Review: Double Kick Heroes

I will admit, in the middle 2000’s I was a HUGE Guitar Hero and Rock Band fan! My buddies and I would get together and rock out for a good portion of the night, then when we had rocked out Halo 3 went in. Those were some great times, and I miss them. Double Kick Heroes is attempting to bring back the rhythm games for all to enjoy, just without those bulky peripherals.

The Story

Since this is a rhythm game there really isn’t TOO much story involved in “story” mode. You are a band, and you’ve been practicing in the basement for quite sometime. You run up onstage to see that the crowd is hundreds of the undead. These undead would love to snack on your musical ass and you have to high tail it out of Dodge before you get snacked on. You battle the zombies by playing your musical instruments that are attached to guns. The guns dispatch the zombies behind you, I did wonder why the car just couldn’t go faster. It is a bit vexing, but the game does make it a very interesting premise.

You travel throughout the city and continue to survive while kill zombies and zombie bosses. The map shows you where you have been and where you need to go. You can also replay levels to get better at the button mashing. Which you may need to do if you want to play on a high setting. The second setting was almost difficult for me, and there are three more after that.

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The Look

Headbang Club gave the game a nice unique and polished 16-bit look. The story is told through very colorful and classic looking cut-scenes. I enjoyed the look and feel of the game. It took me back to the days of the Super Nintendo but instead of Midi music I got hard rock that I’d never heard of before. The zombie hoards get a little different and more difficult as you continue your trip to safety. I will admit that while playing it is HARD to keep your eye on the hoard. You have to watch the music bar so that you press your face buttons at the right time so that you shoot powerful bullets at the ever growing crowd chasing you.

I enjoyed the graphics A LOT due to the fact I love to fire up my older consoles. This look may turn off a few gamers because everything isn’t photorealistic, but the rhythm section of the game is what should keep you playing. Not the look of the game.

The Modes

There are four modes to keep you busy with the title. “Arcade” is the first mode and it is the quickest if you don’t have a lot of time to play. You can jump in, bust out a few songs, then be on your way. None of the story shenanigan’s are there to slow your fun.

“Story” mode is the mode I mentions previously, you are escaping the end of the world by traveling to different areas and defeating the zombies or what ever else is thrown at you. This is the campaign of the game for people, like me, who just want to beat the game and move on.

The “Hellgate” mode is almost the exact same as the “arcade” mode. This mode has licensed music though, so don’t try to stream it. I will be honest, I knew NOTHING about the artists or music in this mode. And since I’m an old ass man I gave myself a huge headache playing through it.

“Fury Road” is the game’s version of an online leaderboard. You play certain modes and your scores and best times are loaded onto it. I didn’t make a single board, I guess I’ve lost my touch with the rhythm games. I will admit, while the peripherals were cumbersome, they did make the game easier. Punching the face buttons to hit the note properly didn’t really mesh well with me.

Verdict

I enjoyed this game, it brought back some great memories of years past and really made me want a new and better Guitar Hero. The fact that the last Rock Band and Guitar Hero failed miserably makes me realize that games like Double Kick Heroes are all we will get if we support them. This is a fun game, I am saddened there is no online or couch co-op, but maybe one day. Look at Ghost of Tsushima, surprising us constantly by how amazing SuckerPunch is. Maybe Headbang Club will surprise us with a co-op in the future. Especially if the game does well on Microsoft’s GamePass. Fans of harder rock music and rhythm games should pick this title up. There aren’t many go to rhythm games at the moment, and this is definitely one of the better ones.

This review is based on a review build provided by the publisher