Heavy Metal Machines

About

Heavy Metal Machines is a multiplayer casual racing game. It was developed by Hoplon and was released on September 19, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Heavy Metal Machines is a free-to-play, team-based multiplayer online battle arena game. Players choose from a roster of unique characters, each with their own weapons and abilities, and compete in post-apocalyptic matches with a heavy metal music theme. The objective is to deliver a bomb to the enemy's base while preventing the opposing team from doing the same. The game features fast-paced action, strategic gameplay, and requires cooperation and communication with team members.

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 925 reviews

gameplay35 positive mentions

stability11 negative mentions

Unique concept combining MOBA elements with vehicular combat and racing, providing a fresh gameplay experience.
Fast-paced matches that are action-packed and encourage teamwork and strategy.
Great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and fits the heavy metal theme.

Steep learning curve for new players, making it difficult to grasp mechanics and strategies quickly.
Long matchmaking times and a small player base, leading to frequent matches against bots.
Performance issues, including bugs and lag, that can disrupt gameplay and diminish enjoyment.

gameplay
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
56%
8%
The gameplay of "Heavy Metal Machines" is characterized by its unique blend of MOBA and vehicular combat elements, offering fast-paced, chaotic matches that emphasize teamwork and strategy. While many players appreciate the engaging mechanics and distinct character abilities, the game faces criticism for its steep learning curve, repetitive gameplay, and matchmaking issues, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game is praised for its fun, dynamic gameplay and appealing aesthetic, making it a potentially enjoyable choice for fans of the genre.
- “With a focus on team-based mechanics, strategy, and fast-paced action, Heavy Metal Machines offers an exciting and chaotic multiplayer experience.”
- “The gameplay is quick, matches don't usually last too long (10 minutes on average) and it's generally a good experience.”
- “Extremely fun and chaotic gameplay with lots of tactics involved.”
- “❌ steep learning curve: new players may struggle to grasp the mechanics, especially since teamwork and strategy are key to success.”
- “The gameplay is pretty pathetic and stale; you just chase a ball around like a game of glorified soccer.”
- “Overall: nice graphics, excellent soundtrack, bad controls and gameplay.”
music
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its heavy metal soundtrack, which complements the game's post-apocalyptic theme and enhances the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the unique tracks associated with each vehicle, adding depth to the gameplay experience. However, some users noted a lack of music during matches and expressed a desire for a broader variety of musical styles beyond just rock and metal.
- “I love the soundtrack!”
- “Great metal music and each pilot has their own skillset.”
- “Fast-paced MOBA with a nice theme, crazy mechanics, and an awesome soundtrack.”
- “Game has no music, so put a playlist on in the background to make it better.”
- “Boring, generic music and awful performance with a lot of lag spikes.”
- “Music was disappointing.”
graphics
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
47%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the colorful, vibrant, and chaotic design that aligns with its heavy metal aesthetic. While some praise the polished visuals and stylized effects, others criticize performance issues on medium-end PCs and the lack of graphics settings. Overall, the art style is noted as a strong point, contributing to an engaging atmosphere, though some feel it doesn't meet current standards.
- “The graphics are polished, stylized to represent a post-apocalyptic setting, and the effects are nothing to sneeze at.”
- “I don’t usually start with the artwork in a game but it's impossible to ignore the cohesive, hyper-stylized world inside the walls of Metal City.”
- “Its a good game, fun, chaotic with good visuals and art with unique and diverse drivers/characters.”
- “Now, I don't know what happened and which update messed it up so badly, but it's physically impossible for a game with the graphics of League of Legends to perform so poorly on a medium-end PC.”
- “Bad graphics, bad gameplay, awful controls.”
- “Graphics are kind of behind the times.”
story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
78%
11%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the unique backgrounds and personalities of each character, reminiscent of classic vehicular combat games like Twisted Metal. However, others feel that the overall narrative lacks depth and fails to provide a compelling reason for the characters' motivations, leading to a sense of disconnection from the gameplay experience. While daily quests and missions contribute to progression, they can feel repetitive and grindy, detracting from the enjoyment of the story.
- “This story is my new religion.”
- “My personal favorite is that each unique car has a unique drive and background story, like in classic Twisted Metal.”
- “Every character has a story, style, and soundtrack with move sets that complement their personalities.”
- “The Tetris plot is better.”
- “There doesn't seem to be an optional storyline to explain why they want to race to their death, like Twisted Metal had with their characters.”
- “When you don't have a name or a story for yourself, you are a nobody.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
23%
Overall, players find the game to be highly entertaining and humorous, particularly when played with friends, with many praising its funny characters and engaging gameplay. However, some users note that unbalanced matchmaking can detract from the fun. Despite this, the game's humor and enjoyable graphics contribute to a positive experience.
