Metal: Hellsinger's free horde mode update and new DLC are out now

Metal: Hellsinger is a neat rhythm shooter, in which you blast demons in time to the beat of heavy metal. This week brought the release of new Purgatory DLC, which adds new tracks and a bow weapon, but also the launch of a free Horde mode update. The latter lets you fight escalating waves of enemies in different arenas, with between-wave powerups and permanent upgrades to unlock.

The horde mode is called Leviathan. It lets you create your own music playlist, so that the music shuffles as you move onto the next arena. Arenas come in a different order on each run, and unlike in the base game, you don't keep collected weapons indefinitely - although there are permanent abilities, called Dreams, which can unlocked using Void Echoes earned through play. If you manage the complete the mode, you'll unlock a new skin.

The Purgatory DLC meanwhile features three new songs, each written by base game composers Two Feathers: Goodbye, My Morning Star performed by Matt Heafy (Trivium), Swallow the Fire performed by Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum), and Mouth of Hell performed by Joe Bad (Fit for an Autopsy). I assume those band names mean something to metal fans.

As more of a shooterhead than a metalhead, I'm more interested in the new weapon, The Telos bow. Bows are always the best weapon in first-person shooters. This one can be charged-up to release stronger shots, deals more damage on headshots, and arrows can be picked up and re-used.

The Purgatory DLC costs £5/€6/$6.

In Metal: Hellsinger, killing enemies on the beat causes your combo multiplier to grow, making weapons more powerful and rounding out the heavy metal soundtrack. It feels great and is complimented by Doom (2016)-style finishing moves that replenish your health. I like the idea of using these tools in arena fights.

You can find the full patch notes for the update on Steam.