Welcome to Snapshot! In a nutshell – Snapshot is a little feature that provides a snapshot of information on a game that we have checked out or have been playing recently. The article will feature screenshots, and a general overview of our opinion of the game without a review score.

Roguelikes are rife throughout the gaming world these days, especially on the indie scene. But Metal Tales: Overkill has a head banging time of separating from the rest of the genre in its very own unique way, with heavy rock music. If you’ve played excellent titles such as Enter the Gungeon or The Binding of Issac, you’ll be really comfortable with this one. The question is though, does it tick all the boxes and how well does it compare to the popular games within the catalogue of spontaneous roguelikes. Don’t let the presence of rock music turn you away as you can easily turn it down or off if it isn’t to your taste.

Introduction & Gameplay

Developed and published by Zerouno Games, Metal Tales: Overkill is now available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and retails at £12.49/$14.99. You can also pick the game up on Playstation 4|5, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC. The premise is very simple, choose your rock god and dive into the levels and do your best to survive each room and defeat the bosses. Each map is procedurally generated, so you don’t know what is behind each door until you pass through it. The control scheme is akin to most twin-stick shooters such as the already mentioned The Binding of Isaac.

Everything is viewed from a top-down perspective and you will have some slight indication of what is coming in each room from the minimap. This could be an area with traps, a shop or even the final boss. How you progress is entirely on your shoulders, you can explore everything each level has to offer or walk straight to the boss if your confidence is high. I’d encourage exploration though as you’ll pick up various power-ups en route which will assist you in overcoming waves of enemies and difficult scenarios. Prepare to be punished though as losing all your life results in perma-death, and you will need to start your entire run again.

Graphics & Audio

In terms of visuals, Metal Tales: Overkill isn’t the prettiest to look at. The graphical design appears very dull and dark with repetitive aesthetics as you traverse from room to room. Enemy types could really do with more variance and whilst they do change from level to level, seeing the same ones behind every door made it unexciting and a little stagnant. It doesn’t hamper the gameplay overall, but more variance would have improved the game massively.

The audio is where the experience really stands out, especially if you’re into rock or heavy metal music. The soundtrack is magnificent with several tracks from some of the most talented bands across the globe. Whilst sound effects are drowned out by the thrashing of the songs you’ll hear, I found that it added to the adrenaline overall. Being partial to most genres in the music scene this didn’t phase me whatsoever, but players who don’t want to give their eardrums a good thrashing may find it a bit of a turn-off.

In Conclusion

Metal Tales: Overkill is unique in its own right, blending rock music whilst using your instruments as weapons. With bland visuals and repetitive enemy types, it sadly takes it down a notch in the genre and strays away from the greats. That said, there is some fun to be had here and there is a real challenge to work through all of the levels and stay alive. Local co-operative play for up to four players adds some longevity and increases the enjoyment for players who like to game with family and friends from the comfort of home. For those who live for proper music, this may be one you’ll want to pick up and crank up your headphones for and bring out your inner rock god.