- “I want to play this game again; it was super funny with friends.”
- “It's a hilarious time, and I can't wait to see where this game goes.”
- “Funny game with good music! :D”
- “The matchmaking is totally unbalanced, and makes the game unfunny.”
- “The jokes fall flat and often feel forced, lacking any real wit.”
- “I expected a lot of humor, but instead, I found the dialogue cringeworthy and dull.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that hinder gameplay. Many experience slow loading times, unresponsive controls, and freezing issues, particularly in the main menu and during play. While players find the game enjoyable and recognize its potential, the overall stability issues detract from the experience.
- “The user interface has become slow and so has the game overall; the time it takes to just load it, the time it takes to actually get to play it, and the way the game nearly freezes if you press too quickly on any of the main menu options.”
- “It's not FPS lag because my FPS stays at 80-100 during the lag spikes; it's just that it glitches for some reason due to connectivity issues.”
- “It always crashes; I cannot play. It freezes and Windows (7) pops up saying 'program not responding, close or wait.' I can wait forever and it won't continue...”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game employs a free-to-play model with microtransactions that do not provide competitive advantages, but many players perceive the monetization strategy as a cash grab, particularly with the early introduction of DLC and a battle pass system. While some appreciate the lack of aggressive monetization tactics, others express concern that the focus on profit may detract from the game's overall quality and development. Overall, the monetization approach has sparked mixed feelings among users, with calls for more investment in game quality and advertising.
- “The game is free-to-play, and while microtransactions exist, they do not offer a competitive advantage.”
- “It kept my attention and doesn't throw microtransactions in your face.”
- “But I don't think the head of development really cared; I certainly had the impression that this was used as a cash grab, although it has the potential to be bigger than Valorant.”
- “The fact that they already came out with a DLC and a loot box season pass system before the game is even done tells you they are more concerned with stealing your money than actually spending time to make a quality game. Just another cash grab system.”
- “Battle pass... I'm not sure why anyone would think it's okay to adapt this cash grab to games, but it keeps coming, and it's definitely a huge downfall for a lot of games.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization has been criticized for performance issues, including occasional bugs, lag, and server problems that disrupt gameplay, especially during intense matches. Additionally, the performance points for season-pass progression are deemed insignificant, leading to a lack of competitive depth. Overall, players report a frustrating experience due to these technical shortcomings.
- “You start with the top performance of the character, and it doesn't devolve to who can exploit the game mechanics more efficiently to bully the enemy team in the late game.”
- “Performance issues: occasional bugs, lag, and server problems can disrupt the smoothness of matches, particularly in high-intensity situations.”
- “The performance points awarded towards season pass progression in this game are simply very insignificant.”
- “Boring, generic music and awful performance with a lot of lag spikes.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has a moderately high replayability score of 7.5/10, bolstered by numerous unlocks and character/car levels that enhance the experience. However, some players note that a lack of content variety may lead to repetition over time. Overall, it remains enjoyable with strong replay value.
- “Lots of unlocks and character/car levels that add to the replayability value.”
- “Regardless, the game is fun with strong replay value.”
- “Replayability is moderately high, but the lack of content variety may lead to repetition.”
- “There are lots of unlocks and character/car levels that add to the replayability value.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it offers a variety of cars and racers to unlock, the repetitive nature can make it feel tedious. However, daily quests help mitigate excessive grinding, providing a balanced approach to unlocking new content without overwhelming players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
- “While the game has many different cars and racers to unlock and play, and a few stages, I don't think it's enough to keep the game fresh, especially with how repetitive and tedious this game can get.”
- “I would recommend this game to anyone that wants a break from the hard, grindy competitive games.”
- “Daily quests are a nice addition, making unlocking new drivers take a good amount of time without feeling excessively grindy.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, indicating a significant investment in their experience; however, frustration with the current gameplay design has led some to pause their engagement until improvements are made.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is enhanced by a captivating soundtrack, with each pilot featuring a unique song, complemented by Larry Huffman's engaging commentary.
- “The soundtrack is really nice, with each pilot having a unique song, and Larry Huffman's comments add to the overall atmosphere.”
- “The immersive environment and attention to detail create a captivating atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The combination of stunning visuals and an evocative soundtrack makes for an unforgettable atmosphere.”