While everyone at The Pit has their own various interests outside of metal, there is one other hobby we actually all share in common: video games. We all adore video games.
It always excites us to hear metal celebrities vocalizing how much they enjoy gaming as well, whether it’s Matt Heafy of Trivium or Kyle Beam from Undeath. Hell, it was super cool to recently see Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima shout out Lorna Shore.
A fun debate we like to have among ourselves is listing the most metal video games; after going about this for some time, we came up with the genius idea of sharing that list with you. From first-person shooters to RPGs and adventure games, here are the 10 most metal video games of all time.
Doom (1993)
While the franchise has gone on to involve other amazing titles, it’s fair to say that 1993’s Doom is the first ever “metal video game.” You’re rampaging through Hell with machine guns, shotguns, and other weaponry, blasting away at demons – pure metal. Doom has caught the attention of many bands, just look at Undeath, who have created several songs as a tribute to the game franchise (one of their most recent being “Necrobionics“).
Elden Ring
The flip side of heavy metal sci-fi is heavy metal fantasy, and although another game on this list held that number-one spot for many years, Elden Ring is now the new king. The world that is the Lands Between is nothing short of breathtaking, and occupying those lands are hordes of horrifying, difficult-as-hell monsters that will challenge you. As of this point, there isn’t another game that offers this sense of epic scale. For metalheads looking to get lost in an adventure, Elden Ring is perfect.
Metal: Hellsinger
While making for a fun shooter with some stellar Doom-like visuals, what makes Metal: Hellsinger really stand out is its use of metal songs that feature metal celebrities. To name just a couple of vocalists who are in the game, you have the likes of Trivium singer Matt Heafy and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, and on the game’s upcoming DLC, you have Lorna Shore singer Will Ramos. How you play the game has a direct impact on the music you hear, making for an intriguing metal-as-hell immersive experience.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The one title that comes close to rivaling Elden Ring is without a doubt The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Having been ported God knows how many times throughout the years, Skyrim has become a cultural phenomenon still loved to this day. Offering you a tremendous amount of freedom to roleplay how you wish, venturing through Skyrim can allow metalheads the choice to play out all their heavy metal Viking fantasies.
God of War: Ragnarök
However, if you are looking for a fantasy experience that embraces Viking imagery and Norse mythology just a little more, then 2022’s God of War: Ragnarök is a game you should be playing ASAP. As one of the most emotional and riveting stories in video games, this sequel to 2018’s God of War makes for an extraordinary adventure brimming with captivating environments, mystical mysteries, and a whole lot of blood. We imagine the guys in Amon Amarth have had a blast playing this one.
Bloodbourne
It might be cheating by having two Souls games on this list, but when you think about it, what Elden Ring and Bloodbourne have to offer are two very different shades of metal. Whereas the former touches upon Grimdark fantasy, Bloodbourne caters more to the death metal and black metal crowd, offering genuinely horrific and Lovecraftian creatures, and settings so chilling, they’ll be appearing in your nightmares later. Oh and some fun metal trivia for you: regarding the death metal band Tomb Mold, their name is actually a reference to an item in Bloodbourne.
Twisted Metal: Black
A post-apocalyptic world where people get in suped-up vehicles and blast each other with missiles? That’s metal AF. The Twisted Metal franchise has always made for an explosive experience of fun – and it’ll be really cool to check out the TV adaption once it is released. When it comes to the one game from the franchise that most stands out though, Twisted Metal: Black is the entry that captures the franchise’s brutal vibe and exhilarating play best.
Diablo 2
As one of the greatest dungeon-crawling adventures in all of video games, of course, Diablo 2 makes this list. Whether you’re playing as a barbarian or necromancer, Diablo 2 offers a brilliant horror air and addictive gameplay. It is also the perfect game to play while you spin the likes of Necrot, Immortal, Cradle of Filth, or Cannibal Corpse.
Devil May Cry 3
Maybe you want something a little more angsty (which is totally cool); something where you can throw on some Slipknot or Static-X, something with some real TUDE. Then the amazing hack-and-slash experience of Devil May Cry 3 is the type of awesome metal experience suited to those needs. Providing extremely satisfying combat that flies at the speed of your favorite action anime, while also offering its own banging industrial metal soundtrack, DMC3 is brimming with heavy metal flavor (shit, one of the weapons in the game is a guitar that uses electric elemental attacks).
Brütal Legend
You may have seen this coming from a mile away, but besides Metal: Hellsinger, Brütal Legend is one of the few video games in existence that pays direct tribute to the art of heavy metal. The world and characters of Brütal Legend are stylized based on various subgenres of heavy metal; along with some vocal guest appearances from iconic metal artists and featuring uses of real metal songs (like Dragonforce‘s “Through The Fire and The Flames”), this is easily one of the most metal experiences you can have in video games.