Shout at the Devil: ‘Metal: Hellsinger VR’ Releases on Meta Quest Today
The kick drum goes boom-boom-boom. Pistols go blam-blam-blam. Your heart goes thump-thump-thump.Metal: Hellsinger VR is a rhythm game you’ll feel in your veins—and it’s out now on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro.
If you missed Metal: Hellsinger on PC and console, it’s a shooter where you fight your way through untold numbers of demons and escape from Hell itself. The twist? You do so with the power of music, moving and shooting to the beat of its award-winning metal soundtrack. It’s a wild twist on the rhythm genre—and now it’s available in VR, which promises to make that music-to-muscle connection even more powerful.
You can also pick up all three Metal: Hellsinger add-ons, while you’re at it. Dream of the Beast adds new characters, outfits, and a new weapon. Purgatory adds three new songs for you to headbang along to, plus a powerful bow. And if you want to change up the music a bit, the Essential Hits Pack lets you blast through hell to the sound of Gorillaz, Muse, Depeche Mode, Icona Pop, and more.
We caught up with Ilya Salamatov, Publishing Director at Funcom, to chat about bringing Metal: Hellsinger over to VR and how it changes your connection to the music, channeling John Wick with dual pistols, and more. Read on for the full interview, or head over to the Meta Horizon Store to pick up Metal: Hellsinger VR for Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro.
Ilya Salamatov: Metal: Hellsinger is a rhythm-based first-person shooter where players slay demons to the beat of a heavy metal soundtrack. It’s all about timing your actions—shooting, reloading, slashing etc. — to the rhythm, with intensifying music the more in-sync you are with the rythm. Oh, and it has one of the best game soundtracks in recent years, as proven by the numerous awards we received!
As for why we brought it to VR, it just made sense. When we saw the unofficial VR mods popping up, it clicked for us instantly. The immersive, rhythmic core of the game seemed like a perfect fit for VR headsets. Playing in VR heightens that connection to the music and the action. You’re not just playing to the beat—you’re right there in the middle of it, feeling every riff and rhythm, every single line of vocals. We knew we had to make it official and bring that full experience to VR.
IS: It’s essentially the same Metal: Hellsinger experience that players loved on PC and console—same levels, same bosses, same weapons and overall structure. But for VR, we carefully adapted and optimized everything to ensure it works smoothly and immersively. Of course, some adjustments were necessary. For instance, we made UI changes specific to VR to keep the gameplay intuitive and engaging.
One notable addition is what we call the Hub, which serves as the Unknown's lair and effectively functions as the main menu of the game. This Hub gives players an immersive space to start their journey and makes navigating the game in VR feel natural. So, while the core experience remains true to the original, these changes enhance the overall experience in the VR world.
IS: I’d say the difficulty level is pretty much the same, but the experience is more intuitive in VR. Instead of using a gamepad or mouse and keyboard, you’re physically more immersed in the action, which makes keeping track of the rhythm feel more natural. The sense of presence in VR really pulls you into the world, and the game’s rhythm-based combat feels like an even more natural fit in this environment. So, while the challenge remains, the way you engage with the game and its music feels much more connected.
IS: For me, it has to be the Hounds, the dual-wieldable pistols. There’s just something incredibly satisfying about them in VR. It feels like I’m channeling my inner John Wick—or even better, John Constantine, fighting my way through hell and taking down demons. The fluidity of using the Hounds in VR makes it even more immersive, and you really feel like a force to be reckoned with.
But honestly, all the weapons feel fantastic in VR. Each one brings its own unique experience, and the way they handle in this new medium makes every weapon feel distinct.
IS: I guess we’ll have to see! There are definitely a few things we could still put together for Metal: Hellsinger VR, but a lot of that will depend on how the players respond and the level of interest we get after launch. We’re keeping an eye on the community’s feedback, and if the demand is there, we have some exciting ideas we could explore to further enhance the experience. It’s all about building on that momentum.
IS: Go and try the game! We’ve put everything into making Metal: Hellsinger VR an unforgettable experience, and we hope it becomes a VR classic for years to come. Whether you’re a rhythm game fan or just love immersive action, we think this one will hit all the right notes.
Metal: Hellsinger VR is available now on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro for $29.99 USD, and you can pick up the Dream of the Beast, Purgatory, and Essential Hits Pack add-ons today as well.
