Summary
- Metal and gaming are a perfect match, evoking a more brutal, epic, and visceral gaming experience.
- Iconic metal soundtracks can immortalize games, enhancing gameplay and creating memorable moments.
- Games like Quake, Doom, and Mortal Shell feature exceptional metal soundtracks that enhance player experience.
An aspect of games that often goes overlooked is the soundtrack. Graphics will probably be the first thing a player notices, and gameplay is certainly foundational to a game's success, but the score of a game is one of those things that can truly immortalize a title. There have been plenty of good games. Tonnes of them, in fact. But what do the titans of gaming, Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls, and even classics like Super Mario Bros, have in common? A memorable song or score to accompany its most iconic moments.
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Operatic scores for fantasy games or sleek technological backing tracks to sci-fi games are all well and good, but there's nothing that hits quite like visceral, meaty, grimy metal, making everything seem more brutal, more epic, more bloody or gory, and just all around more of a good time. Metal and gaming are a match made in heaven - they have a bond forged in the fires of moral outrage all throughout the 90s and 2000s, and these games have made the most of this storied relationship. The titles below are ranked on two factors: the head-banging capacity of their soundtracks, and the overall quality of their gameplay.
8 Brutal Legend
An All-Star Cast And Soundtrack
Brutal Legend
- Released
- October 13, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, Action
Definitely one of the most unique open-world games of the 2010s, Brutal Legend has rock legends like Jack Black and Ozzy Osbourne heading a dynamic, punchy, beat-em-up-inspired action-adventure title where every part of the setting feels like it belongs in a metal cover.
The aesthetic here is incredibly lighthearted - and campy in the best way possible. While the gameplay does tend to become slightly repetitive and samey, it's made all the more cathartic by the truly visceral metal soundtrack that accompanies every part of the game from exploration to combat.
7 Splatterhouse (2010)
A Gem From An Older Generation
A remake of an older title, both of which have fallen into mild obscurity as the PS3 and Xbox 360 grow further and further away from current-gen consoles, Splatterhouse is an excellent game that brings the satisfying, arcadey feel of its original 1988 predecessor to a new generation.
Accompanying the brutality of the combat and violent, bloody combos in this game is, of course, an incredible metal soundtrack. As satisfying as a hack-and-slash gets, players' eyes and ears will both be rewarded if they can get their hands on this older game.
6 Slain: Back From Hell
An Indie Platforming Marvel
While not as in-depth as other titles that have taken the dark fantasy genre and aesthetics to the realm of platforming, Slain: Back from Hell is still an excellent, vibrant platformer with some very intuitive gameplay and intricate puzzles that are accompanied by a heady, fantastical score of dark metal.
Another thing to note about this game that makes it so compelling is the design of the bosses and enemies. They're infernal, intimidating, and packed with the same kind of savagery that the music invokes.
5 Quake
A Watershed Moment In Gaming
Quake
- Released
- May 22, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
There are few games that are as venerated as the original Quake. There are plenty of reasons why this is - the game innovated in almost every way, providing players with a multiplayer experience, an FPS experience, and a sound experience like no other.
It's the oldest game on this list by a fair margin, but it wouldn't be a true metal soundtrack list if the infernal drones and splatter-core death metal of Quake weren't mentioned. Satisfying brutality is made all the more satisfying by this game's incredible, iconic metal soundtrack.
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4 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Uplifted From Obscurity Thanks To An Iconic Soundtrack
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Released
- February 19, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action
Two things brought Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance back from relative obscurity within its franchise: the amazing soundtrack, and NANOMACHINES, SON (memes). This is a tighter and more focused entry in the series compared to what Metal Gear games are usually known for, but this linearity and the music combine to make a more cinematic experience.
Still enjoyed by modern players today, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an above-average premise with some high-quality gameplay and some truly stellar music, topped off with one of the most memorable final bosses in the series.
3 Mortal Shell
A Single, Free Expansion Revitalizes This Game's Soundtrack
Mortal Shell
- Released
- August 18, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
A boss-heavy soulslike with an Extreme Metal soundtrack - is there anything better in this world? Mortal Shell is an often overlooked soulslike that typically gets dismissed as a Dark Souls clone, but there's a rich, tightly packed world here that has a lot to offer.
No soulsborne game has the same almost abstract and surreal feeling to the world that Mortal Shell does - it feels like playing a game, but things come to a burning, brutal crash back into reality when Rotting Christ begins one of their jaw-dropping boss themes that punctuate every battle in Mortal Shell - available as free DLC with the game.
2 Doom (2016)
Immensely Satisfying Music And Gameplay
DOOM
- Released
- May 13, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Bethesda's revitalization of the Doom series in 2016 brought about an enduring staple among FPS games, one of the best games that any FPS fan can have in their library. While other installments in this series like Doom Eternal have innovated on the gameplay since then, this is the game that brought a watershed moment to Doom's soundtrack, with tracks like BFG Division redefining the kind of action this game is known for.
What else is there to say about Doom? You obliterate demons with shotguns. On Mars. If it's your type of game, you probably already own it. If not, then let this be the thing that acts as a decider - players wanting mindless but immensely satisfying gory combat backed with one of the best metal soundtracks of all time need look no further.
1 Bullets Per Minute
The Soundtrack Is The Game. And The Game Rocks.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute
- Released
- September 15, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Rhythm
The top entry in this list isn't just an incredible game, and it doesn't just have an incredible soundtrack, either. Bullets Per Minute is exceptional in both these areas, but it's how the two concepts meld together that really makes it shine.
Shooting in time with the extreme, tech-oriented metal that blares in every level is enthralling and gory beyond measure. This game is what 'bloodlust' might feel like. It's the lead-spewing cousin to punch-drunkenness, and no game lets players lose themselves in a sea of blaring metal quite like BPM.
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