay, all connected by an evident love of metal music and the movement that surrounds it. It appears bizarre on paper, but in actuality, it is a wonderful mash-up of many distinct sorts of gameplay. In addition, Ozzy Osbourne and other genre stalwarts such as Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister provided voice acting.
Rock Band
Guitar Hero was one of the most successful video game franchises of the 2000s, with annual releases and spin-off editions grossing millions of dollars and shifting massive amounts of plastic accessories. Even if the franchise is no longer at the forefront, Guitar Hero was once one of the greatest hits in gaming.
It is also credited with introducing a new generation to countless rock and metal classics, as well as bringing previously unknown bands like DragonForce to the attention of the mainstream.
Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater
Tony Hawk rose to prominence thanks to a combination of arcade-style skating action and beautiful tunes played over the top, making it another game series in which the music proved to be more essential than the gameplay in the long run.
For many fans, the recent remastering of the first two games was a trip down memory lane, and while some of the game’s mechanics haven’t kept up well over time, the music featured in the game is still very much alive and relevant. Around the turn of the millennium, many people had never heard of bands like Primus, Dead Kennedys, The Ernies, and many others.
Quake
Quake is another 1990s artifact that speaks of a time when heavy metal had a greater impact on gaming than it has ever had before or since. The game is described as grimmer, darker, bloodier, and more dramatic than its predecessor, Doom.
At a period when most of its competitors were a touch more light-hearted and colorful, the quake was a completely adult, gothic first-person shooter. The quake had a score composed by none other than Nine Inch Nails, as well as a Lovecraftian world full of disgusting monsters to explore and slay. Even if it can be difficult for modern audiences to re-enter and appreciate the game, it is nevertheless regarded as a landmark title today.