Yet "Metal: Hellsinger" is not just about keeping time while slaughtering bloodthirsty fiends; it also offers room for improvisation through its array of weapons. Take Paz, a fire-belching talking skull that essentially functions as your pistol -- a gun that lets you fire shots consistently and rapidly, but deals minimal damage per shot. Unlike other guns in your arsenal, Paz doesn't need reloading, which makes it a perfect weapon for learning to shoot demons to the beat of the game's heavy metal accompaniment. Subsequent levels will unlock more weapons, such as Persephone, the game's version of a shotgun, and Vulcan, a heavy, sluggish crossbow that fires bolts that deal area damage, devastating enemies where the bolts land. Persephone deals infinitely more damage, but is slightly more challenging to wield as it requires some time to reload, and its lower firing rate means you can, at best, only shoot the gun once every two beats; Vulcan has an even lower fire rate.

Video games and heavy metal music have long shared a passing curiosity with one another. Look no further than the iconography of Doom, or Tim Schafer's Brütal Legend, for evidence of that. But it was in the mid 00s – during the reign of music and rhythm games such as Guitar Hero – that the link was most obvious. Count me among the ranks of those who learned about Pantera and Megadeth by way of the plastic instrument. Which is why this year's Metal: Hellsinger is on my radar.