During my time at Gamescom 2022, I was excited to go hands-on with Metal: Hellsinger once again following a few playthroughs of its incredibly successful free demo.
When trying to explain this game to anyone, it's far easier to tell them to just have a go for themselves than run around in circles detailing the incredible mix of FPS and rhythm game genres! I was shocked to learn, however, that the demo almost never came to be.
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The Demo That No One Wanted
Following an insightful chat with David Goldfarb & Shila Vikström we came to learn that the Metal: Hellsinger demo, which has exceeded one million downloads, was something neither party wanted to release!
While both David and Shila admit they can't deny what the demo has done for the exposure of the game, it was still shocking to know that neither of them believed that it would be a good idea.
Being a veteran within the FPS world, David Goldfarb was the more outspoken of the two in opposing the demo and admits that it was a request from the marketing team that he eventually folded on.
It's quite the admission to make but surely made far easier knowing how well the small slice of the game performed. Shila wasn't quite as steadfast in her approach to the demo but admitted she wasn't exactly a fan of the idea when she first heard it, mostly down to the extra work it creates and the fear that reception to it could be very negative.
On the flip side, the demo actually helped the studio confirm some of their fears about the game, giving them the confidence to head back into the studio and provide solutions. However, the overall positive reception and outpouring of support was a source of validation that was a huge boost to morale.
Since the demo was launched, the appearance of Metal: Hellsinger at Gamescom 2022 changed somewhat. Instead of getting another look at the game, we got out chance to ask questions to David & Shila while Funcom also hosted the insane Metal: Hellsinger Concert featuring multiple artists from the game performing their tracks live.
What stuck out to me from the rest of my chat with David & Shila is that Metal: Hellsinger doesn't necessarily have to be a one-and-done project. As with any game, features and ideas are left on the cutting room floor and could be revisited or altered should The Outsiders return for another bite of the cherry.
Stick with us for more coverage of Metal: Hellsinger in the lead-up to release on Thursday, 15 September.